Tag: Colorado Avalanche

Nazem Kadri wore a ‘too many men’ shirt to the Avalanche’s Stanley Cup parade and NHL fans loved the savagery

Nazem Kadri: A Stanley Cup champion and a world-class troll!

Nazem Kadri is a Stanley Cup champion and he wants the world to know it.

The dust has settled on the Colorado Avalanche’s Stanley Cup victory but the celebrations are just beginning. Thursday marked the Avalanche’s Stanley Cup parade through the streets of Denver, where the team celebrated its thrilling victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning with its fans. And what a parade it was!

During the parade, Avalanche fans noticed Kadri, his family, and some other players wearing some unique shirts to the event. The shirt in question? A simple one, with a picture of the Avalanche celebrating above the text “too many men”, in reference to the overtime goal Kadri scored in Game 4 that was called into question by Lightning head coach Jon Cooper.

What an excellent level troll that is. Of course, the goal Kadri scored that was under the microscope did count and was a good goal, but when you’re at the top why not poke a bit of fun?

The brilliant shirt design comes from Twitter user — and Avalanche fan! — @guffychan, who made the shirts for Kadri at his request!

Here’s hoping fans will be able to buy them in short order.

What a Stanley Cup Final for Kadri too. From scoring that important Game 4 overtime winner to telling his haters to “kiss my [expletive]” after winning the Stanley Cup, Kadri is on top of the world and it shows!!

Hockey fans absolutely loved the top-tier trolling from Kadri at the Avalanche’s Stanley Cup parade too!

Listen to the wonderful Spanish play-by-play call of the Avalanche’s Stanley Cup winning moment

“La Avalancha de Colorado!”

The Colorado Avalanche have finally reached the summit and now stand alone at the top as Stanley Cup champions.

Sunday’s Stanley Cup victory for the Avalanche had everything. Cale Makar won his well-deserved Conn Smythe Trophy for playoff MVP. Nazem Kadri called out his haters on the biggest stage with a tongue in cheek message. Oh, and the Stanley Cup got a couple bumps and bruises along the way as the Avalanche accidentally dented it a mere hour after receiving it.

If you want to revisit the Avalanche’s final moments, there’s no better way than by listening to the Spanish play-by-play call of the momentous occasion, called by none other than Kenneth Garay of ESPN!

I absolutely love that the Colorado Avalanche are called “La Avalancha de Colorado” in Spanish, by the way. What a great call that honestly tops ESPN’s regular broadcast for me in terms of sheer passion and enthusiasm.

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Nathaniel Hackett eager to see energy and juice from Avs’ playoff games at Broncos’ games

“Bring that energy and bring that juice — that’s what we need,” Broncos coach Nathaniel Hackett said of the support Avs fans gave this season.

The Colorado Avalanche won the Stanley Cup on Sunday night.

Now, it’s Denver Broncos coach Nathaniel Hackett that’s eager to see the energy and juice from the city’s playoff hockey games transfer over to the city’s football games this fall.

It’s been seven seasons since the Broncos made the playoffs. But that’s expected to change this season with Russell Wilson in town. And the fact the Broncos have the seventh-best Super Bowl odds helps that exclamation. That, by the way, is despite not having a winning record since 2016 (9-7).

Hackett attended several of the Avs’ home playoff games earlier in the playoffs and he came away impressed with the atmosphere.

“To be able to bring that to the Denver Broncos and bring that energy and bring that juice — that’s what we need, what we want and what we want to be a part of because we’re the Denver Broncos,” Hackett said on June 6. “We want to bring it because what’s going on in that arena when the Avalanche play is unbelievable. I feel sorry for [opponents that] come in there.”

Broncos Country wouldn’t mind fans in attendance mimicking the Avalanche’s fanbase during home games at Empower Field at Mile High this fall. Perhaps the Broncos fans can rival the “12s” that occupy the Seattle Seahawks fanbase. Fittingly, the Wilson-led Broncos will face off against the Seahawks (and the 12s) in Week 1 this season.

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How golfers can celebrate the Colorado Avalanche’s Stanley Cup win

Celebrate the Colorado Avalanche’s 2021-2022 NHL Championship out on the golf course.

Congratulations, Colorado Avalanche fans, you did it! Now it’s time to celebrate by hitting the golf course.

In order to help Avs fans celebrate winning their first Stanley Cup in 21 years, Golfweek has put together a list of Colorado Avalanche golf gear to help you support your team.

If you’re looking for some suggestions on where to celebrate, check out Golfweek’s list of best public courses by state.

If you’re lucky enough to be an Avalanche fan who also loves the Golden State Warriors, go play the lottery immediately, but also check out our list of best Warriors golf gear.

We occasionally recommend interesting products, services, and gaming opportunities. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. Golfweek operates independently, though, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.

Back-to-back? Avalanche open as betting favorites to win 2023 Stanley Cup

Can Colorado steal the Lightning’s thunder?

The Colorado Avalanche had to knock off the two-time defending champion Tampa Bay Lightning to claim their first Stanley Cup title in 20 years, and now oddsmakers like their chances to become the next repeat champs. Colorado opened as the favorites to win the 2023 Stanley Cup at +425 odds.

Colorado’s odds are the shortest by far, with the Toronto Maple Leafs coming in second at +750 and the Florida Panthers third at +900. The runner-up Lightning are fourth at +1000, giving the Eastern Conference a significant edge in claiming next year’s title. There’s a three-way tie for the fifth-shortest odds at +1500 between the Calgary Flames, Carolina Hurricanes and Vegas Golden Knights.

2023 Stanley Cup Title Odds

Vegas is the only non-playoff team this year with top-10 odds to win next year’s Stanley Cup.

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It took under an hour for the Avalanche to dent the Stanley Cup while celebrating

All the photos, videos, memes and jokes about the dented Stanley Cup in one place.

Congrats to the Colorado Avalanche, who won the franchise’s first Stanley Cup since 2001 on Sunday with a 2-1 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 6 of the Final. 

It was around 10:45 PM ET when the final horn sounded and the Avalanche began celebrating. They got the Cup not soon after that and did the celebratory skate around while holding and kissing it.

And then? Nearly an hour later, the team lined up for a photo … and Nicolas Aube-Kubel tripped as he was bringing the trophy in. It fell, and next thing you know, there was a giant dent in the bottom of it.

It’s nothing the keeper of the Cup can’t fix … but that was fast. And there are lots of jokes about it:

Nazem Kadri told his critics to ‘kiss my [expletive]’ after Avalanche won the Stanley Cup

Kadri is on top of the world right now.

Any time a team like the Avalanche — a squad that’s been on the brink of glory for years — wins the Stanley Cup, there will be more than a few stories of vindication. Usually, these stories fall into a few camps.

There are the young, great players getting what will probably be the first of many flowers. There are the established, consistent veterans who have been waiting for their moment of hockey ecstasy for years. And then there are those talented guys who people have unfairly maligned throughout their careers.

In this case: that’s Colorado’s Nazem Kadri. While he eventually got to hoist the Cup, it was a challenging postseason for the 31-year-old center (on top of an already challenging career).

Kadri first notably got into it with Jordan Binnington, who threw a water bottle at the forward during the second round of the playoffs. Kadri then drew unwarranted ire from the Blues, which had him respond quite well in kind.

Later, in the Western Conference Finals, Kadri was injured by a dangerous hit from Evander Kane. That injury meant we wouldn’t see Kadri play in the Stanley Cup Final, where he played hero for the Avs.

With all of that chaos behind him, Kadri had some strong thoughts for any of his critics as he sat on top of the NHL’s mountain for the first time:

Note: NSFW language is used in the video below. 

Whoa, hey, Nazem, there might be kids watching! On the other hand: Is he wrong? Has he not earned it? Ah, heck. Carry on, my man!

Fans on hockey Twitter loved Kadri’s refreshing comment toward all of his haters as he celebrated his first Stanley Cup.

Lightning’s Corey Perry lost his third straight Stanley Cup Final and NHL fans roasted the notorious villain

Perry completed a three-peat … of Stanley Cup Final losses.

With their defeat to the Colorado Avalanche and Cale Makar in the Stanley Cup Final, it’s understandable if the Tampa Bay Lightning are feeling a bit of a painful sting. To come this far, to get this close, and to put in all that effort throughout a two-month postseason only to fall short of a three-peat is never easy to process on an emotional level.

It might be even harder to process for Corey Perry. The veteran winger joined the Lightning after losing to Tampa Bay in the previous two Stanley Cup Finals while with the Montreal Canadiens and Dallas Stars, respectively. He’s the first player in NHL history to lose in the Stanley Cup Final in three straight years with three different teams.

Under normal circumstances, people might feel more sympathy for Perry. But, thanks to a history of underhanded, dirty play throughout his 17-year career, the 37-year-old hasn’t made many friends. Perry might have his one Cup victory with the Ducks in 2007, but many NHL fans definitely don’t want to see him win one ever again.

Hockey Twitter celebrated Perry’s latest postseason demise accordingly.

The 13 best photos from the Colorado Avalanche’s Stanley Cup victory

A picturesque ending for the Avalanche!

The Colorado Avalanche have finally tasted sweet, sweet victory after 21 years.

On Sunday, the Avalanche bested the back-to-back Stanley Cup champions — the Tampa Bay Lightning — 2-1 in Game 6, winning the franchise’s third overall title. Artturi Lehkonen scored the game winner for the Avalanche after a frantic second period, then Colorado shut down the Lightning in majestic fashion in the third.

Avalanche fans — and players! — were overjoyed after the hard-fought victory. Cale Makar rightfully won the Conn Smythe trophy after posting 29 points in an absolutely lethal postseason. What more could you want from a Stanley Cup Final, really?

With the dust settling on the Avalanche’s incredible victory, here are the 13 best photos from Colorado’s celebrations.

Avalanche’s Cale Makar, the best player on the best team, was the only logical choice for Conn Smythe

The best player on the best team. The math here was easy.

The Avalanche beat the Lightning 2-1 to win the Stanley Cup on Sunday night, and their return to glory never would’ve happened if not for one man.

We’re talking about Colorado’s (-115) Norris Trophy defenseman and their inarguable best player. That same incomparable player who is now the official winner of the 2022 Conn Smythe Award (awarded annually to the NHL postseason MVP): the 23-year-old wunderkind blueliner, Cale Makar.

Here are some fun facts about Makar’s first Conn Smythe:

  • Makar becomes just the third defenseman in NHL history to win the Norris and the Conn Smythe in one season after the Bruins’ Bobby Orr (1970, 1972) and the Red Wings’ Nicklas Lidstrom (2002) previously managed the rare feat.
  • His 29 points are the fourth-highest ever by any defenseman during the postseason
  • Makar is the youngest defenseman to win the Conn Smythe in 52 years, with Orr first winning it at 22

Makar winning this year’s Conn Smythe should be no surprise to anyone who’s paid attention to Colorado’s exploits all year long. He was their catalyst when the Avalanche finished first in the Central Division and the Western Conference during the regular season. He was not only their premier shutdown man playing almost half of every game but their primary offensive initiator for a team that loves to get out and skate in transition.

When it came time for the Avalanche to make some memories in the postseason, it was business as usual for Makar — who continued his excellence seamlessly.

Colorado powered through a postseason slate of opponents that featured such stars as Roman Josi, Vladimir Tarasenko, Connor McDavid, and Nikita Kucherov, specifically because of Makar. Whenever the Avs needed an answer for any sort of play in his own end or as the de facto quarterback on offense, Makar was there in a pinch. Their forwards like Nathan MacKinnon and captain Gabriel Landeskog might get all the headlines, but it’s Makar who stirs the drink.

No team goes 16-4 throughout a postseason, especially one as chaotic as the NHL’s, without a budding all-time great on the blueliner. And that’s what Makar is — a budding all-time great.

The young defenseman got his first Norris Trophy and Conn Smythe this year. Given how his magnificent career has started, they almost certainly won’t be the last.

Here’s how NHL fans reacted to Makar’s historic, deserved Conn Smythe victory.