Mobs of angry Avalanche fans did not descend on the Pepsi Center on Thursday, a day after Peter Forsberg left for the Philadelphia Flyers. That does not mean there was peace, love and joy among the Avs’ avid fan base.
More likely, the shock was sinking in. Perhaps if the team is weakened in the standings because of the departures of Forsberg and Adam Foote, anger will become more evident.
But Paul Andrews, senior vice president of ticket sales and services for Kroenke Sports Enterprises, said the Avs received few calls from season ticket-holders, mad or otherwise.
“I’d say maybe 15 calls,” Andrews said. “I think they understand the situation. I think our season-ticket base is very passionate and knowledgeable, and I think they still think we’ve got a great team.”
Season ticket-holders have an Aug. 19 deadline to renew. Andrews acknowledged many invoices remain out.
“There is always going to be a certain percentage that might not (renew), but we’re not getting the impression we’ll experience (a big drop-off). In fact, we’ve sold almost 300 new season tickets since the lockout ended,” he said.
Meanwhile, hockey was on the front burner Thursday in Denver. And the debates raged over whether Avalanche general manager Pierre Lacroix made the right moves.
Derrick Barker of Parker defended Lacroix.
“Give me a break,” Barker said. “While I’m extremely sad about the loss of Forsberg, we all had to know it was coming with the realities of the cap.”
Maria Kayser of Englewood disagreed.
“I just don’t get it,” she said. “I don’t believe Pierre when he says he did everything he could to keep Forsberg. If he thinks, as he says, that the fans are behind him, he has another thing coming.”
Kayser said she would renew a 14-game season-ticket package “because I don’t want to lose my rights, but I will let them know that I am extremely disappointed.”
Paul Wells of Golden said he planned to send his invoice back to Andrews with “CANCEL” written across it “and with a picture of Forsberg and Foote taped to it.”
Joe Michalski of Boulder tried to give Lacroix the benefit of the doubt.
“When I saw the offer that Lacroix made to Forsberg, I immediately said he didn’t want him back,” Michalski said. “You figure that what Philly paid Forsberg was the minimum it would take to get him, and in fact, that seemed a little low. Lacroix knows this, so he must believe Forsberg has lost a step from the injuries and doesn’t want to tie the money up. Maybe Lacroix was straight with him behind closed doors and told him so.”
Meanwhile, Forsberg conducted a conference call from Sweden in his first full day as a Flyer.
“There just wasn’t much that could be done,” Forsberg said. “There were a couple of options, and without the new (NHL economic) system, I might still be in Colorado.”
The Avs offered Forsberg a four-year, $13.5 million deal, which when he came to Denver in 1995 would have made him among the top five highest-paid players in the NHL. But even with the reduced salary structure of today, that offer was too little. The first year of the contract would have paid $1.5 million.
“I got offered more money somewhere else,” Forsberg said. “There were a few teams interested, but I’m not going to go into exactly what happened.”
Forsberg said the “new NHL,” with its emphasis on offense, will be great for his game.
“It’s definitely good for all the forwards,” he said. “It’s going to open the game. I’m trying to score goals, and I think it’s going to help me. I don’t like grabbing and holding, but I don’t mind physical play.”
Forsberg was drafted by the Flyers in 1991 and traded to Quebec the next year. He still has his original Flyers jersey from the draft, and admitted it is strange to be back with the organization.
“I can’t complain,” he said. “I’ve been in a good organization in Denver for so long. It worked out well.”
The Flyers have not won a Stanley Cup since 1975, and Forsberg wants to change that.
“I’m playing to win the Cup,” he said. “I don’t think I have time to go to a team that is rebuilding. When the Flyers came along, I was interested right away.”
Staff writer Adrian Dater can be reached at 303-820-5454 or adater@denverpost.com.
Staff writer Terry Frei can be reached at 303-820-1895 or tfrei@denverpost.com.
