Here is reason number five for attending Colorado Avalanche games — the very entertaining mascot, Bernie.
The Colorado Avalanche need our support. It’s true they haven’t put out the greatest of products in the last couple years. However, when you’re an Avs fan, you support your team through thick and thin — and it’s mighty thin right now.
Well, one of the ways we should be supporting our team is by attending games at the Pepsi Center. As I observed in the first post of this series, Avs fans are getting dangerously close to getting out-numbered at “home” games:
Related Story: Home Ice Advantage
We also talked about some of the in-game entertainment during games, both deliberate and unplanned:
Related Story: In-Game Entertainment
While you’re at it, here are some places you can go to eat that I find especially good:
Related Story: Best Pepsi Center Food
Well, in addition to all that, the Colorado Avalanche have one of the best NHL mascots — Bernie.
Now, the connection between the Avs and a St. Bernard are tenuous — it relies on the idea that St. Bernards will supposedly bring you spirits if you’re caught in an avalanche. Now, I’ve never taken a sip from what’s in Bernie’s little keg, but he does seem like a happy dog.
Bernie isn’t the original Colorado Avalanche mascot. The original mascot was a yeti, Howler:
More from Mile High Sticking
- Could Colorado Avalanche move on from Pavel Francouz next offseason?
- 4 goalies to replace Pavel Francouz if he has to miss time
- Colorado Avalanche make sneaky signing with Tatar
- Colorado Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog could return in 2023-24 playoffs
- Colorado Avalanche rookie face-off tournament roster
Now, at the time it was said the team got rid of Howler because he was too scary for the kids. However, the truth later came out — it was all the Chicago Blackhawks’ fault. Their fans are just so annoying.
Apparently a Blackhawks fan in our home barn, Linda Sprehe, was being especially obnoxious to Howler at a game on March 20, 1999. Now, this isn’t a good reaction, but Howler allegedly responded, and a fracas ensued. During the fracas, Sprehe was injured.
Both Sprehe and Howler (or the employee inside the suit anyway) were charged with disrupting the peace.
In any case, on October 3, 2009, we started the age of Bernie.
Bernie is a highly entertaining mascot. He’s awful agile for being in that furry suit:
Now that’s what I call a dawg with some moves.
No, really, that’s some skill.
Here’s Bernie at a visit doing a more sedate dance:
As part of the in-game entertainment, they sometimes show Bernie chasing a fan from the rival team all the way back to their home town. Here’s Bernie putting paid to a Anaheim Ducks fan:
That moment when he meets the new Howler, the Arizona Coyotes’ mascot, chasing a Kings fan is epic.
Here’s an example of how LA Kings fans can be so irritating — and how Bernie takes care of them, too:
Of course, my personal favorite is Bernie chasing a Minnesota Wild fan all the way back to that silly state:
No, really, I can’t watch this video enough. I love how he hits the fan with a football then eventually shoves him into one of those infernal lakes. (Side note, can anyone explain to me why Nordy has a mullet except it’s the height of unfashionable?)
These videos show a pretty good commitment to in-game entertainment.
In any case, we have to support our Colorado Avalanche. We may not always enjoy what’s going on down on the ice, but at least there’s food, entertainment and camaraderie to keep us going.