Remembering Peter McNab, Beloved Colorado Avalanche Broadcaster

The Colorado Avalanche has gone through plenty of changes since arriving in Denver. But there's been one constant: Peter McNab, who acted as the color commentator for the squad's games since its inaugural 1995-1996 season. He was a guide for fans through bad times, good times and great times — including the Avs' third Stanley Cup championship earlier this year.

That's one of many reasons that the November 6 announcement that McNab had died of cancer at age seventy was so heartbreaking.

Stan Kroenke, owner of the Avs, Kroenke Sports & Entertainment and Altitude Sports Broadcasting, McNab's employer, offered the following statement in conjunction with son Josh Kroenke, the franchise's president and governor: "Peter's passion for hockey was singular — as was his gift for celebrating what makes the sport so special. We were blessed that, for 27 years, he was an integral and indispensable part of our organization. His presence, insight and commitment to growing the sport made us all want to be greater stewards of hockey. On behalf of the Colorado Avalanche, KSE, Altitude Sports and hockey fans across the world, we send our deepest condolences to the McNab family and all of Peter's vast army of loved ones and friends."

Added Joe Sakic, the Avs legend who now serves as president of hockey operations: "The Avalanche organization is beyond sad to hear the news of Peter's passing. Peter has been there for every season of the Avalanche's existence and was the voice of the team through so many memorable years, including three Stanley Cup championships. He was a staple in the local hockey community, going back to his years playing at the University of Denver to working nearly 30 years with the Avs. But as good as a hockey man as he was, he will be most remembered for being a friend to so many. On behalf of the Avalanche organization, we send our deepest condolences to the entire McNab family. Peter will be greatly missed."

Born in Vancouver, McNab moved to San Diego at the age of fourteen after his father was hired to coach a minor-league hockey team, the Gulls. A few years later, he was lured to the University of Denver by a baseball scholarship, but his skating skills soon won him a spot on the DU Pioneers roster. He subsequently went on to a solid career in the NHL, playing for the Buffalo Sabres, the Boston Bruins, the Vancouver Canucks and the New Jersey Devils — which had formerly been known as the Colorado Rockies.

McNab's Denver connections served him in good stead when he transitioned from delivering Devils broadcasts to becoming a voice of the Avalanche. He didn't pretend to be anything other than an Avs booster, but his clear, concise explanations helped relative hockey newcomers understand what was happening on the ice without making folks who'd followed the sport for years feel as if he was dumbing anything down. For McNab, it was all about balance, and he never lost his edge.

McNab got his cancer diagnosis last year, but in February, he publicly announced that the disease was in remission — and he was able to enjoy the Avs' triumphant race through the playoffs. Here's a video shared by Vic Lombardi, McNab's Altitude colleague, showing the team's affection for him after securing the Cup.

Peter McNab on the ice with the emotion and we are just so happy to see him experience this. @Avalanche | #goavsgo pic.twitter.com/E2IVrX4fZ3

— AltitudeTV (@AltitudeTV) June 27, 2022

Unfortunately, McNab's cancer returned — and in response to word of his death, viewers, listeners and colleagues have shared their thoughts online. Ex-Denver Bronco Tyler Polumbus, who recently joined Altitude Sports Radio, summed up his feelings in a single, very appropriate word: "Devastating."

Here's a video tribute to McNab shared by the Colorado Avalanche: