The Colorado Avalanche may not be going anywhere soon, but the Broncos’ planned move to Burnham Yard has opened the door to a bigger question: could the Avs eventually follow Denver’s NFL team into a new home of their own?
For now, the Avalanche remain tied to Ball Arena, where they have played since 2000-01. They’ve been in the same building since arriving from Quebec in 1995, sharing the space with the Denver Nuggets. But with the Broncos naming Burnham Yard as their preferred site for a new stadium, the idea of Denver’s major teams clustering in a different part of the city suddenly feels a little less far-fetched.
There’s a practical argument behind it. A new arena could bring upgrades that matter to fans and ownership alike: more seats, better technology, different retail options inside the building, and maybe even a stronger tailgating setup before games. The thought is simple enough - if the Broncos can build something new to improve their experience and revenue, why couldn’t the Avalanche do the same?
And if the Avalanche ever did leave Ball Arena, it wouldn’t necessarily mean leaving Denver. The Broncos are expected to move only about 50 feet from their current spot, and the Avs could conceivably make a similar move instead of heading to another city in Colorado. Even a shift closer to Burnham Yard would still keep them part of the same broader sports neighborhood.
That kind of setup could work in everyone’s favor. With the Avalanche and Broncos near each other, both ownership groups could benefit from the added traffic, especially on days when hockey and football games overlap on the schedule.
Fans could go to one event and then another later in the day. It’s the kind of arrangement that can help both buildings draw more business.
There’s also no urgency here. The Avalanche’s current contract runs through 2050, which gives the Broncos plenty of time to settle into Burnham Yard before any new arena talk gets serious. By then, the Avalanche will have a long runway to watch how the area develops and whether the move pays off for the Broncos.
Maybe the neighborhood around Burnham Yard thrives. Maybe another option comes along.
Either way, the Avalanche have a loyal fan base that will show up wherever they play. And in a sports world driven by profit and constant upgrades, a future move out of Ball Arena is hard to rule out.
In Other News...
Scott Wedgewood Just Got Hit With Another Brutal Snub
Scott Wedgewoods season was strong enough to put him fifth in Vezina Trophy voting, which is why his absence from NHL Networks latest top-10 goaltender ranking stands out so sharply. For the Avalanche, it is another reminder that his work in net has not always earned the outside respect it probably should, even with the kind of year that usually forces people to take notice.
The snub lands alongside the bigger question of why Wedgewood also came up empty on Canadas Olympic roster. When a goalie can stack up that sort of individual recognition and still be left off lists like these, it invites a second look at what evaluators are valuing, and whether the players getting the nod ahead of him are actually bringing more to the table. [Read more 🡒]
Avalanche May Have A Bigger Goalie Question Than Fans Realize
Mackenzie Blackwood arrived in Colorado in December 2024 and quickly gave the Avalanche enough reason to believe they had something worth building around. His play in the 2024-25 season was encouraging, and the organization has continued to treat him as part of its long-term answer in goal, which matters for a team trying to keep its window open and its roster core pointed in the same direction.
The wrinkle is that Colorado did not get the clean handoff it may have been hoping for. Veteran Scott Wedgewood settled in as the primary option the following season, leaving Blackwood facing a crucial year to show he can stay available and steady enough to reclaim that role. For the Avalanche, the next step in their goaltending picture may depend less on who was brought in and more on whether Blackwood can finally turn promise into something more dependable. [Read more 🡒]