Without hesitation, I can proclaim last Friday night’s DU 2-0 shutout of Colorado College before nearly 18,000 fans, packed to the rafters at Denver’s Ball Arena as one of the most magnificent nights in my 40+ years of following Pioneer hockey.
And I imagine that virtually all of the Pioneer fans who were there would agree that last Friday night was magical. Continue reading Puck Swami: DU Hockey In Ball Arena Takes Over Denver
Denver-based DeCo Apparel Company which specializes in unique, Denver sports-related designs, just released their brand-new sweater which features Boone wearing nine championship rings, recognizing each of the record-tying nine national titles that the Denver Hockey program has won. Continue reading Local Apparel Company Releases Boone Sweatshirt, Currently Available for Preorder
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
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
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
DU announced Gymnastics Coach Melissa Kutcher-Rinehart has signed a contract extension through 2026-27. While financial terms were not disclosed, it can be safely assumed that the Kutcher-Rinehart’s extension was in the works for some time, but it likely took DU’s new athletic director, Josh Berlo, to sign-off on the final deal. Continue reading Melissa Kutcher-Rinehart Receives Hard-Earned Contract Extension
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
We still have no information on the new interlocking DU logo’s place on Denver Hockey uniforms. While there are thousands of possible combinations, we looked at four options below. Assuming the new uniforms must have the new logo (which, we’re all still holding out hope this mandate is delayed until a better, more well-thought-out rebrand is considered), which one of the four options do you prefer?
Poll below:
Loading ...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
The University of Denver has reached out to a familiar hockey face to lead the Pioneer Athletic Department and named Josh Berlo as its new Vice-Chancellor for Athletics and Ritchie Center Operations. The announcement will be made this morning at 10:45 at Ritchie Center on the DU campus. Berlo has been the University of Minnesota-Duluth’s Athletic Director since 2013 and had just signed a three-year contract extension at UMD just a couple of weeks ago. The Pioneers, however, were able to pry him away from Duluth. Continue reading Breaking: UMD’s Josh Berlo Tabbed as DU’s Next Athletic Director
