Editing Colorado Avalanche (section)

==Rivalries==

===Detroit Red Wings===
{{See also|Avalanche–Red Wings rivalry|Colorado Avalanche–Detroit Red Wings brawl}}
In [[1995–96 NHL season|1996]], the Colorado Avalanche met the [[Detroit Red Wings]] in the conference finals and upset the Red Wings 4–2. During Game 6, Red Wings player [[Kris Draper]] was checked into the boards face-first by Avalanche player [[Claude Lemieux]].<ref name="bloodfeud">{{Cite book| last =Dater| first = Adrian| title =Blood Feud: Detroit Red Wings vs. Colorado Avalanche| publisher =Taylor Trade Publishing| year =2006| url =http://www.denverpost.com/books/ci_5106839| isbn =978-1-58979-319-4}}</ref> As a result, Draper had to undergo facial reconstructive surgery and had to have his jaw wired shut for five weeks.<ref name="avsrw10y">{{Cite news|title =Happy anniversary to Red Wings, Avalanche|url =https://www.espn.com/espn/page2/story?page=neumann/070326|author =Neumann, Thomas|publisher =ESPN|date =March 26, 2007|access-date =March 27, 2007}}</ref> The incident marked the beginning of a rivalry often considered one of the most intense in NHL history by the press and fans.<ref name="toprivalries">{{Cite news|title =Part II – Top rivalries|url =https://www.espn.com/nhl/preview2005/news/story?id=2172427|publisher =ESPN|date =October 29, 2005|access-date =March 27, 2007}}</ref>

In the following season, in the last regular season meeting between the Avalanche and the Red Wings on March 26, 1997, a brawl known as the [[Red Wings – Avalanche brawl|Brawl in Hockeytown]] broke out. The game ended with nine fights, 11 goals, 39 penalties, 148 penalty minutes, one hat-trick (by Valeri Kamensky) and a goaltender fight between Stanley Cup champion Patrick Roy and [[Mike Vernon (ice hockey)|Mike Vernon]].<ref name="avsrw10y" /> Claude Lemieux was one of the players singled out by the Red Wings players. The Red Wings ended up winning the game in overtime 6–5.<ref name="avsrw10y" /> The teams met again in the conference finals that season, with the Red Wings emerging victorious and going on to win the Stanley Cup.

The rivalry between the Avalanche and the Red Wings was at its peak from 1996 to 2002.<ref name="riv">{{cite web |title=Looking back at the bloody Avalanche-Wings rivalry |url=https://www.nhl.com/news/looking-back-at-the-bloody-avalanche-wings-rivalry/c-518769 |publisher=National Hockey League |access-date=November 15, 2018}}</ref> During those seven seasons the two teams played five postseason series against each other in the Stanley Cup playoffs, with the Avalanche winning three of the series (1995–96, 4–2; 1998–99, 4–2; 1999–2000, 4–1) and the Red Wings winning two of them (1996–97, 4–2; 2001–02, 4–3).<ref name="riv" /> During this time frame, these two teams combined for a total of five Stanley Cup championships in seven years, the Avalanche winning twice (1995–96 and 2000–01) and the Red Wings winning three times (1996–97, 1997–98 and 2001–02).<ref name="riv" /> After 2002, the rivalry between the two teams began to cool down, and the two teams would not meet again in the playoffs until 2008, when the Red Wings swept the Avalanche in the conference semifinals and went on to win the Stanley Cup.<ref name="riv" /> The Red Wings moved to the Eastern Conference in 2013–14 season as part of the realignment which makes the two rivals only see each other twice a year.<ref>{{cite web |title=Detroit Red Wings officially heading to Eastern Conference as NHL approves realignment |url=https://www.mlive.com/redwings/index.ssf/2013/03/detroit_red_wings_officially_h.html |website=MLive.com |date=March 14, 2013 |access-date=November 15, 2018}}</ref>