Colorado Avalanche Stadium Series Recap Plus Photos

This past weekend, the Colorado Avalanche hosted the NHL outdoor Stadium Series at Coors Field against the Detroit Red Wings. The Red Wings and the Colorado Avalanche have a rivalry dating from 1996 to 2002. It isn’t as intense anymore because the Red Wings aren’t in the same conference as Colorado. These two teams only play each other twice a year. I was lucky enough to be able to attend this event.   There were two hockey games played. Friday was the Alumni Game with Colorado Avalanche skaters verses the Detroit Red Wings players who appeared from 1996 to 2002. Saturday was the regular season game

The Alumni game was like an All-Star game. There was no checking and the clock ran, even for stoppages of play. I thought it was amazing to see all these athletes on the ice again. The game was entertaining and the Avalanche won 5-2 in front of a crowd of 43,000. Patrick Roy started for Colorado and he played well stopping 20 of 21 shots in his two periods of play. The only goal he let in was from their captain Steve Yzerman. Colorado also scored a goal from their captain Joe Sakic. Sakic was known during his hockey days for his wrist shot. He buried a shot past Manny Legace like he did throughout his career.

Saturday’s game counted. Colorado was hoping to go up six points ahead of the Minnesota Wild for the second and final Wild Card playoff spot. The Red Wings also wanted two points to increase their lead over Pittsburgh for the first Wild Card spot in the East. They couldn’t have asked for a better game. The Avalanche and the Red Wings were tied 3-3 going into the final minutes. The Red Wings took the lead with exactly a minute left as Brad Richards scored. They would add an empty net goal to win 5-3 in front of 50,000 fans.

The weekend was a blast. I couldn’t have asked for two better games plus concerts during the intermissions. I heard Andy Grammer during pregame and The Fray during the first intermission.

The only problem I had was the view.   I was sitting in what would have been the third baseline for baseball and was behind the net. Shots on goal were tough to see at both ends. The only way I knew it was a goal is if the red light came on. It was an odd arrangement to see a hockey rink in the middle of a baseball field. While it was a great experience, once was enough for me because of the placement of the rink . All in all it was an entertaining weekend of hockey.