Colorado Avalanche: What Makes a Passionate Fan?

DENVER, COLORADO - MAY 02: Fans line the glass while Matt Calvert #11 of the Colorado Avalanche prepares to play the San Jose Sharks during Game Four of the Western Conference Second Round during the 2019 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Pepsi Center on May 2, 2019 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
DENVER, COLORADO - MAY 02: Fans line the glass while Matt Calvert #11 of the Colorado Avalanche prepares to play the San Jose Sharks during Game Four of the Western Conference Second Round during the 2019 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Pepsi Center on May 2, 2019 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)

What is it that makes a passionate Colorado Avalanche fan? Simple really, the deepest love for our team no matter what time of year it is.

I’ve been thinking this past week about us fans, those of us that love the Colorado Avalanche.

What makes us so passionate about our team?

Here’s what I came up with:

It feels like we’re part of one big family

Not sure about you, but I’m part of four different Colorado Avalanche groups on Facebook and follow heaps of other Avs fans on Twitter.  I’m not so much the Instagram follower, even though I do have an account.

When we had a hockey season, there wasn’t a day that went by without someone posting about our beloved team. Lots of people agreed or disagreed with the post, or showed their love with likes or a laughter emoji.

And now, when we have no hockey, Avalanche fans are posting their memories of the season, or coming up with great quizzes or fun things for us to do to stay connected with each other and the team.

What I’ve noticed that’s different for me is the number of women who LOVE the Avalanche. I’ve followed other sports and yet haven’t found such a passionate group of women that I could connect with about our team.

I now have several highly fanatical, just like me, best friends with whom I only talk hockey. I love that. It’s our shared passion. And, it is a passion.  We are passionate about OUR team.  It feels like it is OUR team.

And we are the family that surrounds it and supports it. I love that.

We get content from the team, even when there’s no hockey

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Last off-season the Avalanche Social Media team went out of their way to keep us passionate fans engaged. They were brilliant, on Twitter alone, posting videos, wallpapers, polls and things that we, as fans, could engage with.

We all spent the time counting down the days till hockey returned to us.

Why?  Because we all missed watching the Avalanche play.  We all looked forward to seeing how the offseason player pickups would work.  We looked forward to seeing our favourites, Nate, Landy, Josty, JT, EJ etc. get back on the ice and do what they do best, play hockey.

And with this current COVID-19 pandemic, we’ve still been fed our favourite content.  The Altitude TV crew even started a daily 2-hour online show where we get to see interviews with our players and coaches.  I for one enjoy watching these.

The entire Avalanche organization has provided us with content and information so that we could stay informed and engaged with our team.

That’s why I love this team!

We know the experience of being there and shouting for them, even if it’s just at the TV or radio broadcast

And whilst we don’t have hockey, I can feel deep inside me my passion for them when I remember those games I’ve been to, earlier in the season, where they played amazing hockey.

I can also see myself listening to Conor McGahey, or watching the broadcast away games and yelling and shouting, either at the Refs for some stupid decision or celebrating some great moment with the team.

I feel it. I feel how happy I am to be a Colorado Avalanche fan. That’s passion, isn’t it?  To want to watch a sport that I love and enjoy. My Team.  They feel like my team anyway. The team I care about. The team I support no matter win or lose.

Wearing Colorado Avalanche gear no matter what day it is

Whether it’s pyjamas, t-shirts or jerseys, there isn’t a day that goes by where we aren’t wearing a piece of Avs gear.

I love wearing my t-shirts around the house. When I go out I’m so proud to have my Avs hoodie on to show that I’m a fan.

I’m one of those crazy people that will ask people when they shop at my workplace if they’re wearing Avs gear if they’re a fan.  Why not. I’ve had some great fanatics conversations with other fans this way. When you love your team, you love your team.

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That’s what being a passionate Colorado Avalanche fan is all about, for me anyway.