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Joe Sakic Named Interim Avalanche GM as MacFarland Joins Predators

6/2/2026

29 6 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

Joe Sakic will serve as interim GM of the Colorado Avalanche after Chris MacFarland departs.
Chris MacFarland left his Colorado Avalanche GM role to become Nashville Predators president of hockey operations and GM.
Owner Bill Haslam said the exhaustive search ended with MacFarland as a perfect fit.
MacFarland arrives with $27.2 million cap space and a roster that missed the playoffs by four points for a second straight season.

History

Historical Context

After the Quebec Nordiques moved to Denver in 1995 and rebranded as the Colorado Avalanche, the franchise captured the Stanley Cup in its inaugural 1996 season— the first NHL team to win a championship immediately after relocation. Led by captain Joe Sakic, who now steps in as interim general manager, the Avalanche continue a pattern of swift front-office changes first seen in the early 2000s.

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Story summary

Joe Sakic will serve as interim GM of the Colorado Avalanche after Chris MacFarland departs.
Chris MacFarland left his Colorado Avalanche GM role to become Nashville Predators president of hockey operations and GM.
Owner Bill Haslam said the exhaustive search ended with MacFarland as a perfect fit.
MacFarland arrives with $27.2 million cap space and a roster that missed the playoffs by four points for a second straight season.

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