Wednesday night marked the final celebration for the Colorado Avalanche after winning the Stanley Cup this past June, with the new season officially kicking off at Ball Arena against the Chicago Blackhawks.
Despite it being both their home and season opener, Avalanche fans both in attendance and tuning in on television were just as excited to see the pre-game festivities, which recognized them for their success this past season.
After the roster was introduced, Blink 182 lead singer Mark Hoppus came onto the ice to address the crowd and sing along to his band’s mega hit “All The Small Things”. The song became a staple for the Avs last season, as it was belted out by everyone in attendance at Ball Arena for each and every home game.
Once the song ended, the Stanley Cup was brought back onto the ice and taken for a lap by team captain Gabriel Landeskog, who came out with his teammates despite currently nursing a lower-body injury.
Then, much to the delight of the home crowd, the third championship banner in franchise history was lifted to the rafters. One particularly neat moment was when Jack Johnson, a member of the cup-winning team but now skating for the Blackhawks, joined his former teammates to watch the banner rise to the ceiling. You could tell just how much the moment meant for the veteran defenceman, who was grinning from ear to ear throughout the entire ceremony.
The ceremony came just days after they received their Stanley Cup rings, which each and every player on the roster seemed very impressed with.
Now that the festivities are complete, the Avalanche will look to do what the Tampa Bay Lightning did before them and repeat as champions. Colorado currently holds the best odds at claiming Lord Stanley’s mug this season at +350, according to Covers.com.
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