2020 Outdoor Game!!!!

Ashlynn Konold

Colorado’s hockey team the Colorado Avalanche have been attempting their hardest to be the best team they can after the 2012-2013 season where they had 39 points at the end of the season. Points are assigned after a win, 2 points, and after a loss in overtime, 1 point. The 2020 outdoor game however in the Air Force Academy on the football field was called the “worst” hockey game in history.

The Colorado Avalanche fell 1-3 against the Los Angelas Kings and for the first time in outdoor game history the player Toffoli got a hat trick. The worst part, however, was the fan experience. According to many news outlets like the NHL, Denver Post, and 9 News, the beer and food ran out quickly. On top of that traffic to and from was, the worst and people were stranded for hours upon hours. There was much backlash against the NHL, the Air Force Academy and many more with horrid comments made to the media. The idea itself was amazing but the people organizing the event missed many crucial elements in the planning process. As much as the fan experience was bad the Air Force Academy cadets loved it!

The cadets were on-field dancing, clapping and laughing all the way through the game. For many, this was their first hockey game and it was quite a good game at that. While the Avalanche did lose, the plays were amazing and the offensive and defensive lines for both teams were also outstanding. In total there were both good and bad aspects of the game and something that should be planned more in the future. To learn more about the Colorado Avalanche or the game itself look on NHL.com for more.