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
According to Inside Lacrosse’s Terry Foy, The Athletic’s Dana O’Neil, and confirmed by the program, Denver Men’s Lacrosse head coach Bill Tierney is retiring from coaching at the conclusion of the Pioneers’ 2023 season. The greatest coach of any sport at any level is officially calling it quits after spending the last 14 years leading the Pios. Continue reading Bill Tierney to Retire From Denver Men’s Lacrosse after 2023 Season
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
LetsGoDU got an exclusive look at the DU men’s basketball student-athletes recent NIL (Name, Image & Likeness) photoshoot for Shinesty.
Shinesty is a Colorado-based retailer of party clothing as well as men’s and women’s underwear. The company is a national marketer and was recently named to Inc. Magazine’s 5000 fastest-growing companies list and this NIL agreement is the first national clothing deal for the University of Denver student-athletes.
Shinesty’s first NIL social media campaign was conducted by CU football lineman Tommy Brown. DU men’s basketball is next on the list for Shinesty, renowned for its self-proclaimed “irreverent brand voice”. Denver student-athletes Tommy Bruner, Tyree Corbett, and Ben Bowen represented the team on the shoot, which was held at Roka Studios in Denver.
“When we were approached by Shinesty to model their party clothing and underwear in a social media campaign, we wanted to learn more because we represent more than just ourselves,” said redshirt freshman Ben Bowen. “We are representing ourselves as well as our fellow student-athletes. We wanted to have fun, generate some social media interest in Shinesty products and maybe even go viral – so people know more about us.”
The student-athletes jumped into the photo shoot with the same energy and confidence they have shown on the court. “Our team is tight,” said Bruner. “We want to do things that have never been done before at DU – this is just one more thing. NIL is a part of growing the student-athlete experience beyond the court.”
The Shinesty brand campaign had to be agreed upon by all participants before going out on social media. “While the CU ads were funny, we wanted to focus on Shinesty’s product-brand attributes and get people to visit Shinesty,” said the extroverted and versatile Tyree Corbett. “At the same time, we wanted people to see that we are a fun team and, maybe, people will want to come out to see our games, too. Who knows, maybe we build a long-term deal with Shinesty if the campaign is effective.”
When asked about the financial arrangement, the DU players would not disclose the details of their compensation – only to confirm it was ‘a very fair deal’ for both parties. The student-athletes had a free hand in developing the artistic direction and wanted their photoshoot to look like a magazine layout. Point guard Tommy Bruner said, “They [Shinesty] are very chill. They let us do our thing. We hope they like it.” KO Design created the graphic design for the campaign. The full social media campaign will roll out over the next several weeks with a total of 6 Shinesty visual messages posted on social media by the team.
“We hope we can make it onto a few local online news sites or even local television news because this is the first national NIL deal for DU basketball student-athletes. Hopefully, this is just the beginning for student-athletes at DU,” added Tyree Corbett.
For a press kit and images of the Shinesty Student-Athlete campaign with DU student-athletes, contact LetsGoDU via email.
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
We recently announced the reopening of the commemorative DU hockey jersey store. Unfortunately, while you can order now, there will not be a commemorative hockey jersey under the Christmas tree. We estimate that orders will take a minimum of 60-90 days to fulfill based on the supplier relocating manufacturing facilities. Continue reading Order Now, Blame Us Later
We continue to get daily requests for commemorative hockey jerseys celebrating DU’s ninth national hockey championship. Now that many DU fans are seeing these jerseys at games for the first time, fans want to order more. Due to a large number of ongoing customer requests, we are reopening the store. However, there is a hitch – there will be long delays in fulfillment. Continue reading Commemorative Hockey Jersey Website Reopens – Expect Delays
When the University of Denver formally released new logo brand guidelines to the public this past September, the announcement was met with mixed reviews. Of greater concern to many was the future of the ‘Denver Arch’, absent from the brand release. In Athletics, the Denver arch was a critical part of Denver’s athletic identity, especially in hockey. Would DU athletes be left with the interlocking logo(s) on the front of their uniforms as a primary identifier? Continue reading BREAKING LOGO NEWS: University Launches New ‘Denver Arch’
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
