Colorado Ice Hockey

By Roger Hadix

Colorado has a long, rich ice hockey history. The earliest references date back to January 28, 1893, from an article in the Rocky Mountain Sun . There have been many colorful teams, like the Colorado Rocky team, the Denver Spurs, and the Colorado Flames. On February 22, 1980, ice hockey suddenly vaulted onto the forefront of the American sports scene, due in large part of what is simply known as "the Miracle on Ice." The US men's ice hockey team had pulled off an incredible upset over the Soviet Union men's ice hockey team and then went on to win the gold medal over Finland. It gave the country a reason to celebrate and made the sport of ice hockey red hot! That "miracle" started in 1979 at the Broadmoor World Arena in Colorado Springs with the selection of players at the 1979 National Sports Festival. Leadville, Steamboat Springs, Aspen, Colorado College, Denver University, Salida, Pueblo, and Fort Collins have all contributed to the "fastest game on ice."

• Language: English
• Publisher: Arcadia Publishing
• Release date: Jan 1, 2024
• ISBN: 9781439679906

Roger Hadix

Roger P. Hadix, a local sports historian, participated in the inaugural USA Adult Hockey Skills Clinic at the Colorado Springs World Arena. This book features rare photographs provided by local historical societies, private collectors, professional organizations, and the author.

Book preview

INTRODUCTION

Rebound, shot, goal! It is my considered opinion that in all of the major sports, there is nothing quite like an ice hockey goal being scored. In baseball, a rocketing home run takes a while to exit the playing field. Football touchdowns can take several minutes to complete, likewise a goal in soccer. Even in basketball, most shots from outside the paint can be easily followed.

However, an ice hockey goal can happen in just a fraction of a second, even with a goaltender doing their best to keep the puck from crossing the line. Please don’t misunderstand, I like all those sports, and have played them all on various levels.

Ice hockey has been around quite a long time, with players and fans who really appreciate the history and development of the game.

The first reference to hockey in Colorado was in 1893, and the sport has gained popularity ever since. Mountain towns such as Aspen, Steamboat Springs, and Leadville all had hockey teams. The 5A and 4A high school level included teams from Valor Christian, Standley Lake, Monarch, Lewis-Palmer, Cherry Creek, Cheyenne Mountain, Pine Creek, and Aspen, and prior to the grading levels for equal competition, teams included St. Mary’s and Palmer, plus other teams around Colorado that have all enjoyed varying levels of success throughout the years.

The Colorado Amateur Hockey Association is the overarching organization for elite youth programs like the Colorado Rampage, the Pikes Peak Miners, the Colorado Springs Junior Tigers, the Denver University Pioneers, and the Mile High Mites, giving younger Colorado players an opportunity to hone their skills. Community leaders such as William Thayer Tutt helped a fledgling Colorado College (CC) Tigers hockey team find a home to play its games. Thayer Tutt was also very instrumental in promoting Colorado Springs in the International Ice Hockey Federation. Because of his influence, in the late 1970s and early 1980s, the Broadmoor World Arena held the National Sports/US Olympic Festivals. These festivals were a showcase for a variety of amateur athletic events, including ice hockey. At the 1979 National Sports Festival, many of the players who took part in the Miracle on Ice at the 1980 Lake Placid Winter Olympics were scouted and selected to the US team, defeating the Soviet team and eventually Finland to win the gold medal.

Colorado has two NCAA Division I men’s ice hockey programs, the Colorado College Tigers and the University of Denver Pioneers, each with multiple national titles. Minor league teams in the state have included the Colorado Eagles (Central Hockey League [CHL] in 2003, East Coast Hockey League in 2011, American Hockey League in 2018–present), Colorado Gold Kings (West Coast Hockey League [WCHL] in 1998–2002), Denver Grizzlies (International Hockey League [IHL] in 1994–1995), Colorado Rangers (IHL in 1987–1989), Colorado Flames (CHL in 1982–1983), Denver Invaders (Western Hockey League [WHL] in 1963–1964), Denver Mavericks (IHL in October 1959–December 1959), Denver Falcons (United States Hockey League [USHL] in 1950–1951), and the Denver Spurs (WHL in 1968–1974, CHL in 1974–1975, and Western Hockey Association [WHA] in 1975–1976). The Spurs won the 1971–1972 regular season WHL championship title.

Finally, from 1976 to 1982, Colorado cheered on the National Hockey League’s Colorado Rockies, who left after 1982 to become the New Jersey Devils. Then, in 1995, all of Colorado welcomed the Quebec Nordiques, purchased by Comsat, which moved the team to Denver and renamed them the Colorado Avalanche.

Whether a team is an expansion club or has moved from another city, it is geared for early success. Such was the case with the Avalanche. The novelty of having an established NHL team had not even worn off yet when general manager Pierre LaCroix brokered a deal to get Hall of Fame goalie Patrick Roy. In their first season, the Avs won the Pacific Division with a record of 47-25-10, totaling 104 points. In the playoffs, the Avalanche defeated the Vancouver Canucks, the Chicago Blackhawks, and the Detroit Red Wings in the Western Conference finals. Included in this book are photographs from one of those games. In the Stanley Cup finals, Colorado swept the Florida Panthers in four games.

In the 2000–2001 season, the Avalanche had a record of 52-16-10-4 for a total of 118 points. Colorado defeated the Vancouver Canucks, the Los Angeles Kings, and the St. Louis Blues four games to one. In the finals, the Avs beat the New Jersey Devils four games to three. The Avalanche won its third Stanley Cup in the 2021–2022 season. However, the team’s quest for a fourth title was cut short by the