Obituaries
Pierre Lacroix, Colorado Avalanche GM Who Won Stanley Cups, Dies
The general manager who helped bring Colorado its first pro sports championship in 1996 has died of the coronavirus.
DENVER, CO — Pierre Lacroix, the former Colorado Avalanche general manager and president who brought Denver its first major sports championship and guided the Avalanche to two Stanley Cup championships, has died. He was 72.
"Pierre was instrumental in not only the team's on-ice success but also building the Avalanche brand into what it is today," the Avalanche said in a Sunday statement announcing Lacroix' death. "His legacy reaches far beyond the NHL level and his impact can be felt throughout all of youth hockey in the Rocky Mountain region."
Lacroix was the general manager of the Quebec Nordiques in 1995 when the team moved to Denver and became the Avalanche.
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His Sunday morning death was due to the coronavirus, according to Le Journal de Quebec.
Lacroix' Avalanche teams won Stanley Cup championships in 1996 and 2001.
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National Hockey League Commissioner Gary Bettman said Lacroix was "highly regarded by his fellow general managers" and "his voice was respected throughout the league."
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