Top Moments From the 2024-25 Season

From jaw-dropping on-ice moments to making new friends off it, the 2024-25 Avalanche season was filled with memories.

10. Parker Kelly’s Hit Against Toronto

In a 7-4 win against the Maple Leafs on March 8th, one of the non-goal highlights was Kelly’s hit on Toronto defenseman Simon Benoit. Kelly sent the blueliner over the boards and into the Avs’ bench. In his first season with the Avs, Kelly was given the nickname ‘chaos,’ and posted 161 hits along with a career-high 19 points (8g/11a).

9. Winning Late at Madison Square Garden

In At 17:36 of the third period of a 2-2 game against the New York Rangers, Cale Makar was called for a holding the stick penalty, allowing the Rangers to have the advantage in the final minutes of the game. However, Makar jumped out of the penalty box and intercepted a pass in the Avs’ zone and started a rush the other way. Makar skated down the left wing and sent a cross-ice pass to Lehkonen, who scored the game-winning goal with 15 seconds left in the game, ending a high-scoring back-and-forth contest.

8. Charity Brunch

At their annual charity brunch that benefits Kroenke Sports Charities, the Avalanche honored pediatric heroes and participated in a walk down the aisle with them. Each Avs player was paired with a hero they spent time with — meeting their families, playing, and planning the poses they would strike at the end of the runway. The Avs players also served food to attendees on what was a memorable afternoon.

7. Crazy Comeback Against Buffalo

In the first of a five-game road trip that started in Buffalo on December 3rd, the Sabres led 4-0 after the first period. However, after MacKinnon scored at 2:24 of the second period and Joel Kiviranta tallied at 1:19 of the third period, the Avs were within a pair. At 4:30 of the third, Logan O’Connor made it a one-goal game and MacKinnon tied the contest at 7:39 of the period. Lehkonen gave the Avs a 5-4 lead with the game-winning goal at 15:38 of the third period to complete this incredible comeback. Making his Avs debut in the game was goaltender Scott Wedgwood, who stopped all 22 shots he faced in relief. The win marked the fourth four-goal comeback in Avalanche history and the second one on the road.

6. Maxy Meets the Team

One of the off-ice highlights of the season was when the Avs’ team dog, Maxy, visited them in the locker room after practice for the first time. With most players being big fans of dogs, Maxy meeting her uncles called for a great time. Maxy, the first team dog the Avs have had, is training to be a service dog with Freedom Service Dogs and is named after the late Peter McNab, who served as the color analyst for 27 years before passing away after a battle with cancer on November 6, 2022.

5. EJ’s Return

On March 10, Erik Johnson made his return to the Avalanche lineup after the team acquired him in a trade just three days earlier. The Avs players, many of them former teammates of Johnson, found out about the trade during the team’s practice. Upon finding out the news, Devon Toews imitated a condor on the ice, signifying Johnson’s nickname and his return. Johnson spent 13 seasons in Colorado from 2011-2023 and was greeted with applause when he took the ice that night against Chicago.

4. Ross Colton’s Wild Goal vs. Minnesota

In their January 9th matchup with the Minnesota Wild, Colton doubled Colorado’s lead at 16:52 of the first period on one of the most unique goals of the season. With Colton standing in front of the net, Wild defenseman Declan Chisholm’s fanned on his breakout pass which went right to Colton’s stick, leading to the goal. Colton’s meme-worthy reaction to the goal went viral on social media.

3. Cale Makar Scores 30th Goal of the Season

Makar’s 2024-25 season earned him his fifth-consecutive Norris Trophy nomination. One of the highlights of the campaign was when he became the first defenseman since 2008-09 to score 30 goals. On April 3rd in Columbus, the Avs faced the Blue Jackets in a game that they had to win to clinch a playoff berth. At 19:22 of the second period with the Avs on the power play, Makar scored his 30th goal of the season and became the second blueliner since 1992-93 to reach the mark.

2. Nathan MacKinnon Reaches 1,000 Points...Twice

In the 856th game of his career, MacKinnon became the 100th player in league history to the 1,000-point plateau in a 3-0 home win against the Chicago Blackhawks on March 10th. Everyone in the crowd at Ball Arena thought MacKinnon reached the milestone at 7:31 of the first period when he assisted on a Martin Necas goal, but the goal was overturned due to a successful offsides challenge. The Avs’ bench emptied to celebrate what they thought was MacKinnon reaching the milestone, but they had to wait a little while longer. MacKinnon did reach 1,000 points when he assisted on Artturi Lehkonen’s goal at 31 seconds of the third period. Once again, the bench emptied and surrounded MacKinnon to celebrate his historic accomplishment. MacKinnon became the third player in franchise history to post 1,000 points, joining Joe Sakic and Peter Stastny.

1. Gabriel Landeskog’s Return to the Lineup

After being out of the Avalanche lineup for 1,032 days due to injury, Captain Gabriel Landeskog joined Colorado’s lineup for Game Three against the Dallas Stars on April 23rd. When he was shown on the Ball Arena videoboard as the team was walking out on the ice for warmups, the crowd burst into euphoria seeing their captain return. It was a moment nearly three years in the making, and the fans rose to the occasion. The incredible atmosphere continued when Landeskog was announced as the final player in the team’s starting lineup. In his return, Landeskog played 13:16 but sent the Ball Arena crowd into a frenzy when he scored at 13:10 of the second period of Game Four via a slap shot from the slot. Landeskog played in five playoff games, posting a goal and three assists.