The Denver sports scene has never been better.

The Mile High City is currently in its golden age of professional sports. The Broncos, Nuggets, and Avalanche are all peaking at the same time, propelled by a trio of stars. In all three sports, the playoffs will go through Denver.

This collective season is a time like no other in Denver history, and potentially sports history.

Historical Combinations

Denver, perhaps more than any other city in the modern era, is home to the great players in professional sports. Nikola Jokić, Nathan MacKinnon, and Patrick Surtain II make up potentially the most incredible collection of talent a city has ever seen.

Among the cities with cases for the most excellent star alignment in sports history, Los Angeles in the 1980s immediately comes to mind. Magic Johnson and his Showtime Lakers were the highlight of the NBA. Meanwhile, the mythical Bo Jackson played for the then-L.A. The Raiders and the Kings acquired Wayne Gretzky.

Late-1980s Chicago is also compelling. Michael Jordan, Walter Payton, and Sammy Sosa all briefly overlapped in the Windy City.

Boston in 2007 might be the most compelling case. David Ortiz led the Red Sox’s rebirth and their World Series win, Tom Brady was separating himself from his peers with the storied, near-undefeated Patriots, and the Celtics formed the ‘Big Three’ of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen.

Some other smaller ones have coalesced: Steph Curry and Buster Posey in the Bay, Sidney Crosby and Ben Roethlisberger in Pittsburgh, and Giannis Antetokounmpo alongside Aaron Rodgers and Christian Yelich in Wisconsin. Currently, Shohei Ohtani, Luka Dončić, and Matthew Stafford are revitalizing L.A.

Of all these, though, none reach the degree of greatness that is happening in Denver.

Mile High City of Stars

What separates Denver from other instances throughout history is that Denver’s current players are the definitive best players in their sport and their era. No other city can say that, except for Denver right now.

Nathan MacKinnon – Avalanche Center

In the NHL, MacKinnon might not be the guy in Edmonton, but he’s as close as a player can be. MacKinnon has been transcendent this season, piloting the best offense in the NHL and a historically dominant Avs team.

MacKinnon has 44 points and 20 goals through 25 games. He’s had three straight three-point games. He ranks first in goals, points, plus/minus, assists, and even-strength points. He’s been the best player on the ice in every game and is reaching historic offensive heights. He’s the engine of the Avs’ immaculate offense, and has them poised for another deep playoff run. MacKinnon’s season rivals almost anyone’s in the NHL’s history, and another playoff run will only add to the center’s impressive resume.

Patrick Surtain II – Broncos Cornerback

It’s tougher to assign individual impact in the NFL, since it is such a team-oriented game. Still, it is clear who the true game-wreckers are and who deliver the most disruption for the opposition. Denver Broncos CB Surtain II is one of these.

The two-time All-Pro and reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year has been sidelined for the past few games with an injury, but he was putting together an unbelievable run dating back to the start of last season. Since the beginning of 2024, Surtain has accounted for: 5.8 yards-per-target, two TDs, four picks (including a pick-six), and a 67.3 passer rating. As the primary defender, he’s allowed zero catches and two interceptions on 95 targets. He’s by far the best corner in the league, and on the short list of defenders who take over a game.

WRs who face him routinely come up empty. Ja’Marr Chase, Garrett Wilson, George Pickens, A.J. Brown, Michael Pittman, Jakobi Meyers, Tyler Warren, Ladd McConkey, DK Metcalf, Brock Bowers, Quentin Johnston, Jerry Jeudy, DeAndre Hopkins, and Drake London: All failed to record more than four receptions and 40 yards against Surtain.

Surtain had an ‘off game’ by his standards against the Commanders, coming back from injury. That still meant he held Terry McLaurin to three catches on seven targets for 30 yards and a touchdown on a pick play.

He’s a remarkable player who has been spotless for a season and a half. He was honored with the Defensive Player of the Year, and only the third CB to win the award since 2000.

Nikola Jokic – Nuggets Center

Denver’s best athlete, past or present, plays for the Nuggets. The Rocky Mountains have seen a plethora of great players pass through. Elway, Manning, Helton, Sakic. None is what Nikola Jokic is. He is what takes this trio of athletes over the top.

Jokic has won three MVP awards, an NBA championship and Finals MVP, five first-team All-Pro selections, and an Olympic silver medal. His accolades speak for themselves. He has set many NBA records and continues to rewrite the game’s history in real time. He is a unique force, the first player to do great things.

The Serbian is not only the best player to ever wear a Nuggets jersey, but the defining player of this decade. The 60s had Russell. The ’70s had Kareem. The 80s had Bird and Magic, the 90s had Jordan, the 2000s had Kobe and Shaq, and the 2010s had LeBron and Curry. So far, the 2020s have Jokic (with a healthy dose of Giannis). That kind of company goes beyond “great player.” That’s hallowed ground.

It becomes harder by the game to deny that Jokic is the most dominant and most complete offensive player the game has ever seen. He is the best player of his era and is climbing higher and higher into the basketball pantheon. The story of the NBA can’t be told without Nikola Jokic.

Stellar Starts

Each of Denver’s three stars is propelling their respective teams to remarkable seasons, all at once. The Nuggets, Avalanche, and Broncos are leading or at the top of their respective sports and poised for deep playoff runs.

The Broncos are having their best season since 2015, when they went 12-4 and were the number one overall seed. At 10-2 and a half game back of the one seed, Denver has the AFC West all but locked up. The one seed is in sight, and a first-round bye and home divisional round game is in play. The Broncos have won nine straight games, and an NFL-record nine consecutive comeback wins. They’ve beaten both Super Bowl teams, the NFL’s best passing offense and overall defense. Every season the Broncos have gone 10-2, they’ve gone to the Super Bowl.

The Nuggets are in an odd home-game skid, but they’re still the force we’re accustomed to. They’re fourth in their conference, third in point-diff, and first in offense despite Aaron Gordon and Christian Braun missing time. New additions Cam Johnson, Tim Hardaway Jr., and Jonas Valančiūnas have slotted in perfectly and complete the full eight-man rotation. All the pieces fit together exactly as the Nuggets front office has hoped. Health is now the goal, with three of their starters expected to miss time due to injury. OKC is still the NBA’s freight train, but Denver looms. The 2025-26 Nuggets are primed for another Finals run akin to 2023.

The Avalanche is the best out of all of them. They genuinely appear to have no equal. They are on a 16-game point streak, have points in all but one of their games, have already had a 10-game winning streak, and have just one regulation loss. The 1976-77 Montreal Canadiens record of just eight regulation losses in a season seems achievable. They lead the league in goals for and against, shots for per game, and points and point percentage. They’re on pace to surpass the franchise record in points, set by the Cup-winning 2022 team. The Avalanche is the best team in hockey, bar none.

In the month of November, the Broncos, Nuggets & Avalanche won or earned a point (NHL) in 28 of their 31 combined games.

That’s the best combined percentage by an NFL, an NBA and an NHL team from a metropolitan area in a month in the history of those leagues (min. 2 GP each). pic.twitter.com/9BijfJcEaw

— Jake Coyne (@TheStatSquatch) December 1, 2025

Right at Home

The three teams are in the midst of an astounding run of home games. When Denver teams play in Ball Arena or Empower Field, they usually go home happy. The Broncos, Nuggets, and Avalanche are a combined 22-4-2 at home this season. The Nuggets account for all four. The Broncos haven’t lost at home since October of last year.

What these three teams are doing is incredible. Denver is currently undergoing the greatest professional sports run a city can ask for. The Broncos, Nuggets, and Avalanche are all rolling and all dominant. Nathan MacKinnon, Patrick Surtain II, and Nikola Jokic make up a historic trio of athletes. All three are at the peak of their powers, at the same time, in the same place.

This home success bodes well for 2026. The final stage of the season is shaping up to be an incredible one for Denver fans. All three seasons are likely to merge into a single stretch of home playoff games. All three teams are genuine title contenders. There is a real shot at multiple Denver teams appearing (even winning) championships in the same year.

Downtown Denver could be buzzing this spring and summer. The Broncos are entering a new era of franchise success, and the Avs and Nuggets are adding new chapters to theirs.

2016: Denver Broncos win Super Bowl
2022: Colorado Mammoth win NLL Cup
2022: Colorado Avalanche win Stanley Cup
2023: Denver Nuggets win NBA Championship
2023: Wyndham Clark (Denver Native) wins US Open

The new City of Champions? 🏆 pic.twitter.com/weOyM1FR3K

— Nuggets Lead (@NuggetsLead) June 19, 2023

This is a period of group success that few cities or fanbases ever get the chance to see. There is more talent in Denver than just about anywhere else. This is the chance to witness something few get to see. For Denver fans, savor it and indulge in it. Be grateful when it ends. What started in 2022 is peaking right now in 2025 and 2026.

This is the Denver sports golden age. Maybe one day the Rockies can participate.