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Mile High magic: Avs add to Denver’s title town run on ice

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Mile High magic: Avs add to Denver’s title town run on ice


By Pat Graham, Related Press

DENVER (AP) — How’s this for a hat trick: The Mile Excessive Metropolis is now dwelling to the Stanley Cup, NCAA and nationwide highschool hockey champions.

There have to be one thing within the (frozen) water round Denver, proper?

“Extra the elevation than the water,” cracked College of Denver coach David Carle, whose program received its ninth nationwide title in April.

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Detroit could also be referred to as “Hockeytown,” however Denver (elevation: 5,280 toes) has at the moment taken over at middle ice. The Colorado Avalanche turned the newest workforce from the town to hitch the celebration with a 2-1 win over Tampa Bay on Sunday in Recreation 6 to finish the Lightning’s two-year reign. It secured Colorado’s third Stanley Cup title since shifting to city from Quebec earlier than the 1995-96 season.

Today, there have been loads of celebrations for space hockey squads. Denver East Excessive College acquired the puck rolling by capturing a nationwide title three months in the past in Texas, and the Pioneers adopted swimsuit by beating Minnesota State in Boston for the NCAA crown.

Now, Cale Makar, Nathan MacKinnon and the remainder of the Avalanche will take a victory skate, this time with a parade by way of the streets of Denver on Thursday.

“We’re in one other Renaissance,” Denver East coach John Kopperud mentioned of the trickle-down impact from the success of the Avalanche. “You’re getting one of the best athletes at a younger age desirous to play hockey — and it’s a fantastic factor to see.”

The Pioneers and Avalanche teamed up for a uncommon accomplishment: A champion NCAA Division I hockey squad and a Stanley Cup-winning NHL workforce hailing from the identical metropolis in the identical season. Boston had been the final to take action — 50 years in the past, in 1972 (Boston College and the Bruins). In 1998, groups from the identical state (College of Michigan and Detroit Purple Wings) captured titles.

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“Little doubt it’s an historic feat,” mentioned Carle, the 32-year-old coach for the Pioneers who who retired from taking part in after being identified with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. He was picked by Tampa Bay within the seventh spherical of the 2008 draft. “It is a actually thrilling time.”

If historical past is any indication, this run by the Avalanche will solely additional enhance the curiosity amongst younger gamers all through the area.

There have been 16,513 registered gamers by way of USA Hockey within the Rocky Mountain area in 1994-95, the yr earlier than the Avalanche moved to Denver. Colorado hoisted its first Cup in ’96 and the next yr the full elevated to twenty,286 gamers, in keeping with USA Hockey figures.

After the Avalanche received Cup No. 2 in 2001, there have been 34,393 registered gamers — greater than doubling in six years — across the area, which counts Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Idaho, Texas and Utah.

This previous season, a file 3,077 gamers 8 and beneath had been taking part in hockey in Colorado, with ladies the quickest rising section, doubling over the past 5 years to almost 600 gamers.

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This might be simply the tip of the iceberg, too. Over the Lightning’s three-year run to the Stanley Cup Ultimate, Tampa noticed youth hockey develop general by 32%.

Translation: The subsequent No. 8 (Makar) or No. 29 (MacKinnon) might be simply taking the ice.

“So now you may have all these star gamers in Denver and it’s simply going to actually push issues excessive,” mentioned Kevin Erlenbach, the assistant govt director of membership for USA Hockey.

The chilly, onerous reality — extra rinks are wanted to accommodate much more development. There are 14 amenities in metro Denver, that includes 25 sheets of ice. All through the state, there are 33 amenities and 49 sheets.

“Municipalities and even personal traders aren’t going to construct rinks until they know there’s a requirement and a rising inhabitants, too,” Erlenbach defined. “We have got a little bit little bit of each. I might think about that there’s lots of people on the market that may transfer ahead on some new sheets of ice.”

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The Avalanche have been steadily constructing towards this title since 2016-17, when coach Jared Bednar took over they usually turned in a dismal 48-point season. They rapidly turned issues round and received the Presidents’ Trophy (greatest file) final yr, solely to be eradicated within the second spherical. That made them much more hungry this time round. They went 16-4 alongside the best way to the Cup, together with sweeps of Nashville and Edmonton, earlier than dethroning the Lightning.

“Folks don’t understand what an incredible sports activities city Denver is,” Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog mentioned. “We acquired assist from in all places.”

Identical goes for the Pioneers, who captured their second nationwide title in six years. Avalanche ahead Logan O’Connor was a part of Denver’s 2017 championship squad.

“Each teams have a particular bond, a camaraderie that’s powerful to return by, and I feel it comes right down to good individuals prepared to sacrifice for each other,” O’Connor mentioned after clinching the Cup. “Each organizations and packages deserve it.”

Simply as soon as has Carle watched a replay of his workforce’s comeback win for the NCAA title His focus has turned towards subsequent season because the Pioneeers try and win back-to-back titles just like the workforce achieved in 2004 and ’05. Carle did lately exit to dinner along with his workers — they usually introduced the trophy.

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“You get (celebrations) in at completely different moments, and we’re at all times going to take pleasure in it,” Carle mentioned.

Identical with Denver East, which knocked off the Northport (New York) Huntington Tigers 4-2 for the Division II crown on the Chipotle-USA Hockey highschool championships in Plano, Texas. The title has obtained much more buzz for the reason that Pioneers and the Avalanche adopted Denver East’s lead.

“It is cool for Denver to have all three groups win all of it,” mentioned Kopperud, who’s additionally an actual property agent. “That is one thing they’re going to be speaking about for the remainder of their lives.”





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Denver, CO

Bo Nix, Denver Broncos start ‘an important month of football’

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Bo Nix, Denver Broncos start ‘an important month of football’


For the 11th time in the NFL’s Super Bowl era on Sunday, a quarterback threw at least 25 passes and had no more than 60 passing yards in a game. But the Denver Broncos’ Bo Nix walked off the field with something none of the other quarterbacks in the group got – a victory.

The Broncos defeated the New York Jets 10-9 to even their record at 2-2 with the rookie under center.

The former Pinson Valley High School and Auburn QB also came away from the game with the first touchdown pass of his NFL career.

“It’ll be at the house,” Nix said of the ball from the milestone. “Hopefully, it’ll be up for a while. Until my wife gets tired of it, I guess.”

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Nix completed 13-of-25 passes for 60 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions against the Jets on a rainy day in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

“I think it was a lot to do with the weather,” Broncos coach Sean Payton said, “and I think it impacted both quarterbacks. I’m not making an excuse, but it was different, it was difficult.”

Nix said he thought the weather affected the game “probably a lot.”

“I think some of the call sheets are limited when you have weather like that,” Nix said, “and they can play a little bit more aggressively and things change. But I feel like we adapted well, especially in the second half, and we adjusted, and we found ways to score points when we needed to.”

Nix joined Denver from Oregon as the 12th choice in the NFL Draft on April 25. Through four games, Nix has completed 83-of-138 passes for 660 yards with one touchdown and four interceptions and run for 110 yards and two touchdowns on 23 carries.

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“He’s real sharp with his location,” Payton said of Nix, “and I would say that’s something that’s been pretty consistent long before he arrived here. He’s doing a good job getting through his progressions, where he’s going. I like what I’ve seen.”

But October will tell the tale on Nix and the Broncos for 2024, Payton said.

“There’s really not this plateau,” Payton said. “You’re getting better or you’re it’s the other, so this is an important month of football. …

“The execution, the details still have to get better with younger players, and that’s what we’re working on. I’ve said this before: If everyone else canpaint the right picture, then you truly get to evaluate and watch a real good quarterback. It’s that mix of running game, passing game, third down. It gets back to this month — ascending or going the other way. We’ve got to be stepping on the gas right now.”

The October schedule starts for Denver on Sunday, when the Las Vegas Raiders visit at 3:05 p.m. CDT for the Broncos’ first AFC West game of the season. Including two playoff games, Sunday’s contest will be Denver’s 130th against the Raiders.

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“I’ve been able to get a sense of it a little bit,” Nix said of the rivalry that started with the founding of the AFL in 1960, “but I don’t think you really truly understand it until you play in your first one. So I’m excited to play Sunday, and I know it’s important for this organization. I know it has been for a long time, and the players, we don’t take it lightly, so we’re going to go out there and compete at a high level, and I know they will, too, so it’s going to be a fun football game.”

The Broncos will wear throwback uniforms honoring the 1977 team when they play Las Vegas.

“I think they’re awesome,” Nix said. “I think anytime you can pay a little tribute to former teams that have come before you and have kind of laid the foundation for the opportunity that you have, I think that’s really important.

“And it’s fun to wear throwbacks. I think that’s always a neat thing that teams are able to do, and ours are pretty cool.”

FOR MORE OF AL.COM’S COVERAGE OF THE NFL, GO TO OUR NFL PAGE

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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.





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Denver, CO

Biking dangers in Denver: Hear close call stories, share yours in this 'On Two Wheels' special video report

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Biking dangers in Denver: Hear close call stories, share yours in this 'On Two Wheels' special video report


What’s your experience biking in Denver?

For me, it can be difficult to find the right words to describe the joys of biking around the Mile High City and rolling onto an undiscovered trail in our beautiful Colorado.

It has reconnected me to a feeling of freedom from my childhood that has done wonders for my mental and physical health. While life On Two Wheels has changed my life for the better, it has also come with lots of challenges and opportunities to learn.

Several years ago, I gave up my car to see if I could become a daily bike commuter in Denver, racking up thousands of miles of lessons learned and joining the thousands of others who do the same.

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And from sailing through the city on the easy days to trudging through the crazy snow days – I still find myself doing silly things and feel a responsibility to grow as a rider and shine a light on the issues and dangers other folks on two wheels experience in Denver and across Colorado.

Denver7

Every single day when I roll into Denver7 News, I reflect on the close calls with drivers and other cyclists and wonder if other riders are experiencing the same.

News coverage needs more voices from people who experience Denver infrastructure on two wheels and that’s where you come in. As more and more people hop onto bikes – especially with the rise of e-bikes – Denver7 wants to hear your experiences rolling around our communities that were built for vehicles.

  • What are your pain points?
  • Where do you have the most close calls?
  • What issues do you see the most while riding in Denver?
  • In terms of trails, bike lanes and infrastructure: What is Denver getting right and wrong?
  • What can we do to make biking more inclusive?
  • Who in the biking community needs a shout out?
  • How has cycling changed your life?
  • For drivers: What interactions with cyclists stress you out?

I want to highlight your experiences biking in Denver and share the challenges when biking is not just for fun, but a primary form of transportation. There are two ways to share your story.
You can call Denver7’s On Two Wheels voicemail hotline at 303-832-0207 and tell me what’s grinding your gears or share a positive angle to biking.Please leave your name and contact info, along with your message.

You can also email us at on2wheels@denver7.com.

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On Two Wheels aims to dive deeper into the unique hazards when biking in Denver and across Colorado, but to also share the good things and lift up the amazing people who take up cycling to get stronger and feel better about their mental health.

I will also be up front about my own mistakes and attempts to try and keep calm on my own two wheels when things get a little crazy out there on the trails.

As we Denver7 launches On Two Wheels, I hope you check out this half-hour program below that introduces you to seasoned Denver riders who share their honest experiences on our trails and roads, so we can all get to where we’re going in one piece.

Watch the special report in the video player:

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Biking dangers in Denver: Close call stories ‘On Two Wheels’

Coloradans making a difference | Denver7 featured videos


Denver7 is committed to making a difference in our community by standing up for what’s right, listening, lending a helping hand and following through on promises. See that work in action, in the videos above.

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Denver, CO

Investigation into Denver Fire Department comp time practices

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Investigation into Denver Fire Department comp time practices


After more than five months, a city-commissioned investigation into the use of comp time by top Denver Fire Department commanders is “nearing its conclusion,” according to a spokesperson for Denver Mayor Mike Johnston.  

Denver Fire Department

RJ Sangosti/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images


The investigation began April 19, according to a city contract, and called for an outside investigator to review and report on the use of flex or comp time by DFD command staff. A CBS News Colorado investigation found Chief Desmond Fulton awarding himself hundreds of hours of comp time in the last three years for everything from attending firefighter funerals and retirement ceremonies to having dinner at fire houses and attending community events.

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A review of Fulton’s work records from 2021, 2022 and 2023 showed he repeatedly racked up comp time or flex time by attending events that others viewed as being part of his job. He could then use that comp time to cover his vacations, and cash in unused vacation days at the end of each year, which he did. Denver’s municipal code appears to explicitly forbid the fire department’s executive staff from accruing comp time. The city code reads, “Division chiefs, deputy chief and the chief of the fire department who work overtime after the end of a regular shift shall not be compensated.”

desmond-fulton.jpg
Denver Fire Chief Desmond Fulton 

Courtesy/Denver Fire Department


Fulton has maintained he did nothing wrong and simply followed longstanding department practices. He said he supported the outside investigation. Fulton declined to be interviewed by CBS News Colorado.

In May, a spokesperson for Denver’s Manager of Safety said, “We anticipate a quick and thorough investigation … it is likely that the investigation will be completed within a few months.”

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But after more than five months, the delay in releasing a report or findings has fueled social media speculation about what might be going on.

Kelly Jacobs, a spokesperson for Denver’s Manager of Safety, said Friday, “The investigation and report are not yet completed.”

She went on to say the “investigation is nearing its conclusion and will share more information as the investigation and report are finalized.”

Jordan Fuja, a spokesperson for Johnston, issued a similar statement expressing a desire “for this investigation to be thorough and complete. … It is my understanding,” said Fuja, “that the investigation and report are not yet complete, though it is nearing its conclusion, and we’ll be sure to share more once it’s finished.”

Neither Fuja nor Jacobs offered a timeline of when the investigation and report might be completed and released.

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