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The Avalanche finished the regular season with a 47 – 25 – 10 record for 104 points, won the Pacific Division and finished second in the Western Conference.

Colorado progressed to the playoffs, defeating the Vancouver Canucks and the Chicago Blackhawks in the first two rounds, both in six games and the Presidents ' Trophy-winning Detroit Red Wings in the Western Conference Finals in six games as well.

In the Stanley Cup Finals, the Avalanche met the Florida Panthers, who were also in their first Finals.

The Avalanche swept the series 4 – 0.

In Game 4, during the third overtime and after more than 100 minutes of play with no goals, defenseman Uwe Krupp scored to claim the franchise's first Stanley Cup.

Joe Sakic was the playoff's scoring leader with 34 points ( 18 goals and 16 assists ) and won the Conn Smythe Trophy, awarded to the most valuable player to his team during the playoffs.

The 1995-96 Cup was the first major professional championship won by a Denver team and the Avalanche are the only team ( expansion or brand new ) in NHL history to win the Stanley Cup their first season after a relocation, and only the second team to win a championship their first season after a relocation in any of the four major North American sports leagues, following the Washington Redskins of the NFL.

They also became the second team from the WHA to win the Cup.

With the Cup win, Russians Alexei Gusarov and Valeri Kamensky and Swede Peter Forsberg became members of the Triple Gold Club, the exclusive group of ice hockey players who have won Olympic gold, World Championship gold, and the Stanley Cup.