Avs Claim Central, Top Seed in West With Win in St. Louis

Nuke scores twice as Avs claim 13 division crown since 1996.

After two straight years of third-place finishes in the Central Division, the Colorado Avalanche are back where they believe they belong in 2025-26: on top.

Thanks to a 3-1 win Tuesday night in St. Louis, the almost foregone conclusion that had been looming for months was finally made official. The Avalanche have clinched the Central Division crown, finishing atop what is widely considered the NHL’s toughest division.

The division runs through the Mile High City for the 13th time since relocation in 1995 and the 15th time in franchise history.

And it felt fitting that the team they beat to secure it was the Blues, a franchise that has had its fingerprints all over Colorado’s most meaningful seasons in franchise history. If the Avalanche have Stanley Cup aspirations, somehow St. Louis always seems to be part of the story.

With the Blues clinging to less than a one-percent chance at a Wild Card spot, their only remaining role was spoiler. They briefly embraced it Sunday in Denver with a 3-2 win that delayed the inevitable.

But Colorado wasn’t interested in extending the wait any longer.