Avalanche Make Their Feelings About Jared Bednar Crystal Clear

Any uncertainty around Jared Bednar and his future with the Colorado Avalanche is officially gone.

On the very same day that the team is kicking off its 2026-27 quest for the Stanley Cup, the organization announced that Bednar has agreed to a four-year contract extension. The new agreement will keep the coach behind the bench through the 2030-31 season.

Bednar was entering the final year of his previous contract, and before any speculation started stirring, the team made sure to give a definitive answer.

President of hockey operations and general manager Joe Sakic left little doubt about the coach.

"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," Sakic said in the team's announcement.

Avalanche Remove Any Doubt

The timing of this announcement is significant.

Just two weeks ago, Bednar walked into training camp without an extension, although he acknowledged that he had been in discussions with Sakic.

Bednar didn’t appear to have any concerns about being in the final year of his contract. The bigger concern for him was whether the locker room still had faith.

"That the players think I'm the right coach for this team," Bednar said at the time, according to an Associated Press report.

It didn’t take long before any concern there was squandered as well.

Sakic said Bednar "commands the room and has complete confidence of the players," along with going further to add that the organization believes having Bednar behind the bench gives them the best chance to maximize the current championship window.

That’s quite an endorsement.

Bednar Has Impressive Resume With Colorado

The saying goes, “You can’t argue with results.”

Bednar is coming into his 11th season as the head coach of the Colorado Avalanche. He is carrying a 445-262-75 regular-season record into the first game of the new season.

That alone makes him the winningest coach in Avalanche/Nordiques franchise history.

The only time the team has not reached the postseason under his command was his first year behind the bench. Then for nine consecutive seasons, he has led his team into the playoffs.

Then, of course, there’s the Stanley Cup.

That happened in 2022, just a few years after Bednar inherited a team that had scored just 48 points in the 2016-17 season.

Bednar is the only head coach to ever win championships in the ECHL, AHL and NHL.

The 2025-26 season was another reminder just how good this team really is.

Colorado went 55-16-11, set a franchise record with 121 points and won the Presidents’ Trophy before going to the Western Conference Final.

Then in heartbreaking style, the team was swept by the Vegas Golden Knights, thus raising questions about whether changes should be made.

Sakic answered.

Sakic Keeping Avalanche Foundation Together

Rather than having a knee-jerk reaction and overreacting to another disappointing season finish, Sakic just doubled down on the people he believes in to lead this organization to another championship.

Cale Makar got an eight-year, $163.2 million extension in August.

Now Bednar is receiving four more years.

Sakic made some changes, but truly they have been around the edges of the roster. He’s trying to move this team toward more of an emphasis on youth, but the core of this organization isn’t changing.

Colorado didn’t extend Bednar because they are content with just making the playoffs. The Avalanche have Nathan MacKinnon, Makar, Martin Necas and an entire veteran roster to build around and contend right now.

The standard is another Stanley Cup, and that’s no secret. Everyone knows that, including Bednar.

"I look forward to working hard each day this season and beyond to accomplish our goal of winning another Stanley Cup," he said Wednesday.

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