An avalanche of burgundy and blue has overtaken the Front Range as the Stanley Cup Finals return to Colorado for the first time in 21 years.
Centre Ice Hockey, a locally owned hockey shop in Centennial, has seen a sharp rise in activity with Avs merchandise flying off its racks as Avs fever spreads across Colorado.
Store owner Rick Boh said his store is selling four times as much merchandise as it was at this time last year, which has resulted in supply-chain issues — meaning manufacturers are struggling to keep up with demand.
“Itap both a good and bad problem to have,” Boh said.
Another local hockey shop, Pure Hockey, with locations in Westminster and Littleton, has also experienced an uptick in sales, saying that anything with the Avs logo is getting scooped up. One item, in particular, is in high demand: A neck chain with an Avs logo dangling from it — a replica of the one the Avs award their best player after each game.
In addition to Avalanche gear, Centre Ice Hockey also sells hockey equipment for the amateur to elite-level player. From interacting with customers during the playoffs, Boh said he has noticed an increase in interest in the sport in general.
Beyond merchandise sales, Boh said the Avs being in the playoffs may have an even bigger impact on the youth community, encouraging kids to try the sport.
“Hockey is a great retention sport because you can play a lifetime,” Boh said. “The Avs in the Stanley Cup gives local kids a team to look up and might even inspire them to play.”
Of course, the best gauge of Avs fever is the price of tickets for the Cup Finals. And there isn’t a hotter ticket in town.
As of Tuesday afternoon, the cheapest ticket available on for Wednesday night’s Game 1 inside Ball Arena was $679 for a seat in Section 356 of the third deck. A lower bowl ticket in the third row of Section 104 could be purchased for the princely sum of $9,000.
