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‘I knew I had to be at this’: Stanley Cup parade draws an avalanche of fans to downtown Denver

By Dennis Huspeni June 30, 2022 | updated 3 years ago

Half a million Colorado Avalanche fans filled the streets of downtown Denver on Thursday to celebrate the team’s third Stanley Cup victory. 

Some fans came from as far as Albuquerque.

By 6:30 a.m., burgundy, blue and white clad fans started staking their spot near the front of the rally site on Bannock Street across from the Denver City and County building.

“This is the first time we’ve gotten a chance to see an Avalanche parade,” said Eddie McRorie, 35, of Littleton, who staked out the front-row real estate with his boys Terrell, 8, and Liam, 8.

“I’m so happy the Avs won the Stanley Cup,” said Terrell McRorie, as the boys played cards to kill time before the festivities.

Avalanche Parade

Jeff Cislo, 47, of Castle Rock with his daughter, Mikayla, 16, and her friend Avery Weise, 15 of Parker, ready to celebrate at Civic Center Park Thursday.

DENNIS HUSPENI/THE DENVER GAZETTE

Avalanche Parade

Jeff Cislo, 47, of Castle Rock with his daughter, Mikayla, 16, and her friend Avery Weise, 15 of Parker, ready to celebrate at Civic Center Park Thursday. 



DENNIS HUSPENI/THE DENVER GAZETTE


Avalanche Parade

Bill Bontempo of Parker and his daughter, Skylar, stake out a spot in front of the fence to watch the Avalanche victory rally at Civic Center Park Thursday.

DENNIS HUSPENI/THE DENVER GAZETTE

Avalanche Parade

Bill Bontempo of Parker and his daughter, Skylar, stake out a spot in front of the fence to watch the Avalanche victory rally at Civic Center Park Thursday. 



DENNIS HUSPENI/THE DENVER GAZETTE


Many Avalanche fans hit the road before 8 a.m. and took the Regional Transportation District’s light rail to get downtown.

Barry Rabinovich was one of the fans eager to get downtown to celebrate the Avs’ Stanley Cup victory. He said he didn’t want to drive because “traffic is going to be crazy,” so he hopped on the light rail at the Arapahoe at Village Center Station.

“I’ve been a diehard fan since they moved here in 1996, so to be able to celebrate the team’s hard work and success again is an unbelievable feeling,” Rabinovich said while riding a packed E Line train.

Ben Gilardino of Aurora also boarded the E line to Union Station on Thursday morning. He was decked out from head to toe in burgundy and blue.

He said he was only 5 months old the last time the Avalanche won the Stanley Cup, and he was ready to celebrate with the rest of the town.

“I cried when the Avs won it all on Sunday,” Gilardino said. “I haven’t been able to take the smile off my face since.”

City officials estimated that 500,000 people attended Thursday’s festivities. At Civic Center Park, throngs of fans cheered on the Avs during a rally following the parade.

PHOTOS: Colorado Avalanche 2022 Championship parade and rally

“It’s been a long road coming to this point,” center Nathan MacKinnon told the crowd. “We couldn’t be luckier to have a group of fans like we have.”

“The group of guys behind me, I can’t even begin to tell you the resiliency, the commitment to win, the determination to win, the attitude,” Gabriel Landeskog, the Avs’ captain, said of his teammates. “These guys are the best people you will ever meet.”

Defenseman Erik Johnson led the crowd in singing the chorus of “All the Small Things” by Blink-182, a song that’s become an anthem for Colorado Avalanche fans. 

“The fans of Denver, my teammates, management, everybody involved — this is a dream come true and you guys are a part of it,” center Nazem Kadri said. 

“This is one of the best parades I’ve ever seen: Lightning, thunder, it doesn’t matter. We come with the avalanche, baby,” Kadri shouted as the crowd erupted in cheers.  

Avalanche Parade

Gerard Munoz, 45, of Albuquerque with his uncle Sam Rodriquez, 60, of Denver, ready for the Avalanche victory rally at Civic Center Park Thursday. Munoz drove from New Mexico to attend. Rodriquez has a shirt with the replica of the Rocky Mountain News (renamed "Hockey Mountain News" for the day) front page after the Avalanche's first Stanley Cup victory.

DENNIS HUSPENI/THE DENVER GAZETTE

Avalanche Parade

Gerard Munoz, 45, of Albuquerque with his uncle Sam Rodriquez, 60, of Denver, ready for the Avalanche victory rally at Civic Center Park Thursday. Munoz drove from New Mexico to attend. Rodriquez has a shirt with the replica of the Rocky Mountain News (renamed “Hockey Mountain News” for the day) front page after the Avalanche’s first Stanley Cup victory. 



DENNIS HUSPENI/THE DENVER GAZETTE


Avalanche Parade

Unique Marez, 34, of Denver brought her children Amani, 9, and Royce, 4, to watch the Colorado Avalanche victory parade at 17th and Welton streets Thursday. Also pictured, Bill Bengtson, 56, of Denver.

DENNIS HUSPENI/THE DENVER GAZETTE

Avalanche Parade

Unique Marez, 34, of Denver brought her children Amani, 9, and Royce, 4, to watch the Colorado Avalanche victory parade at 17th and Welton streets Thursday. Also pictured, Bill Bengtson, 56, of Denver. 



DENNIS HUSPENI/THE DENVER GAZETTE


Andre Lucero, crew leader for Denver Parks and Recreation, said the city had about 150 yellow-vested volunteers at Civic Center Park on Thursday.

“We barricaded off the flower beds and trees,” Lucero said. “We’re protecting the assets of the park.”

Vendors selling T-shirts out of duffle bags roamed the crowds, as did Max Martinez, 40, of Aurora.

Martinez was selling bottles of cold water out of a cooler for $2. He works large events like baseball tournaments or other festivals downtown.

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“I haven’t done a parade before,” said Martinez, who jammed nine cases of water into his car and parked close by. “I think there’s going to be 650,000 people here. I hope there’s more. I want to get rid of my stock so I can watch the parade.”

The last time the Avalanche won the cup 21 years ago was the year Skyler Bontempo of Denver was born. She and her dad, Bill Bontempo, had claimed a spot in front of a fenced off area to set up seats and get the wide view.

“We love the Avalanche. My son plays hockey, so we’ve always been big fans since we moved here in 1996,” Bill Bontempo said.

1996, of course, was the year the Avalanche moved to Colorado from Canada and won the Stanley Cup.

“They’re just such a fun team to follow, and I wasn’t able to go last time so I took the whole day off,” Bill Bontempo said.

Across downtown, fans lined both sides of 17th Street hours before the parade began. Some waved burgundy flags, others held signs over the barricades and a few climbed nearby trees to get a better vantage point.

Avalanche Parade

Sean Byrne of Aurora holds his daughter, Riley, at the Colorado Avalanches’ championship parade Thursday in downtown Denver.

DAVID MULLEN/THE DENVER GAZETTE

Avalanche Parade

Sean Byrne of Aurora holds his daughter, Riley, at the Colorado Avalanches’ championship parade Thursday in downtown Denver.






Avalanche Parade

Kent Johnson of Arvada holds his homemade Stanley Cup above his head right before the Colorado Avalanche's championship parade kicked off on Thursday.

DAVID MULLEN/THE DENVER GAZETTE

Avalanche Parade

Kent Johnson of Arvada holds his homemade Stanley Cup above his head right before the Colorado Avalanche’s championship parade kicked off on Thursday. 






The last time a championship parade was held in honor of the Avalanche, Sean Byrne was still in school. In fact, his father pulled him out of class in 2001 so they could celebrate the franchise’s second Stanley Cup victory together.

Twenty-one years later, Byrne, a partial season ticket holder, was back in downtown Denver celebrating his beloved Avalanche. But this time he was with his daughter, Riley.

“I knew I had to be at this when we won,” Byrne said. “It’s just so amazing to be here celebrating with my family and being with an entire community who loves this team.”

In front of Union Station, Kent Johnson was carrying his personal Stanley Cup. He made it just before the playoffs and said it’s gone with him to the grocery store, to the park and anywhere he’s gone since the playoffs began on May 2.

“It’s been with me every step of the way,” Johnson said. “Even my wife had to be the one carrying it around sometimes. It was our good luck charm.”

Johnson, a Wisconsin native, said he’s been a lifelong hockey fan and became an Avalanche fan in 1996. He said the greatest thing about the parade was how it crossed generations and brought everyone together.

“Every age group, every ethnic group is here,” Johnson said. “Everybody’s into it. Everybody’s happy and joyful. This team has truly touched this community and it’s great to see so many people come together for a good reason.”

Avalanche Parade

The McRorie family got to Civic Center Park by 6:30 a.m. to get front row seats for the Avalanche victory rally Thursday. From left: Terrell, 8, Eddie, 35, Liam, 8, and neighbor Max Zubalik, 41.

DENNIS HUSPENI/THE DENVER GAZETTE

Avalanche Parade

The McRorie family got to Civic Center Park by 6:30 a.m. to get front row seats for the Avalanche victory rally Thursday. From left: Terrell, 8, Eddie, 35, Liam, 8, and neighbor Max Zubalik, 41. 



DENNIS HUSPENI/THE DENVER GAZETTE


Near Colfax and Broadway, fans poured into any available space to get a view of the parade.

“This is the first cup they’ve won in my lifetime, so I’m soaking the experience all in,” said Zakkary Trader-Gough, 20, of Castle Pines.

Trader-Gough and his mom, Dana Trader, 53, grabbed a viewing spot on the concrete barricades at Colfax and Broadway.

“I saw the 2001 Stanley Cup playoffs in Denver, but I was pregnant with Zakkary so there was no way I could attend the parade then,” Trader said.

Some dedicated fans drove long distances to witness the parade and party downtown.

“I drove here from Albuquerque,” said Gerard Munoz, 45, who was born in Denver. “I’ve been a fan since 1996. I just wanted to see them up close, like (Cale) Makar and (Joe) Sakic. I’m hoping some older players show up too, like (Milan) Hejduck and (Peter) Forsberg.”

His uncle, Sam Rodriquez, 60, of Denver, sported a T-shirt that replicated the front page of the Rocky Mountain News in 1996 with Sakic hoisting the cup after the triple-overtime win against the Florida Panthers. They renamed the paper for one day to “Hockey Mountain News.”

“I was here 21 years ago, but my nephew hasn’t seen one so he had to come,” Rodriquez said.

Denver Gazette reporter Lindsey Toomer contributed to this report.

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