Colorado
Colorado bill requiring schools to call students by their preferred name gets first approval
A bill drafted by young Coloradans would require educators statewide to call students by their preferred name upon request.
Sponsors said the legislation is an effort to support transgender youth and protect them from bullying. The Colorado Youth Advisory Council, a group of 40 students from across the state, helped state lawmakers draft the bill.
During an almost-four-hour committee hearing Thursday, supporters of House Bill 1039 said the bill would curtail discrimination against transgender students and create a more inclusive environment statewide. Opponents said the bill would infringe on educator and parent rights, as well as create problems in classrooms and spur potential legal issues.
House Education Committee members approved the bill by a 7-to-4 vote along party lines, with Democrats voting in favor and Republicans voting against the measure.
State Rep. Stephanie Vigil, a Colorado Springs Democrat sponsoring the bill, said many transgender youth feel like their self-expression hasnât been respected by school districts.
State Rep. Brianna Titone, an Arvada Democrat, and Democratic state Sens. Faith Winter, of Westminster, and Janice Marchman, of Loveland, are also sponsoring the bill.
âColorado prides itself so much on being welcoming, where people are free to be themselves and how they live,â Vigil said to the education committee members. âWe feel like itâs important to act on that.â
House Bill 1039 would require Colorado public schools to adopt policies to ensure educators honor a studentâs request to be called by a preferred non-legal name. The bill would require schools to list a studentâs preferred name on unofficial school documents such as identification cards, yearbooks, or attendance lists.
Under the bill, students would not have to legally change their name for an educator to call them by that name. The bill ensures schools would conform to non-discrimination laws.
The bill is supported by groups such as One Colorado, an LGBTQ+ advocacy organization, and the Colorado School Counselors Association.
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During the hearing, numerous transgender youth testified that district policies often donât honor who they are. They said many educators insist on using studentsâ legal names. The students said theyâve dealt with bullying and terrible treatment, and the bill, if passed, would help them in the classroom.
âThe steps that weâre taking would create an environment where being transphobic is not tolerated,â said Theo Martin, an 18-year-old student at Lewis-Palmer High School.
Martin said in an interview that he testified on Thursday because his friend committed suicide five months ago after intolerable treatment at school.
Martin said heâs also personally experienced intolerance. Educators have used his legal name as a way to disrespect him, and a fellow student threw a basketball at him and broke his nose when he came out, Martin said. He added that legally changing his name is a costly and difficult step.
Seventeen-year-old Sam Charney said they want the same rights as other students. They said itâs been an uphill battle to get their school to recognize their identity.
âA legal name change is expensive and most people donât have access or the ability to do that,â Charney said. âThis will give the students the tools to be able to live their authentic self.â
Opponents included numerous far-right, parents rights, and Christian groups. Several charter school advocates also spoke against the bill.
Opponent Donna LaBelle said she worried that students would start changing their names several times a month, which would confuse teachers. She also said childrenâs legal names are important to parents.
âYou probably remember how important that decision was to give someone their name,â she said.
In voting against the bill, House Minority Leader Rose Pugliese, a Colorado Springs Republican, said she wanted proponents to know she heard their experiences, but she voted no because the bill doesnât require schools to tell parents if their children ask to be called by a preferred name.
Jason Gonzales is a reporter covering higher education and the Colorado legislature. Chalkbeat Colorado partners with Open Campus on higher education coverage. Contact Jason at jgonzales@chalkbeat.org.
Former Colorado Buffaloes stars Sebastian Rancik and Bangot Dak announced their transfer portal decisions on Sunday with Rancik committing to Florida State and Dak committing to Vanderbilt, per On3’s Joe Tipton. They join former Buffs guard Isaiah Johnson (now at Texas) as the third former Colorado player to leave the Big 12 conference as Rancik opts for the ACC and Dak heads to the SEC.
The trio of Johnson, Rancik, and Dak make up three of Colorado’s four most productive players with rising senior guard Barrington Hargress, and the Buffs are now tasked with replacing such production with Hargress as the only returner.
Rancik’s season ended prematurely with an injury, but he averaged 12.3 points and 5.6 rebounds per game for the Buffs. Dak was Colorado’s leading rebounder with 6.5 boards per game, scoring 11.5 points per contest as well.
While each player has his respective reasons for transferring, the most expected ones are for seeking better NIL deals or more development on a better team in a better league. The Buffs finished 12th in the Big 12, and the allure of the SEC was too strong for the program to hold onto key talent like Johnson and Dak.
Still, Colorado coach Tad Boyle proved his ability to recruit and build up a solid core, one that saw its headliners of Johnson, Dak, and Rancik all depart in the portal. Can he do it again?
Colorado Buffaloes Roster Outlook
Boyle and the Buffaloes did retain Hargress as well as three freshmen guards: Jalin Holland, Ian Inman, and Josiah Sanders.
As a freshman, Holland averaged 4.9 points and 2.7 rebounds per game as one of Colorado’s key pieces coming off of the bench. Meanwhile, Sanders appeared in 33 games as a constant presence in the Buffs backcourt, averaging 4.4 points and 1.7 assists per game.
Inman played the fewest minutes of the returning trio, but he flashed with a couple of double-digit scoring performances as a true freshman.
“When I think of those three together, I think of toughness. I think of the improvement they made over the course of the season and the togetherness they have. They’re great friends and have formed a bond during their freshman year. Their toughness, energy and work ethic, when you have those attributes to go along with talent, which they all have, you get a chance to have three really good sophomores next year that will take the next step,” Boyle said in a release announcing the return of the three freshmen.
With eight outgoing transfers to replace, the Buffaloes will certainly have a new look to them for the 2026-27 season.
Colorado has landed one transfer portal prospect so far in former North Dakota State foward Noah Feddersen. On the recruiting trail, Boyle and company are bringing in four-star forward Rider Portela as well as two prospects from the NBL in Australia: forward Goc Malual and guard Alex Dickeson.
The transfer portal for men’s college basketball closes on Tuesday, April 21, meaning players have to enter their names by then. Transfer athletes do not have to commit before the portal closes, though, so Colorado is expected to continue hosting prospects on visits while building out the roster.
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Colorado
Colorado faces LA in first round as Kings captain Anze Kopitar embarks on final Stanley Cup chase
DENVER — Anze Kopitar wrapped up the last regular season of his storied career. The Los Angeles Kings captain wants to prolong his final playoff run for as long as possible.
Kopitar, who announced in September his plans to retire, instantly becomes a postseason rallying point for the Kings. They have a tall task ahead of them against the Colorado Avalanche, the top team in the league, with the top goal scorer in Nathan MacKinnon and one of the best defensemen in the game in Cale Makar. Game 1 is Sunday at Ball Arena, where the Avalanche are 26-9-6.
“Playoffs,” said the 38-year-old Kopitar, a two-time Stanley Cup winner with the Kings. “I’m not going to say anything can happen, but we’ll go in and we’ll play hard and we’ll see where that takes us.”
This will be the third postseason series between the two teams and the first in 24 years. Colorado won in seven games during both the 2002 conference quarterfinals and the 2001 conference semifinals.
It’s been a record season for the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Avalanche as they amassed the most points (121) in franchise history. That broke the mark set by the 2022 team, which went on to win the Stanley Cup title. MacKinnon had a career-best 53 goals.
Goaltenders Scott Wedgewood and Mackenzie Blackwood shared the net this season and surrendered a league low in goals. They earned the William M. Jennings Trophy, which is presented to the goalies who have played a minimum of 25 games — Wedgewood suited up in 45 and Blackwood 39 — for the team with the fewest goals allowed. The other goaltender to win that honor for Colorado was Hall of Famer Patrick Roy (2001-02).
“We’re in a good spot,” Colorado forward Brock Nelson said. “The mentality of this group throughout the year, right from the start of training camp, (was) set on a mission to be the best team.”
Colorado Avalanche’s Nathan MacKinnon (29) celebrates the goal against Edmonton Oilers goalie Connor Ingram (39) during shoot-out NHL action, in Edmonton on Monday, April 13, 2026. Credit: AP/JASON FRANSON
Record against each other
The Kings went 0-3 against Colorado this season and were outscored by a 13-5 margin.
“You hear the hype. They have good players,” Kings defenseman Brandt Clarke said. “We’re a scrappy team. We keep it close with everybody. That can really frustrate them.”
Leading after two
The Avalanche were 41-0-0 when leading after two periods. They’re the first squad to have a lead after two periods on 40 or more instances and capture each one, according to team research.
“Even though we’ve been smart, we’ve been committed, we’ve been relentless at times, it’s going to have to go to a whole new level now,” Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said. “I have faith in our guys.”
Los Angeles Kings’ Anze Kopitar, who is retiring after this season, acknowledges the crowd after being recognized after losing to the Vancouver Canucks during overtime NHL hockey action in Vancouver, on Tuesday, April 14, 2026. Credit: AP/DARRYL DYCK
Remember the season opener?
Six grueling months ago, the Avalanche and Kings opened the season against each other. The Avalanche won 4-1 in Los Angeles behind a pair of goals from Martin Necas, who would go on to register his first 100-point season (38 goals, 62 assists).
The two teams join an exclusive club by becoming the fifth pair since 2015-16 to open the regular season and the playoffs against each other, according to NHL Stats. The other pairs to do so were Montreal and Toronto (2020-21); Colorado and St. Louis (2020-21); St. Louis and Winnipeg (2018-19); and Los Angeles and San Jose (2015-16).
Of those teams that won the season opener only San Jose went on to win the series. It’s a trend Kopitar and the Kings wouldn’t mind joining.
Kopitar and the playoffs
Kopitar helped the Kings to the Stanley Cup title in 2011-12 and 2013-14 along with goaltender Jonathan Quick, who now is with the New York Rangers and recently said he’s retiring. Kopitar has played in 103 postseason games with 27 goals and 62 assists.
“The intensity ramps up, everything ramps up,” Kopitar said of the postseason. “Every mistake, every little play, magnifies now.”
Familiar faces
Kings goaltender Darcy Kuemper was in net for the Avalanche when they won the Stanley Cup in 2022. In addition, Kuemper and Drew Doughty were teammates with MacKinnon, Makar and Devon Toews when Canada won silver at the Milan Cortina Olympics.
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