wordplay by Brian Kenney
images by Hector Acevedo
Let's face it: Denver can no longer be called a football-only town. Indifferent to what MNF's Tony Kornheiser might say. "Denver (is) a cow town," Kornheiser commented at season's kickoff, "where every sports team is meaningless except the Broncos."
Regardless that we've got the Avalanche, who have broken every NHL record for consecutive home sellouts as well as earning two Stanley Cups. And we've got a tier one basketball team, a classy lacrosse club, and perennial summertime baseball team whose popularity increases with a visit by the Cubs, Mets, Giants, and during occasional years the arrival of the Yankees.
The trickle down theory of inspiration which followed the success of the Broncos down to the Buffs and Rams and then fully down to every kid who put on cleats is now paralleled by the full fledged arrival of hockey in Colorado. It is here and it will stay- blame Canada!
Hockey changed the face of Colorado in the year 1992, and with the holy trinity patron saints of Patrick, Peter, and Joe. These days a long running tradition of success paved by the likes of NHL Rockies Chico Resch, Lanny McDonald, and Barry Beck have been carried on with the Avs' Stanley Cup runs in 1996 and 2001, thus igniting hockey fury on the Front Range.
DU Pioneers
With the always possible threat of the Avs' winning ways drying up, an extremely close second fiddle is obvious enough. The University of Denver Pioneers are securing a spot in the pecking order of college hockey's superior tradition of excellence along side North Dakota's Fighting Sioux, Minnesota's Golden Gophers and Maine’s Black Bears. At the annual Media Day, Pioneers Coach George Gwozdecky discussed what could be a struggling prognosis for the 2006-2007 season. "We are excited about the season. I'm not going to bore you with how many young players we have and how young we are going to be or how many freshmen or sophomores we are going to play, because everyone in our league is in that situation. We lost some terrific players, a Hobey Baker winner, three All- Americans…The face of our team is different." True, this year will be a year of challenges as the Pioneer labor to rise to the esteem held in tradition of back-to-back NCAA Hockey Titles in 2004-2005 with Baker award winner Matt Carle but ended last year in a disappointing failed playoff run at a three peat.
"I think we are very deep and talented," Gwozdecky continued. "[And] I think our schedule is very challenging. [But] We are going to continue improving on our non-conference record, which was a major stumbling block for us last year and probably a major reason why our season came to an abrupt end." For serious college hockey, look at games against Front Range opponent Colorado College on Dec 2nd or against 2006 NCAA Frozen Four Champs Wisconsin. The Badgers come to Denver for a duo of duels on January 5th and 6th with those pesky Fighting Sioux to follow with a visit in late February. Should this year be a warm up to the another NCAA playoff run, the hometown Pioneers will be an full form when the Frozen Four appears at the Pepsi Center in 2008.
Rocky Mountain Rage
The latest new kid on the hockey block is the Rocky Mountain Rage. Their motto: Hockey Untamed. Rather bold of the upstarts of the rapidly growing Central Hockey League, which boasts farm teams of the NHL's Buffalo Sabres, New York Rangers, Minnesota Wild and Edmonton Oilers. They will see their share of competition as new teams often find themselves with unsolicited bull's-eye on their jersey.
An early season win against local CHL Northwest Division foes Colorado Eagles propelled the Rage off to a great start in the season. "It's nice to come out of our first game in the history of the franchise with this kind of momentum," said Rage Head Coach Tracy Egeland at the game ending press conference. "We were fortunate to get the win, but we still have a long way to go." Part of that long way to go will included the season opener in the newly constructed Broomfield Events Center, (home of the Colorado 14ers basketball team of the NBA Development League as well) with the Tulsa Oilers, a sellout, leaving fans looking to turn the mile high city into Hockey town: West. The Rage season runs through the end of March with a possible inaugural playoff run.
Games to look for are the incumbent Miron President's Cup Champs Laredo Bucks on January 23rd as well as local CHL Northwest Division rival Colorado Eagles on December 6th, 15th, and 16th. If you'd like to see some younger talent in the Avalanche farm system, stop by for the shootout with the Arizona Sundogs on January 5th. Must see Rage players include defenseman and assistant coach Dan Vandermeer, as well as club goal scoring leaders, wings Anders Strome and Matic Kralj.
Colorado Eagles
The Colorado Eagles, 2004-05's Miron President's Cup Champs are once again looking to avenge the Laredo Bucks' domination. Playing in Loveland's Budweiser Event Center, the Eagles, much like the Avs, regularly set attendance records. Keep an eye on Eagle's captain Greg Pankewicz who in early November notched a four goal game, earning his first hat trick of the season a mere six games into it. You can see CHL scoring leader Pankewicz in action against the Rocky Mountain Rage on December 23rd and January 6th and against the Avs' farm team, the Arizona Sundogs on December 22nd, followed by a series against the defending Cups Champs Laredo Bucks on January 24th
Give Blood: Play Hockey.
DenverPioneers.cstv.com/sports/m-hockey/
RockyMountainRage.com
ColoradoEagles.com