There is speculation among fans of the Colorado Avalanche that head coach Jared Bednar is in the hot seat this year. That could not be farther from the truth. Bednar has done things with the Avalanche that no one could have ever dreamt of. He has struggled, but so have other coaches in the division and the conference. We saw three head coaches in the Central Division either last season or right after. Here are a few reasons I believe head coach Jared Bednar is not on the hot seat this season.
Points percentage
Of all the coaches in franchise history, Bednar sits third in points percentage of .603. The only two coaches that are above him are the other Stanley Cup winners of Bob Hartley (.618) and Marc Crawford (.631). This could be higher if it were not for the first season at the helm, in which he went 22–56–4.
The only coach to win at every level
Bednar is the only coach in history to win at every level that he has coached at. He has won the Stanley Cup (2022-Colorado Avalanche), Calder Cup (2016-Lake Erie Monsters) and the Kelly Cup (2009-South Carolina Stingrays). This shows that he knows how to adapt at every level of hockey and can do it quickly.
Jun 30, 2022; Denver, Colorado, USA; Colorado Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar smokes a cigar during the Stanley Cup celebration parade as it makes its way through downtown Denver towards Civic Center Park. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
Bednar came into an unpleasant situation
On August 11, 2016, then-head coach Patrick Roy walked away as the bench boss of the Avalanche. The Avalanche had no head coach weeks before training camp opened. Just two weeks later, the Avalanche announced Bednar as the new head coach. To say it was a tough transition is putting it mildly. Colorado finished last in the league with 48 points. The following season, when Bednar had a full summer to work with the organization, the Avalanche finished fourth in the Central with 95 points.
Faith in Bednar
After the first-round exit this past season, general manager Chris MacFarland said he has “100 percent confidence” in Bednar’s ability to lead the team. He is here to stay. Instead, the team fired assistant coach Ray Bennett. So MacFarland and the president of hockey operations Joe Sakic feel comfortable keeping him around.
Apr 28, 2023; Seattle, Washington, USA; Colorado Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar speaks to the media after the game between the Seattle Kraken and the Colorado Avalanche in game six of the first round of the 2023 Stanely Cup Playoffs at Climate Pledge Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports
The only way that I can see Bednar being fired from the Avalanche is if the team completely falls apart. This would have to mean that they miss the playoffs or go on a long losing streak. The Avalanche would also have to buy out the rest of the contract, which runs through 2026–27. In the long run, I think Bednar is here for the long haul, whether or not some fans like it.
