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7 of the funniest moments from the Avs' Stanley Cup celebration

Posted: 5:37 PM, Jun 30, 2022
Updated: 2022-07-01 13:52:44-04
Avalanche Parade Hockey

DENVER — Thursday will be a day most of us in Denver who were there to witness the parade and celebrations for the Stanley Cup Champion Colorado Avalanche will never forget.

While there were plenty of emotional and heartfelt moments, there were also plenty of hilarious ones since the booze started flowing early for the 10 a.m. parade. Here’s a look back at 7 of the best moments from the celebrations.

7 of the funniest moments from the Avs' Stanley Cup parade

Find more Avalanche Stanley Cup coverage here.

1. “I play for the team.”

Avs defenseman Bo Byram just turned 21 two weeks ago (thankfully for him for today’s parade) but that didn’t do him any favors Thursday. Maybe it’s his baby face, but a police officer seemed to think he was a fan who had jumped over the barriers. “I play for the team,” he had to tell the.

Denver police had some fun with it after the incident went viral: “The officer (parade route defenseman) thought a fan had come over the boards. And into his defensive zone. It was quickly determined he was a player and not offside.”

2. Abundant beer chugs

Avs parade: There’s beer in the Super Soakers!

It’s been 21 years since Tony Kovaleski last covered an Avs Stanley Cup celebration. But he got an early reminder of what they’re like, which is pretty much soaked in beer. “Breaking news!” Kovaleski said, “there’s beer in the Super Soakers!” Yes, yes there is.

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Altitude Sports Avalanche play-by-play announcer Marc Moser got into the spirit with the rest of the crowd by chugging at least one beer during the broadcast. Cheers, Moser!

3. Beer Stanley Cups

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Stanley Cups made out of beers spotted at the Avs Stanley Cup parade.

Keeping with the beer theme, there were several Stanley Cups in the crowd made entirely out of beers. Gotta stay supplied and hydrated!

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Stanley Cups made out of beers spotted at the Avs Stanley Cup parade.

4. Aube-Kubel and Newhook introduction

Avalanche Parade Hockey
Colorado Avalanche center Alex Newhook, left, toasts right wing Nicolas Aube-Kubel during a rally outside the City/County Building for the NHL hockey champion-Avalanche, after a parade Thursday, June 30, 2022, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Nicolas Aube-Kubel and Alex Newhook decided they’d get introduced together as the Avs came on stage for the victory celebration. Newhook wheeled Aube-Kubel in on a chair, and they decided the best thing to do was to link arms for a joint beer chug before the speeches from Sakic and Bednar.

5. Samuel Girard’s entrance

Samuel Girard cartwheels on stage

Fan favorite Samuel Girard suffered a broken sternum in Game 3 of the series against the St. Louis Blues and missed the rest of the playoffs. But that didn’t keep him from celebrating on Thursday and making what some might consider the best entrance of the day.

6. Mikko forgets English and dances

Avalanche Parade Hockey
Colorado Avalanche right wing Mikko Rantanen, center bottom, lifts defenseman Cale Makar, center top, during a rally outside the City/County Building for the NHL hockey champions after a parade through the streets of downtown Denver, Thursday, June 30, 2022. Looking on are center Nazem Kadri, left, and right wing Logan O'Connor. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

The Avs had been going for quite a while by the time Mikko Rantanen took the mic. “Like I said, I can’t really speak any English now, so I’m just gonna try to talk to Lehky (Artturi Lehkonen), so love you guys! Love you, everybody!” he said, along with quite the little dance.

7. Kadri trolls the Lightning

Avalanche Parade Hockey
Colorado Avalanche center Nazem Kadri is introduced during a rally outside the City/County Building for the NHL hockey champions, after a parade Thursday, June 30, 2022, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Nazem Kadri came back to score the game-winning overtime goal in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final and continued with the Ws with his specially designed shirt that read, “Too Many Men.” It’s a nod to his game-winner and the saltiness expressed by Lightning head coach Jon Cooper and Tampa Bay’s fans that the Avs had six men on the ice at the start of the play. Even though the Lightning had 7.

Click here for more Colorado Avalanche Stanley Cup coverage.