CENTENNIAL — There is no real evidence that a Stanley Cup champion practices at the Colorado Avalanche training facility.

Just look up at the walls

Inside the South Suburban Family Sports Center, near the intersection of South Peoria Street and East Arapahoe Road, are two sheets of ice where Avalanche players have trained since 1998. Joe Sakic. Peter Forsberg. Patrick Roy. All the legends whose sweaters hang in Ball Arena honed their skills at this community rink, with its bench seating for a few hundred spectators.

On the East side, above Colorado’s secondary practice sheet, the walls are adorned with championship banners from local youth hockey teams from across the state. The ice below mostly caters to beer leagues, figure skaters, kids, grandparents and anyone else dishing out $9 during weekday public skate times. Last weekend, the ice where Nathan MacKinnon perfects his patented one-man rush hosted a 12-and-under youth hockey tournament.

On the West side, above Colorado’s primary practice sheet, the walls are covered with … almost nothing. Among a handful of small Avalanche signs, with website and season ticket information, is a banner promoting the since bygone 2019-20 NHL season. The strange lack of upkeep is a microcosm for a much larger issue.

The Avalanche train inside one of the most outdated practice facilities in the NHL.

A league-wide examination by The Denver Gazette found that Colorado, Calgary and Vancouver are the only teams in practice facilities constructed prior to 2000, with no major renovations over the past several years. That could change soon for the Canucks and Flames, according to media reports. There are currently active talks between team owners and their respective city officials to build new training facilities.

What about the Kroenke-owned Avalanche?

Last summer, at an end-of-season Nuggets news conference, team president Josh Kroenke told a room full of reporters: “Plans are in place to build a facility — that will not only make Avs and Nuggets players, coaches, and staff very proud — but the city of Denver as well.”

He has not addressed Avalanche media since winning the Stanley Cup.

The Denver Gazette reached out to Kroenke Sports and Entertainment (KSE) last month with multiple requests for comments on progress toward that goal. KSE did not respond. Even Avalanche general manager Chris MacFarland is in the dark. He told reporters last week that “it would be awesome” and that he “trusts the ownership group immensely for a million-and-one different reasons.”

Yet MacFarland is unaware of the timeline to construct a new practice facility.

It’s clear the Avalanche don’t need one to win a championship. The 2021-22 team is already etched on Lord Stanley. But Colorado has fallen behind in the NHL’s facilities arms race. Here’s why it matters.

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Avalanche defenseman Jack Johnson has witnessed the evolution of how NHL players take care of their bodies. Back in 2006, during his rookie season, the veterans were especially old school in their recovery methods.

“The trend was guys taking a case of beer into the sauna after the game. Scientifically, I don’t think there’s a worse thing you could do,” Johnson told the Denver Gazette. “But that’s just the way it was for 100 years. Players don’t do that anymore. The game is too fast and too hard. You have to recover and get ready for the next one.”

NHL teams have adapted with practice facilities to meet the demands of a modern professional athlete.

At Family Sports, Avalanche players and coaches have private parking and building entry. On the first floor is a dressing room, changing area, players’ lounge and training room facility with steam room, whirlpool, hot tub and equipment storage space. On the second floor, offices for hockey operations staff, a video room and weight room. There are no facility photos on the team’s website.

“It’s homey. Kinda dark. It’s got a fun feel just because I’ve had such a great experience here,” said Johnson, a 17-year NHL veteran between six different teams. “There are couple of unbelievable facilities out there like Chicago and Pittsburgh. I’ve experienced those. There are also some other ones that I would say are pretty bad. (Family Sports) is not one of those. It’s got everything you need.

“But like every other team, they want to make things as up to date, modern and cutting edge as you can. Everyone is looking for whatever edge they can possibly get. You’re at the practice facility a lot.”

Johnson, acquired via trade from the Blackhawks, left a modernized practice facility in Chicago. He said: “It was great because they have a huge turf field. You had spaces to do some speed, agility and plyometrics. All that stuff. Space for some athletic movements. Not just stationary stuff.” It’s one example of the rehabilitation capacity at Family Sports.

Other teams, like the Penguins, constructed practice facilities in direct partnership with a healthcare provider (University of Pittsburgh Medical Center). That would be especially helpful during a season in which the Avalanche have used a franchise-record 43 players due to injuries up and down the lineup.

Winger Andrew Cogliano, in his 16th NHL season, is another seasoned player with unique perspective on how practice facilities translate into a team’s success. It goes beyond keeping players healthy.

“It gets the job done. It is a pretty cozy little facility,” Cogliano said of Family Sports. “Everything big and brand new is nice. If that’s the next step here, it’s going to make this franchise even more successful. It’s another part of wanting to be there; a destination. It adds a lot. The facilities, for guys that are (unrestricted free agents), it does make a difference.

“You add brand new facilities, and it attracts players.”

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Drive 16 miles north from Family Sports to Ball Arena and you’ll find a much different vibe.

The Avalanche upgraded their gameday dressing room before the season began. It was a demolition and remodel of their existing space with renovations to the player lounge, dining and meeting areas. The dressing room was reconfigured into an oval for better player communication.

It’s all a taste of what might be featured in a new practice space.

“It would be great to have our own facility. You see a lot of teams starting to build them now,” coach Jared Bednar told The Denver Gazette. “I’m sure it’s on the radar. It would be fantastic. With the newness of our locker room and everything, that was a priority, and it’s been fantastic getting settled in there. They’re still working on some things. But to have a practice facility with that type of quality would be outstanding.”

It begs another important question: What’s the optimal training location?

An emerging NHL trend — in places like Columbus, Detroit, Edmonton and New Jersey — are practice facilities connected to gameday arenas. It’s a coach/player-friendly option that might be possible for the Avalanche and KSE-owned Denver Nuggets. Their one basketball practice court at Ball Arena recently had cones section off in areas where the roof was leaking, hardly a suitable training space for an NBA title contender and a two-time MVP, Nikola Jokic.

Nuggets guard Ish Smith told The Denver Gazette: “Let’s say, the other day, we’ve got some guys that want to get up shots. Then you’ve got some other guys that want to play five-on-five. If you had two courts, you could get that done.”

Why not combine facilities nearby? It all comes down to real estate.

In March 2022, as first reported by the Denver Business Journal, KSE submitted a “large development review” document to the city of Denver; with plans to repurpose 55 acres of mostly parking lots surrounding Ball Arena. The vision is laid out online (www.visionplan.ballarena.com) with ideas to include housing, retail and parks. The Denver Gazette sought clarity for whether a practice facility might be included in the final plans. KSE did not respond.

It seems the only certainty for the Avalanche in constructing a new training facility is public access.

Unlike the NFL, where secrecy often trumps reason, most NHL teams have open practices for media and fans alike. Multiple sheets of ice also serve communities that have more demand than rinks available. Avalanche players and coaches don’t have a problem with public access, either.

“Sometimes, there is a little energy in there. People like to come and see what the guys are doing,” Bednar said. “Weekends are pretty busy because there’s usually a lot of minor hockey going on. The kids want to watch so the parents have to stay.

“There’s not a lot of secrets in our league. Everyone has the video. Your system doesn’t change week to week. There are nuances and little adjustments you’ve got to make based on your opponent. But most teams are playing a similar system. … I just don’t feel like it’s of great importance to make it secretive in our league.”

Back at Family Sports, where the Avalanche are gearing up for another postseason run, Johnson appreciates that his wife and kids can watch practice. He’s grown especially fond of this old building, even if it needs to be replaced. Johnson said: “I’m biased. I’m really partial to this facility.”

The Avalanche won’t make excuses on their quest for another championship.

“At the end of the day, it’s the players in the room that are going to win the Cup,” Johnson said. “Not a practice facility.”

The Denver Gazette’s Nuggets beat writer Vinny Benedetto contributed to this report.