Avalanche Clinch Presidents' Trophy with Win Over Flames

Colorado secures the NHL's top regular-season seed with 3-1 victory

Apr. 10, 2026 at 7:55am

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A fractured, cubist-style painting depicting a hockey game between the Colorado Avalanche and Calgary Flames, with sharp geometric shapes and planes of color representing the intensity and movement of the match.The Avalanche's Presidents' Trophy win is a testament to their dominant regular-season performance, setting them up as the favorites to capture the Stanley Cup.Dallas Today

The Colorado Avalanche clinched the Presidents' Trophy, awarded to the NHL team with the best regular-season record, with a 3-1 win over the Calgary Flames on Thursday night. The Avalanche improved to 52-16-10 on the season, reaching 114 points with four games remaining. This is the fourth time the franchise has won the Presidents' Trophy, tying the Boston Bruins and New York Rangers for the second-most all-time.

Why it matters

Winning the Presidents' Trophy is a significant accomplishment, as it guarantees the Avalanche will have home-ice advantage throughout the Stanley Cup playoffs. It also shows the team's consistent excellence throughout the regular season and positions them as a top contender for the Stanley Cup.

The details

Nathan MacKinnon led the way for the Avalanche with a goal and two assists, reaching a career-high 52 goals on the season. Martin Necas contributed a goal and two assists, while Gabriel Landeskog opened the scoring with a power-play goal. Mackenzie Blackwood made 28 saves in net for Colorado. The Flames were eliminated from playoff contention earlier in the week, but rookie Tyson Gross scored his first NHL goal to cut the deficit to 2-1 late in the third period.

  • The Avalanche clinched the Presidents' Trophy on April 10, 2026.
  • Colorado has now won the Presidents' Trophy four times in franchise history (1996-97, 2000-01, 2020-21, 2025-26).

The players

Nathan MacKinnon

The Avalanche star forward led the team with a goal and two assists, reaching a career-high 52 goals on the season.

Martin Necas

The Avalanche forward contributed a goal and two assists, scoring his 38th goal of the season.

Gabriel Landeskog

The Avalanche captain opened the scoring with a power-play goal in the first period.

Mackenzie Blackwood

The Avalanche goaltender made 28 saves to secure the win.

Tyson Gross

The Flames rookie scored his first NHL goal in the third period to cut the deficit to 2-1.

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What they’re saying

“Winning the Presidents' Trophy is a significant accomplishment, as it guarantees the Avalanche will have home-ice advantage throughout the Stanley Cup playoffs.”

— Abdullah Imran, Author

What’s next

The Avalanche will enter the playoffs as the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference and will face the second wild-card team, avoiding a first-round matchup against the top division contenders, Dallas Stars and Minnesota Wild.

The takeaway

The Avalanche's consistent excellence throughout the regular season has positioned them as a top contender for the Stanley Cup, and winning the Presidents' Trophy is a testament to their dominance. As they head into the playoffs, they will have the advantage of home-ice throughout, which could be crucial in their quest for the championship.