Jared Bednar was coming into this season with a “wait and see” attitude for his contract. He approached this season with the Colorado Avalanche as possibly his last. The club’s head coach for the past decade had just one year remaining on his contract. Bednar had seen the light at the end of the tunnel before. Early on Wednesday morning, the Avalanche announced they had extended head coach Bednar for another four years. This would keep him behind the bench through the 2030–31 season.

Quick start

Sakic had to bring Bednar into the fold quickly back in 2016. The sudden departure of the then-head coach Patrick Roy led to a quick search for a new coach. After coming off a Calder Cup win with the Lake Erie Monsters (CBJ), Bednar seemed a likely choice. He was hired only three weeks before training camp began for the Avalanche.

“I’m extremely happy and grateful to continue leading this group,” said Bednar. “My family and I have loved being a part of this organization from the beginning, and I can’t thank the Kroenke family and Joe Sakic enough for their support. I look forward to working hard each day this season and beyond to accomplish our goal of winning another Stanley Cup.”

Nothing but success

Bednar, who is entering his 11th season as the head coach for the Avalanche, has a 445–262–75 record (.614 win percentage). The record stands as the best in Avalanche and Quebec Nordiques franchise history. He has seen the postseason in all but one season. The first season with the club in 2016–17 was his worst year, managing only 48 points. The following year, Bednar turned the team around for a 95-point season and lost in the first round of the playoffs.

“Jared has done an outstanding job over the last decade, and there’s no doubt in my mind he’s the best coach for this group,’ said Avalanche President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Joe Sakic. “He commands the room and has complete confidence of the players. We’re excited to continue to have him in charge, and we believe that his presence maximizes the team’s potential while this core group is intact.”

In 2022, Bednar added a Stanley Cup to his trophy case. It would be the Avalanche’s third Stanley Cup and Bednar’s third overall championship. He is the only coach to with the Kelly Cup (ECHL), Calder Cup (AHL), and Stanley Cup.

But now, Bednar has two President’s Trophys to his name, along with a Jack Adams nomination. He has continued to build players up with the Avalanche, pushing them to their performance edge. He is here for another four years and can break several records in that time frame, and hopefully add 35 pounds of silver to the trophy case too.