Creating the Colorado Avalanche 2022 Stanley Cup Ring

Commemorating a legacy. Ringing in the new season.
The Colorado Avalanche received their 2022 Stanley Cup Championship rings on Monday night and just two days ahead of the beginning of the 2022-23 campaign where they will begin their title defense.

After being crowned victorious on June 26 following a Game 6 win over the defending champions in the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Avalanche organization had a busy summer ahead full of well-earned celebrations, touring Lord Stanley around the globe and designing the team's eventual championship rings.

The process of creating the rings that would be forever special mementos for the players and staff was no easy task, but was spearheaded by Vice President, Media & Player Relations Brendan McNicholas and long-time hockey operations executive Charlotte Grahame, with insight from Josh Kroenke from the Avalanche's ownership group and President of Hockey Operations Joe Sakic, who won captained the team to its first two Stanley Cups in 1996 and 2001.
"The day after the parade ended, we were immediately onto planning the busy summer with the [Stanley Cup travel schedule] and working on the creating the ring," McNicholas said. "We had a really short window, so we had to get right on it. Everyday Charlotte and I were working on it in some capacity just trying to make sure it was perfect and getting all of those finishing touches right."
Josten's provided the Avalanche with other Stanley Cup championship rings from the Chicago Blackhawks, St. Louis Blues, Pittsburgh Penguins and Tampa Bay Lightning as well as from the NFL with the Green Bay Packers' Super Bowl ring from 1967 and a Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl ring to view as they began the ideation process. McNicholas also leaned on some insight from some of his colleagues around the league who had gone through the process as well with their respective NHL organizations.
Regarding the vision, details and design, McNicholas and Graham ensured the final product would pay homage to the organization's roots and history, previous Stanley Cup victories and the tight-knit bond shared among the current group. They carefully gathered input from Sakic and the Kroenkes throughout the process.
"We wanted to create a ring that had that 'wow' factor but yet still had the class and character that the Avalanche organization has always stood for," McNicholas said.
With such a tight window and balancing the schedule of the Stanley Cup making visits to each respective player and front office staff member, it was quite the task for McNicholas, who also kept the final product concealed for purposes of a truly authentic reaction.

So, on Monday night as members from the 2022 Stanley Cup Championship team gathered - including Jack Johnson, who signed with Chicago in the offseason and will play the Avalanche as the opponent at Wednesday's home opener - the anticipation and excitement were palpable.
"We wanted that surprise factor," McNicholas said. "We wanted [all the players and staff] to be the first ones to see it before anyone else. We want them to all get to share this moment together and just have it be purely theirs."
See below for intricate details on the ring itself courtesy of Jostens:
In their glorious return to the Stanley Cup Finals, the Colorado Avalanche displayed inspiring determination and strength, culminating in an incredible game six victory to be crowned 2022 Stanley Cup Champions. Honoring the Avalanche's third Stanley Cup in franchise history is a championship ring teeming with unique details which artfully depict their championship journey. Expertly crafted in 14- karat white gold set with diamonds, genuine rubies and genuine sapphires, the Colorado Avalanche 2022 Stanley Cup Championship Ring is a tribute to their unwavering dedication and teamwork throughout the season.
The ring top proudly features the Avalanche logo and their title of STANLEY CUP CHAMPIONS set above 18 custom-cut sapphires. Creating the A are 6 custom-cut rubies, symbolic of the 6-game Stanley Cup Final. The logo is boldly set atop the coveted Stanley Cup. Paying homage to Joe Sakic's lifetime commitment to the Avalanche and as the only team captain and General Manager to win a Stanley Cup with the same team, 19 diamonds are set in the snow flowing to the hockey puck on the logo. These diamonds total .22 carats, a nod to the 22 years of Kroenke ownership.
An additional 220 diamonds are intricately set, cascading down the ring top. A design element from the team's jersey is brought to life along the top and bottom edges of the ring top through custom-cut rubies set in the pattern of the "mountain" stripe detail found on their jersey. There is a total of 36 rubies set in the stripes.
The left side of the ring features the recipient's name, honoring the individual contribution to the Avalanche's success. Below their name, players receive their jersey number set in diamonds. Set on either side of the player's number, are two sapphires which symbolize the '96 and '01 Stanley Cup victories. Completing the left side the alternate logo found on the shoulder of the team's home jersey, which is accented with black ceramic - a nod to their 3rd and most recent Stanley Cup title. The background of the left side is a shimmering bed of 80 diamonds.
Displayed at the top of the right side of the ring is the team's name created in the official Avalanche jersey font. Below are three Stanley Cups, the center Cup is set with 44 diamonds; the Cups to the left and right celebrate the previous franchise Stanley Cup wins. The year-dates of each Stanley Cup title are proudly displayed on the Cups. The background of the right side is completed with 28 diamonds. In total there are 72 diamonds set on the right side, these stones represent the 72 combined regular season and playoff victories won by the Avalanche. This feat tied an NHL record only achieved three times before in the league's 104 year history.
Flowing from the top of the ring, down the sides and wrapping around the palm are an incredible 184 diamonds. When the stones set in the ring side are combined with the stones on the ring top, they total 650. The exterior palmside of the ring includes a detailed miniature version of the iconic Denver skyline, the home city of the Colorado Avalanche.
The interior of the ring features the team motto "FIND A WAY" with the "A" being the Avalanche logo. Below are the series results from the Avalanche's dominate playoff run. As a final detail, the date of game six, 6-26-22 can be found on the interior palmside of the ring.
The Colorado Avalanche 2022 Stanley Cup Ring is truly a sight to behold, boasting a staggering total of 669 diamonds, 18 custom-cut genuine sapphires, 2 round genuine sapphires, and 42 custom-cut genuine rubies. In total, these rings have an astonishing carat weight of 18.50 carats of genuine gemstones.