The Colorado Avalanche are still coming to terms with their heartbreaking Game 7 loss to the Dallas Stars on Saturday night. After holding a two-goal lead in the third period, Colorado saw its season slip away as the Stars mounted a furious comeback. Mikko Rantanen and the Avalanche were left stunned as Dallas advanced to the second round.
In the wake of the collapse, the Avalanche organization has begun making changes behind the bench. Assistant coach Ray Bennett was relieved of his duties following the defeat. However, head coach Jared Bednar remains in place and was not part of the coaching shake-up.
The loss marks another disappointing postseason exit for a team with high expectations, and all eyes will now turn to how the Avalanche regroup ahead of next season.
In the wake of their stunning Game 7 loss to the Dallas Stars, the Colorado Avalanche are making changes behind the bench. General manager Chris MacFarland announced Tuesday that the team has relieved assistant coach Ray Bennett of his duties. He made the announcement alongside president of hockey operations Joe Sakic, signaling a need for accountability after a disappointing playoff exit.
Bennett had been with the Avalanche since 2017 and oversaw the forwards and power play units. While Colorado finished the regular season with one of the NHL’s top man-advantage groups, the power play faltered in the postseason. The Avalanche converted just three of 22 opportunities (13.6%) against Dallas—a factor Sakic acknowledged played a major role in the series outcome.
“In 5-on-5, I thought we played incredible hockey. We just didn’t get it done in those big moments,” Sakic said. “Dallas’s power play was the difference for them, and ours just wasn’t quite as sharp as it normally is.”
Despite Bennett’s long tenure as an NHL assistant coach—including stops in Los Angeles and St. Louis—the Avalanche saw the playoff struggles as a sign that change was needed. Over the course of his stint in Colorado, the team’s power play ranked fifth in the league (23%) since 2017-18, but the inability to deliver in key moments proved costly.
While Bennett was let go, head coach Jared Bednar’s job is safe for now. MacFarland affirmed the organization’s commitment to Bednar, stating, “100% confident Jared’s our head coach.”
Bednar, who has led the Avalanche for nine seasons, has taken the team past the second round just once—during the club’s 2022 Stanley Cup run. His playoff resume includes an 0-4 record in Game 7s and three series losses to the Stars. Still, the front office has opted to retain him, despite growing pressure from the fan base and media.
With the coaching decisions made, the focus now shifts to the roster. MacFarland and Sakic face a pivotal offseason as they look to maximize the championship window for stars like Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar. With team captain Gabriel Landeskog’s return still uncertain due to long-term injury concerns, time may be running out to surround Colorado’s core with the right supporting cast.