Aarif Deen
The Colorado Avalanche released a statement following Chris MacFarland’s departure on Tuesday. With their now former general manager leaving the organization to run the Nashville Predators, the Avs announced that President of Hockey Operations Joe Sakic will add GM duties back to his portfolio.
“Sakic will resume the general manager duties for the foreseeable future, including through this month’s draft and the start of the league year,” vice chairman Josh Kroenke said. “In Joe’s previous stint as GM, he helped build the current roster and led us to the 2022 Stanley Cup. We are confident in Joe’s leadership and that we will continue to build upon our recent success as we seek to bring another Cup back to Colorado.”
Sakic was promoted to President of Hockey Operations in July 2022 after MacFarland was elevated to GM. At the time, the Anaheim Ducks were seeking permission to hire MacFarland as GM, but the Avs chose to promote him instead.
“We would like to thank Chris for all he did for the Avalanche organization. Chris was instrumental in our success over the last decade and a key part of our 2022 Stanley Cup championship,” Kroenke said. “This was an opportunity for him to take on a bigger role with the Predators while being closer to his family. We wish him and his family all the best in Nashville.”
It’s unclear how long Sakic will retain the GM role, but as of now, it sounds like he’ll be the one making the key offseason decisions through the draft and free agency.