Julia Frank

Welcome into the wonderful world of Colorado hockey. A space full of power plays, board checking, slapshots, and most importantly the fans. I hope you will follow along with this blog as I focus on the Colorado Avalanche Hockey team and their community engagement. Being an Avalanche fan has been a part of me for a while now. I watch the games when they are on and follow each game through their app. When I can’t watch, highlights from the games are my go to. My hope is for you to feel the connection I feel to this team. 

Winning the Stanley Cup in 2022 solidified my faith in this team. The way everyone in Colorado rooted for them was its own new type of community. If you were from Colorado, you were rooting for them more than you ever had before. When they won, Erik Johnson, one of their longest standing players brought the cup to their practice rink for everyone to see and touch. My dad and I waited in a line that surrounded the building. When he got there, he carried the cup up and down the line in order for everyone to have a chance. He said he did this because of the fan support through the season, playoffs, and championships. He gave back to his community, making sure he engaged with us and saw the reward of their hard work. This was the first time I completely felt the community and what made me become a life-long Avs fan.

One of my favorite aspects of this team is the community created through the love of this team. The excitement that radiates through the stadium is unbeatable. Even if the team is losing, everyone is still there rooting for them until the very end. In hockey, everything can change in a split second, the game truly isn’t over until the very end. Cheering, yelling, and following the chants for each player creates an atmosphere full of energy and adrenaline. I love being an Avalanche fan and I want to bring more attention to the team I am die-hard for. I truly think they have so many ways to bring fans into the organization, to give back, help, and simply have fun. 

There are so many ways to talk about the community engagement for this team. They have themed nights, bring in local youth leagues, and recognize their importance within the community. Being an NHL team means they have many resources to help others. I have seen this through going to their games and social media campaigns. Something as simple as the chant for a player when they score brings everyone together as fans of the team. I know the engagement with the community is getting better and better. The Denver people are fierce and loyal when it comes to sports. 

In this blog, I want to make others feel the same way that I do when I am watching their games. 

Official Colorado Avalanche WebsiteNHL.comhttps://www.nhl.com › avalanche