Colorado Avalanche fans reflect back on the best moments they experienced in person.
As Colorado Avalanche fans enter August it’s starting to feel like this offseason will never end. The draft is behind us, free agency has been and gone, trades have been made, players have been re-signed. All that’s left to do now is wait.
To pass the time, and to think back on happy memories, I asked Avs fans what the best moment with the team was that they got to experience in person. This could either be a moment during a game, or a personal encounter with a player.
The responses I got were varied, and spanned a significant period of time. In fact our editor, Nadia, went right back to 1996.
https://twitter.com/Hockeygrrls/status/1157747882688045056
First Avalanche rally at end of parade for first Stanley Cup.
— Michael Green (@vikings1968) June 22, 2019
Unsurprisingly another popular moment was the 2001 cup win.
Watching my husband lift the cup on the ice when they team won it in 2001
— Sabrina Slater (@HockeySarge) June 21, 2019
2001 Game 7. When Tanguay scores the first goal.
— MikeTothFF Z_Score@mastodon.sfba.social (@AllAboutTheHat) June 21, 2019
Seeing your team win the cup is, of course, the dream of all hockey fans. But for some it’s not the big moments like this that stand out but the smaller ones like a nice goal, or turning a game around from a loss to a win.
Last season: Watching Matt Duchene return to the Pepsi Center for the first time since getting traded to Ottawa...
— C.C. Hawkley (@seeseehawk) June 21, 2019
...then watching the Avs come back from 3-1 down, scoring five straight to win, 6-3. 🙃 #GoAvsGo
Patrick Roy final shut out of his career
— WRO (@wro80) June 22, 2019
Well I watched the avalanche take the blues down in the last regular season game a season ago. Then this past season I was at the game they came back and beat the redwings which is always fun!
— patrick (@avsrule33) June 21, 2019
This goal was a popular one
Rantanens overtime goal in game four of the Flames series 😍😍😍
— collinbrook (@ballincrook) June 21, 2019
Winning a game against the Avalanche’s biggest rival is always going to be a satisfying moment.
I have two, both from this season. Either the OT winner against detroit, or the OT winner in game 6 by landy
— Bryce T🪐🔭🇺🇦 (@_bryce_t18) June 22, 2019
Seeing wins on the road is also a lot of fun.
Hard to choose from seeing a home win on Feb 18 this year ( bonus of a shut out too) or the two road wins in Chicago and Nashville ( a second shut out) on the 22nd and 23rd. Was gutted to come home after such a great trip
— Kieran (@kierandl87) June 21, 2019
Only been to one game, but it was when they clinched the Central, and 100 pts, against SJ
— Jason Hautzinger (@jackslung) June 21, 2019
2018 Western Conference Quarterfinals. Game 5 in Nashville. The Hamburgler steals the show and sends the series back to Denver. It was so satisfying walking out of Bridgestone that night.
— Greg Morgan (@gmorgan23) June 22, 2019
Being at game three Rd 1 when Makar scored
— #TakeItToTheHouse #GoAvsGo #BroncosCounty (@zgonzo60) June 22, 2019
While winning the cup is obviously a huge moment, the team clinching a playoff spot is a big one for fans too.
Game #82 against Blues for playoffs!
— Eric Kennemer (@EKenn08) June 22, 2019
My wife and I drove to Denver from Boise to watch the Avs clinch the playoffs against the Sharks back in 2014. That was the first NHL game for either of us and it was totally worth the drive.
— C League Role Player (@PuckIt87) June 22, 2019
Captain Gabriel Landeskog is popular with fans both on the ice and off it. He got mentioned more than any other player in fans best moments.
There’s been a lot over the years, but I was there for Landy’s OT goal when he has the flu and collapsed in joy and exhaustion. That was a fun one
— Max Rutherford (@rutherfordmax) June 21, 2019
Gabe's hattrick against Washington in November 2017
— štěpánka 🇺🇦 (@StepankaaS) June 21, 2019
Game 6 vs SJS, i was there live and the place got ELECTRIC after Landy sent us to game 7
— Alex ▵ (@rapidchampion) June 22, 2019
Okay, so it’s GOTTA be the Gabe thing. We all made signs and wore our Landeskog jerseys for support and then met him THE NEXT DAY. I actually cried. Both at the game and after we met him. The signed puck is with our Shenanigans one on my bedside table.
— GOALIES! WITH KNIVES! (@SparkleTindi) August 3, 2019
As well as moments on the ice, the fans have had some fun encounters with players off the ice too.
Years ago Patrick Roy gave me his stick as he was coming off the ice @pepsicenter.
— Buddy and Rocky (@CRudzinskas) June 21, 2019
Mines is accidentally bumping into Mark Ryncroft at his Liquor store. Had to cut conversation short due to celebrity speach impediments. Was talking about the Avs n kept saying Rockies! Lmao
— Larry Castro (@Lareoner) June 21, 2019
Visiting the locker rooms this season and getting to chat with @ConorMcGahey...
— Karen Cherrett (@KarenCherrett4) June 21, 2019
Ohh no, maybe it was migrating in time for the first game of the season...
No, it was definitely attending my first ever playoffs hockey. #LoveMyAvs
With just six weeks left until preseason begins, and with around a month left until training camp, it’s fun to look back and remember the good times. Here’s hoping plenty of new good memories will be made during the 2019-20 season.