Colorado
This might be the best Green Bay Packers bar in Colorado
Editor’s note: This is part of The Know’s series, Staff Favorites. Each week, we offer our opinions on the best Colorado has to offer for dining, shopping, entertainment, outdoor activities and more. (We’ll also let you in on some hidden gems).
A full house packed with Cheeseheads intently cheering for their beloved Green Bay Packers at Wally’s Wisconsin Tavern last Sunday didn’t realize they were in the presence of Wisconsin royalty.
Kim Flitcroft of Lake Geneva, Wis., who was crowned Alice in Dairyland of 1990, was in town with her husband for a family visit. Naturally, they celebrated game day at Wally’s.
Where else in Denver would a former Alice in Dairyland go to watch the green and gold than Colorado’s best Packers bar?
Flitcroft was too humble to mention her reign, a year-long responsibility that involved representing the state’s agriculture sector at public appearances, but her 77-year-old mother was tickled to tell me. No big deal, you say? I grew up in Wisconsin, so I knew what it meant and was honored to meet her. Flitcroft also is one of the Packers’ 537,460 “owners” who hold 5.2 million shares of stock. It pays no dividends except bragging rights, which are priceless.
Flitcroft loved Wally’s, which is crammed with Wisconsin sports memorabilia and photos. A massive lighted Schlitz sign greets visitors at the front door. Flitcroft and I are old enough to remember when Schlitz was touted as “The beer that made Milwaukee famous.” Flags for the Packers and Brewers hang from the ceiling, along with another that says “Drink Wisconsinbly.”
“I like that you’re out of town, you walk into a bar and it feels like you’re at home,” Flitcroft said. “It’s amazing. When you’re a Packers fan, you’re almost a whole other family together. I don’t care where you go or who you are, it’s like you know each other. It’s just such a special relationship that I don’t think you feel from other teams.”
That’s why I love Wally’s so much. Even though the Packers let us down last week, falling to the Detroit Lions in a rivalry game, we had loads of fun.
Summer Koehn, who moved from Milwaukee to Denver 18 months ago, got to Wally’s four hours before kickoff to make sure she and her friends got a table.
“Everywhere you go, there are Packers fans,” Koehn said. “How fun is it that you come to Denver and there’s a bar specifically for that? It’s loud, it’s fun. We’re a different breed.”
They (OK, we) are. They poke fun at their image and never take themselves too seriously.
“No,” Koehn agreed. “We’re Cheeseheads!”
Located in LoDo at 1417 Market St., Wally’s is attached to the Rhein Haus German restaurant, which also is filled with Cheeseheads on game days. Rhein Haus was co-founded by James Weimann, a Sheboygan native who named Wally’s in honor of his father. A huge photo taken at Wally’s wedding hangs in the bar. When Weimann started the Rhein Haus in 2015, the space now known as Wally’s was a side bar for Rhein Haus. In 2017, it took on its own identity and Packers decor.
The menu has lots of Wisconsin foods, including bratwurst, cheese curds, potato pancakes, giant pretzels, fried pickles and the “Lombardi Burger,” an Angus beef patty with cheddar cheese topped with fried cheese curds. (Alas, no Schlitz.)
Flitcroft’s mother, Judy Nettesheim, and I were kids when Schlitz ruled and Vince Lombardi’s Packers won five NFL championships in seven years (1961-67). We like to remind fans of other teams that the Packers, founded in 1919, have won the most NFL championships (13).
“In our family, your blood ran green and gold,” Flitcroft said. “It was just our life.”
Darryle Brown grew up in Virginia but fell under the spell of the Packers when Brett Favre was quarterback. He was dressed for the game with a Packers hard hat, jacket and bib. A Packers medallion with a light inside hung from a huge chain around his neck.
“I like the fact that it’s a good atmosphere,” Brown said. “It stays packed with my tribe of fellow Cheeseheads. Every time we score a touchdown, the celebration here is electric. It’s just a wonderful experience.”
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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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