Colorado Eagles

Lore & Background

The franchise was founded in 2003 by former Montreal Canadiens player Ralph Backstrom. The Eagles played their first game on October 11, 2003, a preseason win against the Oklahoma City Blazers, with Ryan Tobler scoring the first goal in team history. Their first regular season game was a loss to the Tulsa Oilers on October 17, 2003. The Eagles advanced to the playoffs in their first season and won the CHL championship in their second season (2004–05). They won another CHL championship in 2006–07, defeating the Laredo Bucks four games to two. During their eight seasons in the CHL, the Eagles won two Ray Miron President's Cups, three regular season titles, five conference titles, and six division titles.

In 2011, the team moved to the ECHL, where they served as affiliates for the Winnipeg Jets and Calgary Flames organizations at various times. In July 2016, head coach Chris Stewart retired and was replaced by Aaron Schneekloth. The Eagles announced a four-year affiliation with the Colorado Avalanche and San Antonio Rampage on July 20, 2016. In their first season with the Avalanche affiliation, the Eagles won the Kelly Cup in 2017, and repeated as Kelly Cup champions in 2018. The team did not return the Kelly Cup to the league after leaving for the AHL, eventually sending it to the 2019 ECHL champion Newfoundland Growlers before the 2019–20 season.

For the 2018–19 season, the Eagles were promoted to the AHL as an expansion team. Greg Cronin served as the first AHL head coach for five seasons, qualifying for the playoffs each year. After Cronin left to coach the Anaheim Ducks, Aaron Schneekloth was reinstated as head coach on July 7, 2023. Schneekloth left in 2025 for an assistant role with the Seattle Kraken, and Mark Letestu was named head coach on July 5, 2025, leading the team to its first Western Conference Final appearance. Letestu left after one season, and Jussi Ahokas was named head coach on July 17, 2026.

Reader's Guide

The Colorado Eagles represent a rare example of a team that successfully moved from the Central Hockey League to the ECHL and then to the American Hockey League, maintaining a consistent identity and fan base. Their history is marked by sustained success: two CHL championships, two ECHL Kelly Cups, and multiple division and conference titles. The team's affiliation with the Colorado Avalanche, beginning in 2016, solidified their role as a primary development club for an NHL franchise. The Eagles have been featured on Altitude Sports and Entertainment, broadcasting games from 2004 to 2015, including championship games and All-Star events. They have also appeared twice on Sportscenter, notably for a goal by Greg Pankewicz in the 2007 playoffs. The team's move to the AHL in 2018 was part of league expansion discussions following the addition of the Vegas Golden Knights. The Eagles have had several head coaches, including Chris Stewart, Kevin McClelland, Aaron Schneekloth, Greg Cronin, Mark Letestu, and Jussi Ahokas. Their home arena, Blue Arena (formerly Budweiser Events Center), has hosted CHL and ECHL All-Star Games. The team serves the Fort Collins–Loveland Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Did You Know?

• Ryan Tobler scored the first goal in Eagles history 8:09 into the first period of a preseason game on October 11, 2003.
• The Eagles won back-to-back Kelly Cup championships in their final two ECHL seasons (2017 and 2018).

Franchise Origins & CHL Dominance

The Colorado Eagles were born in 2003 when former Montreal Canadiens player Ralph Backstrom founded the expansion franchise in the Central Hockey League. Their inaugural preseason game came on October 11, 2003, against the Oklahoma City Blazers, a 3-1 victory where forward Ryan Tobler etched his name into Eagles lore by scoring the franchise's first goal just over eight minutes into the first period. The first regular season contest, a 2-3 loss to the Tulsa Oilers on October 17, marked the start of a remarkably dominant stretch. In just eight seasons in the CHL, the Eagles captured two Ray Miron President's Cups (2004-05 and 2006-07), three regular season titles, five conference titles, and six division titles. Their 2006-07 championship came after a four-games-to-two sweep of the Laredo Bucks in the Cup Finals. The team also hosted the 2009 CHL All-Star Game at the Budweiser Events Center, where they outscored a collection of league All-Stars 8-4.

ECHL Era & Kelly Cup Conquest

In May 2011, head coach and general manager Chris Stewart announced at a press conference at the Budweiser Events Center that the Eagles had been accepted as an ECHL expansion franchise for the 2011-12 season. Assigned to the Mountain Division in the Western Conference, the team served as the second-tier affiliate of the Winnipeg Jets and St. John's IceCaps through the 2012-13 season, then linked with the Calgary Flames and Adirondack Flames during 2014-15. The pivotal shift came in July 2016 when Stewart retired as coach for the second time while remaining as GM, and was succeeded by longtime Eagles player Aaron Schneekloth. That same month, the Eagles announced a four-year affiliation with the Colorado Avalanche and San Antonio Rampage. The partnership proved transformative: the Eagles finished second in the Mountain Division in their first Avalanche-affiliated season and captured the Kelly Cup in the 2017 playoffs. They followed that with a back-to-back Kelly Cup in 2018. The Eagles departed for the AHL without returning the trophy, which was eventually sent to the 2019 ECHL champion Newfoundland Growlers before the 2019-20 season opener.

AHL Promotion & Avalanche Partnership

The Eagles' ascent to the American Hockey League was inextricably linked to the NHL's own expansion. When the Vegas Golden Knights were approved as the league's 31st team for 2017-18, discussions opened about adding a 31st AHL franchise. Rather than creating their own expansion team, the Golden Knights chose to affiliate with the Chicago Wolves, which opened the door for other organizations. The Eagles' ownership and management entered talks with the Colorado Avalanche, and on October 10, 2017, the two sides officially announced the club's promotion to the AHL for the 2018-19 season. The Avalanche hired Greg Cronin as the Eagles' first AHL head coach, retaining Schneekloth as an assistant. Cronin guided the team to playoff qualification in each of his first five seasons. Before the 2022-23 campaign, Kevin McDonald was introduced as the incoming Eagles General Manager. When Cronin departed to become head coach of the NHL's Anaheim Ducks, Schneekloth was reinstated as head coach on July 7, 2023. Ahead of the 2025-26 season, Schneekloth accepted an assistant coaching position with the Seattle Kraken, and Mark Letestu was named to replace him.

Key Figures & Organizational Continuity

Few minor-league franchises can claim the kind of leadership continuity the Colorado Eagles have demonstrated across three different leagues. Ralph Backstrom, a former Montreal Canadiens player, founded the team in 2003, setting the stage for a franchise that would eventually climb from the CHL to the ECHL and then the AHL. Chris Stewart emerged as the defining organizational figure, serving as head coach, general manager, and president across multiple eras. He retired from coaching twice—after the 2007-08 season and again in July 2016—yet remained deeply embedded in the team's operations. Aaron Schneekloth's journey from longtime Eagles player to assistant coach to head coach and back again exemplifies the franchise's internal development philosophy. The team plays at the Blue Arena in Loveland, serving the Fort Collins-Loveland Metropolitan Statistical Area, and competes in the Pacific Division of the AHL. Through every transition—CHL, ECHL, AHL—the Eagles maintained a local identity while steadily elevating their competitive level, ultimately becoming the Colorado Avalanche's AHL affiliate.

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