Tragedy and sadness have touched the Pioneer hockey program once again this holiday season with the suicide of University of Denver alumnus Deane Hansen, 60, who played four seasons for the Pioneers between 1980 and 1984. Continue reading DU Hockey Alumnus Deane Hansen Passes Away
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DU Hockey Alumnus Faces Family Cancer Battle
Rhett Rakhshani, a DU 2010 all-American hockey player who played most of his pro hockey in Europe, is now facing a huge battle. His young wife Sharlene, 31, was recently diagnosed with aggressive stage four cancer. The Rakhshani family has decided to return to California (his home state) to begin Shar’s treatments, forcing Rakhshani, 34, to pause his hockey career. The family has three young girls – Stella age six, Scarlett age four, and Georgia, age two. Continue reading DU Hockey Alumnus Faces Family Cancer Battle
Pios Salvage Split with Omaha in a Weird 6-3 Saturday Victory
They don’t call it the NCHC meat-grinder for nothing.
The top-ranked Denver Pioneers were still smarting after getting pasted on home ice 3-0 by the University of Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks on Friday night. Accordingly, the Pioneers were determined to answer back hard on Saturday night, which they did with an emphatic, explosive but ultimately difficult 6-3 victory to salvage the NCHC split before 5,200+ happy DU fans and many of the players’ parents, in town for DU’s annual Hockey Parents’ Weekend.
Continue reading Pios Salvage Split with Omaha in a Weird 6-3 Saturday Victory
Remembering Peter “Maxy” McNab
The Denver hockey community has been hit hard by the news that former University of Denver Pioneer, National Hockey League All-Star center, and Colorado Avalanche hockey broadcaster Peter McNab died of cancer last week at the age of 70.
“Heartbroken” was the term used by current DU coach David Carle to describe what McNab’s death means to the Denver Pioneer family. Continue reading Remembering Peter “Maxy” McNab
Pioneer Captain Dave Tomassoni (’75) Passes Away at 69
The Denver Pioneer hockey family lost an inspirational former team captain, David Tomassoni (Denver, ’75) who passed away from Aymotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) on August 11th in his native Minnesota. He was 69 years old.
Tomassoni helped bring DU to two Frozen Fours in the 1970s and served as DU’s captain under coach Murray Armstrong in his senior season in 1974-75, before going on to a 16-year pro hockey career, mostly played in Italy. After his hockey career ended, he served for 30 years in the Minnesota State Legislature, retiring earlier this year following his 2021 ALS diagnosis. Continue reading Pioneer Captain Dave Tomassoni (’75) Passes Away at 69
Former DU Pioneers Help Power Avalanche to NHL’s Stanley Cup Championship
The Colorado Avalanche’s third Stanley Cup Championship was won in Tampa, Florida with a 2-1 victory in Game Six over the Tampa Bay Lightning, making Denver into the new “Hockeytown USA”, as the Avalanche joined the 2022 NCAA Champion University of Denver and USA’s Hockey High School Division II National Champion Denver East High School for a troika of Denver hockey titles in 2022. Continue reading Former DU Pioneers Help Power Avalanche to NHL’s Stanley Cup Championship
No! New University Logo to Replace Arched Denver
Would the LA Dodgers baseball team ever willingly jettison their famous lettering on their uniform chest?
Two words: Hell. No. Continue reading No! New University Logo to Replace Arched Denver
Legendary DU Goaltender George Kirkwood Passes Away at 84
There have been a lot of great goalies at the University of Denver over the years, and one of the best of them, George Kirkwood, passed away last month at age 84 in his native Edmonton, Alberta.
Kirkwood’s passing is surely sad news for his surviving family, former teammates, friends, and associates. And the Pioneer Nation — even those younger Pio fans who never had the chance to know him personally or watch him play — will remember his name and exploits for as long as hockey players skate for the University of Denver. Continue reading Legendary DU Goaltender George Kirkwood Passes Away at 84
Conference Realignment Hits Division I Men’s Lacrosse
It’s been a very busy spring in Division I lacrosse as multiple D-I schools will join new conferences next season, as the Atlantic 10 has just added lacrosse as a sponsored men’s sport, forcing two other conferences, the Northeastern Conference (NEC) and the Southern Conference (SoCon), to drop lacrosse for men for next season, as both conferences lost members to the A-10. Continue reading Conference Realignment Hits Division I Men’s Lacrosse
Puck Swami: Non-conference Opponents That DU Hockey Should Schedule
College hockey scheduling isn’t easy. There are now 63 teams playing Division I college hockey, and DU as a 72-year-old program has played most of them over the years. Non-conference scheduling is a particular kind of art form, requiring just enough potential home wins to keep the fans (and bean-counters) happy, but not too many cupcakes either, or it can hurt your national Pairwise ranking, especially if there is an upset. Continue reading Puck Swami: Non-conference Opponents That DU Hockey Should Schedule