How to hop on Colorado Avalanche's bandwagon for the Stanley Cup
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Fans cheer on the Colorado Avalanche at Ball Arena on May 5. Photo: Michael Martin/NHLI via Getty Images
If you weren't an Avs fan before, the passion consuming the Mile High City might now be contagious.
- For all the newbies, bandwagoners and sports-averse Coloradans, just don some burgundy, blue, silver or black, and we'll help you fake it through the rest.
Key players to know: Nathan MacKinnon, #29, is the 26-year-old star center, who was drafted as the Avs' No. 1 pick in 2013.
- Gabriel Landeskog, #92, is the 29-year-old left winger and captain, AKA the backbone of the team.
- Goalies include 32-year-old starter Darcy Kuemper, #35 (who may be injured and stuck on the sidelines), and 32-year-old Pavel Francouz, #39.
The head coach: Jared Bednar is in his sixth season leading Colorado, and has extended his contract through the 2023-24 season.
- He's known for being a "demanding disciplinarian with a death stare that would shame Medusa," Westword columnist Michael Roberts writes, and is considered one of the top coaches in the league.
What to chant: "Let's go Avs" and "Hey hey hey!" after a score.
- If the team's down and the Tampa Bay Lightning are en route to a score, yelling "Come on!" is a safe bet.
Traditions: Core to the culture of the Avs is Blink-182's hit single "All the Small Things," which fans faithfully sing during most third periods when there's a pause in play.
- Before the game even begins at Ball Arena, you can also count on Jake Schroeder to sing the National Anthem and the crowd to scream "and the flag was still there" in response — a tradition that originated after 9/11.
Conversation starter: The Avs' Twitter account churns out gold, offering behind-the-scenes musings, puns, summaries and more.
- Show a friend any of these tweets during lulls in the on-ice action, and you're sure to get a good laugh.
Conversation changer: If the game is going south for the Avs, shift the discussion to dunk on the Lightning by bringing up the salary cap.
- Tampa's team exceeded the cap last year by putting star player Nikita Kucherov on the long-term injured list — a move that has drawn plenty of controversy.