Honestly, if you weren’t watching the NHL in June of 2022, you missed one of the most high-stakes "changing of the guard" moments in modern sports history. We’re talking about a team that hadn’t reached the mountaintop since 2001 facing off against a literal dynasty.
So, let's just get the big answer out of the way immediately. The Colorado Avalanche won the Stanley Cup in 2022. They didn’t just win it, though. They absolutely tore through the postseason with a 16-4 record, eventually taking down the back-to-back defending champions, the Tampa Bay Lightning, in a six-game thriller. It was fast. It was loud. And it was a long time coming for a core group of players in Denver who had spent years being "the next big thing" without actually getting the hardware to prove it.
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The Night the Colorado Avalanche Won the Stanley Cup in 2022
The clincher happened on June 26, 2022. It was Game 6 at Amalie Arena in Tampa. If you’re a Lightning fan, you probably still have nightmares about the second period.
Tampa actually started the night looking like they might force a Game 7. Steven Stamkos, their captain and heartbeat, scored less than four minutes into the first period. The arena was shaking. You could feel the "three-peat" energy in the air. But Colorado? They didn't blink.
A Turn of the Tide
Nathan MacKinnon—who is basically a human freight train on skates—tied it up early in the second. Then came the moment. 12:28 into that same period, Artturi Lehkonen, a guy the Avalanche picked up at the trade deadline specifically for big moments, snapped a shot past Andrei Vasilevskiy.
That was it.
The third period was a defensive masterclass. Colorado held Tampa Bay to only four shots in the final frame. Imagine that. The defending champs, fighting for their lives, and they couldn't even get the puck near the net. When the horn sounded, the Colorado Avalanche had won the Stanley Cup in 2022 with a 2-1 victory.
Why This Win Was So Significant
To understand why this mattered, you have to look at who they beat. The Tampa Bay Lightning were trying to do something that hadn't been done in the salary-cap era: win three titles in a row. They were a machine.
But Colorado was a different kind of monster. They had:
- Cale Makar: This kid won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoff MVP. He had 29 points in 20 games. As a defenseman. That is basically unheard of.
- Nathan MacKinnon: The elite center who finally got his ring after years of heartbreak.
- Gabriel Landeskog: The captain who played through a knee injury that would eventually keep him off the ice for years afterward.
- Darcy Kuemper: The goalie who did exactly what he was brought in to do—stay solid when it mattered most.
The Road to the Finals
Colorado’s path was almost perfect. They swept the Nashville Predators. They took down the St. Louis Blues in six. Then, they swept the Edmonton Oilers and Connor McDavid in the Western Conference Finals.
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By the time they met Tampa, they had only lost two games in the entire playoffs. They were rested, they were hungry, and they were playing a style of "speed-kills" hockey that the Lightning eventually just couldn't keep up with.
Key Stats from the 2022 Championship
If you like the numbers, they're pretty staggering. The Avalanche became the first team since 1987 to win the Cup with four or fewer losses in the playoffs. They also tied an NHL record with 10 comeback wins during that single postseason run.
It wasn't just about one guy. Mikko Rantanen led the team in points during the regular season (92) and stayed hot in the playoffs. Nazem Kadri, who had a reputation for getting suspended in the playoffs, became a hero instead, scoring a massive overtime winner in Game 4 while playing with a broken thumb.
How to Apply These Lessons (Actionable Insights)
Watching a championship team like the 2022 Avalanche isn't just for entertainment; there are actually a few "pro-level" takeaways if you're a student of the game or a coach:
- Prioritize Speed Over Bulk: The Avs' defense, led by Makar and Devon Toews, focused on transition and skating rather than just "clearing the porch." In modern hockey, if your defense can't skate, you can't win.
- The "All-In" Trade Deadline: Colorado trading for Artturi Lehkonen and Josh Manson proved that you don't need a superstar at the deadline; you need the right pieces for your system.
- Depth Wins Cups: You can have MacKinnon and Makar, but if Darren Helm and Andrew Cogliano aren't grinding out shifts on the fourth line, you don't beat a team like Tampa.
If you're looking to dive deeper into the history of this specific team, you should check out the official NHL championship film or look up Cale Makar’s 2022 highlights. Seeing him skate is the only way to truly understand how he dismantled the Lightning's defense.