The Colorado Avalanche made an internal promotion on the eve of their regular-season opener, naming Andrew Cogliano an assistant general manager.
Cogliano, 39, had served as a special assistant to the general manager since 2024. He was hired by Chris MacFarland prior to MacFarland’s departure this past June.
“I’m grateful and thrilled for this opportunity to take on a more advanced position with the Avalanche,” Cogliano said in a team release. “Since I retired, the Kroenke family, Joe, and the entire organization — past and present — have been great to me and my family with the transition. This second career has gone as well as I could have hoped when I decided it was time to move on from playing the game, and I’m excited to keep working toward our goal of winning another Stanley Cup.”
In his previous role, the Toronto native served in a variety of capacities, including player development, professional and amateur scouting, as well as working with the American Hockey League’s Colorado Eagles. He was also a key piece in scouting T.J. Hughes during the forward’s senior year at Michigan, often reviewing video with Hughes to better prepare him for the NHL.
Cogliano remained on staff after Joe Sakic reclaimed the GM position and was often spoken about as a key piece of the front office. It’s unclear, as of now, how his responsibilities will change with the promotion.
“We’re extremely lucky to have Cogs in the front office, and he’s been a key member of our staff since he decided to retire as a player,” Sakic said. “We’re excited to give him more responsibility and make more meaningful contributions toward building and sustaining championship-contending teams in all levels of our organization. Cogs is a great communicator, and that skill will be invaluable for our program. This is a well-deserved promotion.”
Cogliano played the final three seasons of his career with the Avalanche, helping them capture the Stanley Cup in 2022 as a key member of the fourth line after his arrival at the trade deadline.
His playing career consisted of 190 goals, 274 assists and 464 points in 1,294 regular-season games with the Edmonton Oilers, Anaheim Ducks, Dallas Stars, San Jose Sharks and Avalanche. He also recorded 13 goals and 40 points in 131 career postseason games.