The first goal scored by the Colorado Avalanche came from the stick of Valeri Kamensky on Oct. 6, 1995 at McNichols Sports Arena. Kamensky found the back of the net two times that night against the Detroit Red Wings, helping the Avalanche get its first victory in the Mile High City.
The Quebec Nordiques selected Kamensky in the seventh round (129th overall) of the 1988 NHL Entry Draft. However, he played professionally in Russia through the 1990-91 campaign. He was chosen to the USSR First All-Star Team in 1990 and 1991 and was named the USSR Player of the Year for 1990-91 season after tallying 46 points (20 goals, 26 assists) in 46 games.