The Colorado Avalanche along with all hockey teams will face a big change when they return to the ice. Hockey with no fans. How will that impact their game?
In a Sports Social interview this past week Philip Grubauer spoke about the fact that when the Colorado Avalanche returns to play in the not too distant future, July 11 is the first day of Training Camp, at this point in time, they will have to think about the big change of not having any fans in the venues once real play begins.
We loved the chance to hear from Grubauer today!#GoAvsGo https://t.co/pytK6FOojQ
— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) June 11, 2020
It’s going to be one weird change.
Right from the get-go in any game, there’s noise from the fans. We Avalanche fans love to get loud during the warm-up videos. There had been times during this season when the can was rocking with the “Let’s Go Av’s” chant as the pre-game video was rolling through.
A number of the players mentioned hearing it from the dressing rooms even before they hit the ice. And now, there will only be silence.
Interestingly Grubauer spoke about communication on the ice and how important it is. And of course, he spoke about the fact that with no fans, no background noise, the player’s communication will be heard. Not only by their own players but by the opposition too, of course.
That could create some interesting and dynamic changes on the ice. If the opposition can hear your plays as they’re occurring, what changes will they make in how they play? It will be a totally different ice hockey game.
Not sure by how much given the fast nature of the game and I am sure it will have some impact in the long run.
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What will be interesting from our perspective is seeing which teams adapt to this and those that struggle.
When the Avs have been down during the past season it’s been us fans that lifted them and supported them to come through and turn the outcome around. At least I like to hope that’s the case.
Maybe that’s just a pipe dream that our extremely loud cheering has an impact. No matter one way or another I’m sure it does have an impact.
Without us there to cheer the team on, to encourage them, to support them, they are going to have to band together themselves and mentally lift themselves out of those down spaces.
Something else they will have to make a change with.
No rink side announcements from Mile High Roach. It will all be missing.
And what about the goal song? Will there still be a goal song that will be played when they score. I doubt it, given they will be playing on someone else’s home ice. Looks like its Vegas for the Avalanche in their Conference.
The whole atmosphere of the game will be different. I believe that until the players return to the ice for the very first game they will play they aren’t going to understand how much has changed.
You may be able to talk through the changes, sure, but until you are on the ice you won’t fully comprehend the impacts and how those changes shift how you play.
There may be some Avalanche players who thrive off the fan noise and support. Others may be happy that the noisy distraction is no longer there, in all honesty.
I for one will be interested to see how the whole team adapts to this change and how it impacts their performance. If it proves to be something that sparks even more closeness in the team I’m all for it.
But, on the other hand, as a diehard fan don’t I wish I was able to be there in the stands cheering for them, too right I do.