Sam Girard never needed to be the loudest name in the building to become one of the most important — and as he leaves Colorado, the silence he leaves behind might speak the loudest of all.

It’s no secret that Girard had been circulating in trade rumors for quite some time. But as the dust settles on his departure, it would be a severe injustice to focus solely on the trade and not on what the puck-moving defenseman meant to the Colorado Avalanche organization.

Legendary Avalanche defenseman Erik Johnson said it best.

“Sam Girard appreciation post. We were coming off of the worst season in franchise history when we got G. From that moment on we were a perennial playoff team. G was a huge part of that and a big reason for our success,” Johnson stated on X. “G went through personal issues in the public eye and came back a better man. He should be celebrated and thanked for what he did in Colorado. We were lucky to have him. Good luck Sammy!!”

Girard was never marketed as a superstar. He wasn’t the kind of defenseman who demanded headlines every night or piled up eye-popping point totals. What he was — consistently — was essential.

Think of it this way: Girard was the master engineer behind the scenes. He wasn’t the pilot flying the plane or the driver taking the checkered flag. He wasn’t always the face on the billboard. But the plane doesn’t leave the runway unless every part is precisely in place. The race car doesn’t hug the track without the machinery humming beneath it.

The Avalanche didn’t move without Sammy G.

For the bulk of his tenure in Colorado, Girard was a stabilizing force on the blue line. An elite skater with effortless edgework, he processed the game a step ahead. His vision opened lanes others didn’t see. His passing jump-started transitions. He turned defensive zone recoveries into controlled exits and rushes the other way. Quietly, efficiently, relentlessly, he made the Avalanche faster.

Yes, he was undersized for the position. Yes, the physical toll of the game caught up to him at times. That was the trade-off. His style required courage — and he paid for it.

During the Avalanche’s 2022 Stanley Cup run, Girard suffered a broken sternum in the second round after being driven violently into the boards by then-St. Louis Blues forward Ivan Barbashev, now with the Vegas Golden Knights. The injury ended his postseason, but not his impact. His fingerprints were already embedded in that championship foundation.

His legacy in Colorado isn’t defined by gaudy statistics. It’s defined by transformation. When he arrived, the franchise was clawing its way out of its darkest chapter. From that moment forward, the Avalanche became a perennial contender. That arc is not a coincidence.

He endured public scrutiny. He faced personal battles in full view of the hockey world. And he returned stronger — as a player and as a person.

In November 2023, Girard took a leave of absence and entered the NHL Player Assistance Program as he battled depression and anxiety that led to alcohol abuse.

“I have made a proactive decision to take care of my mental health, and will be entering treatment for severe anxiety and depression that has gone untreated for too long and led to alcohol abuse,” Girard said in a statement released by his agency, CAA. “Taking care of your mental health is of the utmost importance, and I encourage everyone to speak up and seek help should you feel like you need it. I want to express my gratitude to my wife, family, friends, the club, my teammates and the fans for their patience, understanding and continued support.”

Those weren’t empty words. They were vulnerable ones. And vulnerability, especially in professional sports, is its own form of bravery.

A contractor who once worked on Girard’s home recalled congratulating him on overcoming his personal struggles. He described Girard and his wife as among the kindest people he had ever met.

He said Girard was visibly shaken — not uncomfortable, not guarded — just genuinely taken aback, almost on the verge of tears. He thanked him sincerely for the kind words.

That reaction says more than any stat line ever could.

Sam Girard may not have always been the headline, but he was part of the heartbeat. Beyond his skating, beyond the outlet passes, beyond the playoff minutes, there was kindness. There was humility. There was resilience.

Organizations don’t become champions without players like him.

And more importantly, they don’t build lasting cultures without people like him.