Andrew Cogliano is moving up. The Avalanche have promoted him to assistant GM as Jared Bednar prepares his club for opening night.
Colorado announced the front-office change Wednesday morning, putting Cogliano into an expanded role alongside general manager Chris MacFarland.
The timing immediately stands out. Colorado opens its season Wednesday night at home against the Los Angeles Kings, putting a major hockey-operations announcement directly into the opening-day spotlight.
Cogliano's promotion gives the Avalanche another familiar voice inside their management group, with the organization choosing someone already closely connected to the club rather than bringing in an outside executive.
MacFarland remains the general manager, while Bednar enters another season behind the bench. The move strengthens the layer between Colorado's coaching staff and the top of hockey operations.
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And it arrives with the Avalanche already facing lineup decisions. Colorado will be without Zachary L'Heureux and Logan O'Connor for the opener, leaving Bednar with an 11-forward, seven-defenseman setup against Los Angeles.
Colorado elevates Cogliano before puck drop
The announcement graphic leaves no ambiguity about the change: Cogliano is being promoted to assistant GM, moving deeper into the decision-making side of an organization he knows from inside the locker room.
That makes this more than a ceremonial title change. An assistant GM can become involved across roster planning, player evaluation and the daily communication that connects management with the coaching staff.
For Colorado, the move also keeps continuity inside a front office led by MacFarland since 2022, while Bednar has been the Avalanche head coach since 2016.
The immediate hockey focus still shifts back to the ice Wednesday night. Los Angeles arrives for Colorado's home opener, with the Avalanche beginning a new season under a brighter national spotlight.
But hours before that puck drops, Colorado has already made one significant organizational decision.
Cogliano's next chapter with the Avalanche will come upstairs, with a bigger voice in how the roster around Bednar is shaped.
Was promoting Andrew Cogliano to assistant GM the right move for the Avalanche?
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