Andrew Cogliano named assistant general manager by Colorado Avalanche

The Colorado Avalanche promoted Andrew Cogliano to assistant general manager on Tuesday, expanding the role of the 39-year-old former player who has been serving as special assistant to general manager Joe Sakic. In his new position, Cogliano will work alongside Sakic across all areas of hockey operations, according to reporting from Yahoo.

Cogliano spent the last two years as special assistant to Sakic, a role that included player development, professional and amateur scouting and time spent with the Colorado Eagles, the team's AHL affiliate. His work in that capacity included evaluating T.J. Hughes, who impressed the Avalanche throughout training camp and earned a spot on the opening-night roster, per Yahoo reporting.

Cogliano joined Colorado at the 2022 trade deadline and became an important part of the team's Stanley Cup run that spring. He played all 20 playoff games as Colorado defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning in six games. Over his time with the Avalanche, he played 172 regular-season games, recording 39 points, and added 11 points in 31 playoff games.

Before coming to Colorado, Cogliano built one of the more durable careers of his generation. He played 1,294 regular-season games with five NHL teams and opened his career with an 830-game ironman streak, which ranked fourth in NHL history at the time. He was originally selected 25th overall by Edmonton in the 2005 NHL Draft after two seasons at Michigan. Cogliano won gold with Canada at the 2006 and 2007 World Junior Championships.

Cogliano retired on June 21, 2024, and quickly transitioned into the Avalanche front office. Sakic said of Cogliano in a statement, per Yahoo: "He's been a key member of our staff since he decided to retire as a player."