Denver Celebrates Opening of Ice Hockey Season

Denver Mayor Michael B. Hancock, city leaders and Colorado hockey stars from multiple levels of competition, unveiled a 10-foot-high commemorative hockey puck to kick off Denver's integrated marketing campaign, Hockey Capital USA. The symbolic puck, which features the names of all 88 players from Denver's four 2022 championship teams – Colorado Avalanche, University of Denver (DU) Pioneers, Denver East Hockey and Pee-Wee Jr. Avs – is an integral piece of the citywide marketing campaign to commemorate the championship year in Colorado hockey history.

"As Denver and Colorado revel in these victories and the teams take on the new season, we are excited to commemorate their collective, triumphant victories by designating Denver as Hockey Capital USA," said Richard Scharf, president and CEO of VISIT DENVER. "VISIT DENVER and the Denver Sports Commission are showing our shared pride in each win by launching a campaign that is seen and heard throughout the city."

The giant, commemorative hockey puck will rotate to several locations throughout the city for hockey fans to see and use as a backdrop for selfies. The Puck Tour includes stops at Ball Arena Nov.10-20 and Civic Center Park Mile High Tree Nov. 21-Dec. 31.

The Hockey Capital USA campaign will run from October through December and include more than 200 street banners, large billboards and digital signage in the Denver Theater District.

At Denver International Airport, guests will be welcomed with a Hockey Capital USA digital billboard and a train message recorded by Avalanche players Gabe Landeskog and Erik Johnson.

The campaign will also include a 60-second TV spot which will run on scoreboards at Ball Arena during Avalanche games and Magness Arena during DU hockey games. Additional Hockey Capital television spots and radio spots will air on Altitude TV and local radio.

Web banners will be running on partner websites including Downtown Denver Partnership, Denver Chamber of Commerce, VISIT DENVER and City of Denver

Local ice rinks across the city will also feature dasher boards, in-ice logos and signage and the Ice Rink at DEN will feature the Hockey Capital USA dasher boards.  

Hockey Capital USA 2022 by the Numbers

• The Colorado Avalanche have won three Stanley Cup Finals and are the only active NHL team to win all their Stanley Cup Finals appearances.
• The Colorado Avalanche and University of Denver Pioneers became the first teams from the same city to win the Stanley Cup and NCAA Division I titles in the same year since 1972.
• With the University of Denver's 2022 championship, they now hold a record-tying ninth NCAA Division I title for one school.
• This past season, a record 3,077 players aged 8 and under were playing hockey in Colorado, with girls being the fastest growing segment.
• Colorado is home to more than 500 youth and high school hockey teams and another 500 adult hockey teams. 
• Colorado hosts more than 20 major tournament events each hockey season.
• Total USA Hockey members in Colorado include 15,000 youth/high school players, 7,500 adult players and 10,000+ coaches and volunteers.
• Girls' participation in hockey is growing in Colorado by more than 30% each season.
• There are 14 facilities in metro Denver, featuring 25 sheets of ice. Throughout the state, there are 33 facilities and 49 sheets of ice.

For more information about Denver's championship hockey season, and Hockey Capital USA designation, go to Hockey Capital USA.