Well it looks like we have a lot of time to kill before the next nhl season starts, so I thought it would be cool to hear some other stories from hockey fans. How were you introduced to this game and more specifically how did you become an Avs fan?

I'll start (like you have a choice who goes first). I must have been about five years old. I have fuzzy memories about a big riot in Denver because some team won a big championship (this was in 1996) , and some guys holding a giant shiny cup on top of firetrucks wearing these burgundy and blue sweaters during summer time! I wasn't really sure what it was about but I thought it was interesting. One night a few months later I was pretty excited because my dad was going to show me how to clean my grandfathers old rifle. I had been looking forward to it for days. When my dad got the equipment out he turned on the tv. The only thing good on was a sports game called hockey. My dad then started to explain the sport and the point of the game to me. I was intrigued. This was a very unique game to me and I was amazed that not only did they play on ice but they were allowed to fight as well. Up until this point I had only seen baseball and a little football. The game was between the Colorado Avalanche and the Calgary Flames. My father spent some time in Canada so he used to watch the Flames regularly and proceeded to teach me some of the history of both teams. I ended up watching the whole game instead of helping my dad.

So I grew up with the Avalanche of the glory days. I rarely missed a game on the radio, and posters of hockey players decorated my bedroom wall. I still look back on the 2001 Stanley Cup game 7 final against the Devils very fondly. In a way I feel sorry for my younger brothers who haven't been as spoiled by this team as I have, but I still show them some of the games from the past. However this team we have now shows great potential to return to the glory enjoyed by the team of the past, and I look forward to seeing what they have to offer.

Anyhow that's my fan initiative story, what's yours?