It's Monday, so we're giving away Colorado Avalanche tickets

• Watching hockey in Colorado is not like watching hockey back east or in the midwest. There is not as much cheering or chanting or rowdiness. I remember going to Avs games and getting all the kids in our section riled up and chanting. We would bring those red stadium horns, and sometimes elk bugles (you should see the Canadian players heads turn when we whip those out). Lots of yelling and cheering for the team. We would chant the players last names when they made a good play. We would really elevate the level of noise in our section with our enthusiasm and cheering. The kids love it. They are ready to get rowdy, and the parents are just glad that they are having fun. The last time we went to see the Avs, there were some Brits in our section. We got there late, and the Brits were in shock cuz our section was so quiet. Well, with our help, we got the whole section going soon enough. As rowdy as hockey games back east get, it is nothing like British football games. The Brits were telling us how each of the sections of the stadium had different cheers, and how fans of opposing teams weren't even allowed in sections with home fans. I hope I get the free tickets so we can go cheer on the team. LET'S GO AVS!!! LET'S GO AVS!!! LET'S GO AVS!!!

• In February of this year, my dad had a severe stroke. Over the subsequent month, he went back and forth between the hospital and convalescent home. My mom spent every moment at his side despite his rapid decline and the pain it brought her. I asked my aunt, her sister, to come out to Southern California (where my mom lives) from Colorado in March in the hopes that my mom would spend some time away from the home. While my aunt was there, I was given some extra tickets to an Avs-Ducks game. Now, my aunt and I share an obsession for the Avalanche and I knew she'd want to go to the game. Somehow, we convinced my mom to leave my dad's side and go. I adorned the 70-year-old women in my jerseys and away we went. The local paper saw my mom and aunt, all decked out in their Avs gear, and ended up taking their picture and doing an article on them. My mom was so thrilled by the experience that she emailed all her friends and printed out a copy of the picture and article to pin up in my dad's room. He smiled when he saw it, pointing at the picture and then to my mom with laughter in his eyes. He passed away a month later. That was the first game I was able to drag my mom to as she's not a hockey fan. It wasn't her last, though, and she's even watched some games on TV without me. I think the Avs remind her of a happy moment during that dark time. I know they do for me.

• I grew up a huge Avs fan but lived in St. Louis for most of my childhood. Nonetheless, I would put on my Avs jersey whenever the team was in town and cheer as loudly as I could, despite being surrounded by Blues fans. One time my mom took me to the game (because I wasn't old enough to drive) and we had a great time... until Claude Lemieux scored, and I cheered, and some guy walked by me on the stairs and threw his beer on me! That's right, he intentionally poured beer on a 14-year old girl. I smelled like beer for the rest of the night and my mom was terrified that we would get pulled over on the way home. Luckily we weren't. Oh, and the Avs won! Memories!

• My dad has been a hockey fan for most of his life, but living in Montana he never really got to attend games. He'd been down a couple times, and we got upper deck tickets, but this last time he was down to visit, we got some great lower bowl tickets. He was like a kid in a candy store, seeing all the players so close up. But the best of the night was before the game started, we walked by the booth where Kyle Keefe and Peter McNab were doing the pre-game broadcast. my dad took a couple pics of them, then Peter invited him into the both. He looked 16 years old again when shaking their hands and posing for a picture with them. What a night!

• Certainly, this isn't my favorite game memory but it's the most persistent one. When I was eight, my dad and I went to the O's game as part of a package of kid's fan club games which were interspersed throughout the season. Each ticket came with a player card attached. The whole sheet of tickets/cards was a really nice piece, and it was a shame to have to detach that first game's ticket. We arrived at the parking lot across the street from the stadium. Out of enthusiasm, I wandered ahead as he paid for parking. The crowd was streaming through the gates and I was in awe of immensity of the facade of the stadium. When I realized dad wasn't nearby, I went back to the car to wait. He wasn't there. I waited. He didn't show. I decided to enter the park and alert an usher that I was lost. They checked the seats. He wasn't there. I waited. He didn't show. They decided to put me in the club section to keep an eye on me. They ran an announcement for a lost kid on the scoreboard. I waited. He didn't show. After the game, I was taken to a room at the stadium that housed the police and a cell for the unfortunate few who couldn't stay out of trouble at a ballgame. There was a loud drunk in there bellowing nonsense as I sat in a chair next to the policeman's desk. I waited. He didn't show. The cop called my house and spoke to someone. Who exactly, I'm not sure. It became so late and they transported me and the drunk in a police van to the real police station downtown. Eventually, my mother and grandfather picked me up. The ride home was silent. Nobody told me what had happened. Dad never said a word about it to me. No explanation. Nothing. That sheet of tickets was pinned to my bulletin board for the rest of the season. We didn't go to any of the remaining games. I threw it in the trash.

• My dad used to take me to college games to get me interested in education and the fun of college weekends. What a wonderful bonding experience - I think of those games often now that he has passed on. My son works weekends, he is a huge AVs fan, it would be great to take him to a game.

• My favorite part of going to Avs games with my dad is when play stops and he gets a slightly confused look on his face and I say "hand pass".

• Broncos are tanking, Melo is packing, ski areas are open and The Avs are on their way up. Love winter in Colorado.

• The first hockey game I ever went to was the Quebec Nordiques vs Tampa Bay Lightning in 1995. My dad took my Brother and I while we were visiting from New York, where I had just started playing ice hockey myself. I've been an Avalanche fan from that game on. Patrick Roy was my favorite player growing up. Living on the East Coast I had no way to see them but on television. When I was 13 years old my dad once again took me to an Avalanche game when they visited the Carolina Hurricanes on my birthday. I was so excited to see Patrick Roy finally play in person I could hardly sleep leading up to the night of the game. We drove the four hours from Virginia to see the game, but especially to see Roy. The Avs decided to sit Roy for the game and let the backup goalie play. I was upset , but still excited to be able to see Forsberg score two goals and win the game for us. My dad convinced me to try and find him. We walked around to the back of the arena where the teams bus was and a crowd of other Avs fans had gathered outside. Everyone just started chanting at the team. We then started yelling for Roy. The crowd was chanting for Patrick for a few minutes while players were walking to the bus. Soon we all saw Roy walk out toward the bus and erupted. The players around the bus motioned towards us and he started to walk our way. I started to realize that I was about to meet my hero. He came over to us and started signing autographs, taking pictures, and talking to everyone that was there. My dad gave me a program that he scrambled to get somehow that Roy autographed for me. It is one of the best memories that my father and I have gotten to share together, and neither of us will ever forget it. I still have the autograph framed in my house today.

• When my dad was visiting from FL last year we went to the Avs Red Wings game. He's never been to a hockey game. We had seats 2nd row from the ice. It was a great experience!

• I am a lifelong hockey fan and would love two tickets to the Avs. My grandmother took me to my first professional hockey game when I was 6 years old. She listened to every game on the radio and cheered like she was there. She helped me get interested in hockey and, over 30 years later, I still play weekly. We went to see her favorite player, Bobby Orr, at the Boston Garden. I was so excited to see #4 in person. My grandma and I took the T into the city and had seats in the upper level. She bought me a Bruins pennant and some cotton candy. Other than that, I have no real memories of the actual game. But the Bruins went to the Stanley Cup again in 1974. But lost. And Bobby Orr retired the next year. My grandmother made me a Bobby Orr lamp in her ceramics class and gave it as a birthday present. It is still on my nightstand. It is old and a little dusty but it is the first thing I would grab if my house was burning. Miss you Gramma.

• As a senior in high school I was an Av fanatic. I knew every line, defensive pairing, power play lines, Dan Hinote's favorite color... I watched every game religiously, even if they were competing with my favorite teeny bopper shows (One Tree Hill mostly). My dad had never been to a game either, so he sacrificed some of his paycheck to take me to a game. I had the time of my life, complete with some delicious Pepsi Center nachos, and the Avs came out with a W! We were getting ready to leave when I reached for my jacket below my seat, and to my joyous surprise, I found a practice puck!! It was the icing on the top of a great night with my dad before I headed off to college in California, where I had very few options to watch my beloved Avs. Luckily, dad also sent me dvd's of the best games to get my Avs fix. Let me return the favor to my pops and take him to a game!

• Since 1995 I have been a loyal Avalanche fan since the days of of Peter Foresberg, Joe Sakic, Patrick Roy, and Adam Foote. This is a organization that has always been first class in terms of what they do. Back in 1991 when they were the Quebec Nordiques Lindross refused to play for them but the Nordiques moved Lindross and that turned out to be one of the greatest trades in history for the Aves. I know their history of great players like Joe Sakic, Paul Stasney, Peter Stasney, Adam Foote, Patrick Roy, Peter Foresberg, and many more. A first class organiazation with an amazing heart.

• My first hockey game ever was with my son who is a huge hockey fan. It was a surprise and he was thrilled. We had seats in the corner next to the glass and we banged on it for all we were worth. A great time. Now he's a married man with 2 sons of his own!

• My mother and I went to a game and somehow my mom got some VIP passes. Well we got into the back and started drinking. After a few drinks my mom decided that it would be a good idea to take some paper napkins with the logo on them for our next home party. Except she stuffed them all in MY pockets! I'll never let her live down the time (as I put it) that she got drunk and stole the napkins. We laugh our butts off whenever we think about this.

• I would really like some tickets. Last year I got the 14-game pack but the economy sucks and it wasn't in the budget this year. I'm jonesin for some Avs Action!

• My favorite memory is going to game 7 of the Stanly Cup finals with my best friend, my dad. Avs/N.J. at the can. There aren't too many people who can say they've been to a game 7 in any sport and we're 2 of them now. I remember watching the clock tick down and thinking about Bourque getting to raise the cup. It was pretty emotional. It's something I'll never forget!

• My favorite story with my son is the first major sporting event we attended together going to an Avs game in 1996. My son was only 7 but he was very excited about going to his first live sports game. It was touching for me because my father who died when I was young always loved listening to hockey on the radio. I would always hear him cheering when I was a child and he promised me on many occassions that he would one day take me to a hockey game once Denver got a professional team. Well he died before that day came so I made good on that promise with my son. It was one of most favorite sports memories. My son is now attending college in Florida and is back for a vacation now and I would love to take him! Thanks

• My very first and only experience since at a hockey game was with my biological father when I was 12 years old. He lived in Chicago and was an avid sports fan. He took me to see the Blackhawks play the Maple Leafs and it was one of the most exciting things that I've ever done. Beer was being spilt and cuss words were flying around, it was so much fun! The Blackhawks won that night and two weeks later my father died suddenly of a heart attack. It was so nice to have had that experience with him before he passed.

• I haven't been to an AVS game yet, but when I was a kid I played youth hockey every year and my parents came to every game to support me, was always awesome to hear them rooting me on from the stands.

• My fondeshockey memory comes from watching the Milwaukee admirals play and always fighting. It made me love the sport. I am now an avs fan and look forward to seeing my second game. Help me out.

• When I was younger, my dad and I would go to sporting events together and order soda pops. It was our one luxury because tickets were usually so expensive. In order to tell the drinks apart, my dad would insert two straws into my drink. (He liked Diet Coke, and I liked regular Coke.)I'm 40 now and every drink that requires a straw, I always get two as a reminder of the sweet times I had with my dad. Man, I miss him.

• I remember going to my first NHL playoff game. It was 1996 against the Detroit Red Wings and I was only 11. My twin brother and I went with my Dad. At the old McNichols arena there used to be this amazing buffalo bbq sandwich stand and I remember being so nervous about the game I could barely eat but it was my favorite sandwich! They lost the previous game 6-4 and it just felt like that game 4 was going to be make or break. If they lost there seemed to be little doubt that Detroit would go home and finish it in game 5 but a win would prove that this team was legit and it was theirs for the taking. My nervousness even overshadowed the guilt that it was my mom's birthday and I was instead at a hockey game. Later I would make up for this when I brought her to another playoff game years later on May 25th which just happened to also be against the Detroit Red Wings. Anyways, they ended up winning the game 4-2 and counting down the final 10 seconds remains to this day one of the loudest celebrations I have ever heard! The entire arena erupted as the final horn blew! It just seemed that everyone sensed this was really going to happen, a team from Colorado were going to be World Champions! My brother and I were practically crawling over my dad as we were all so excited and I wanted to get on his shoulders to see everything. A guy behind me even spilled beer all over my jersey and I didn't even notice 'til we were walking up the stairs. I thought he had just been wanting to high five me instead of trying to apologize but it was so loud and I was on such a high it didn't even matter! My dad and I were yelling all the way from our seats to the car as it seemed so was everyone else. I will never forget that game for the rest of my life and the Av's have been a HUGE part of it ever since day 1 when they dropped the puck against who? That's right, the detroit red wings! Oh, and they won that game too. Still have that game ticket and when I think of my dad in my youth, his face when they won after that game will always be at the forefront.

• ok so this one will go back to me being from New York and apples not falling far from tree's. Went to see our Denver Bronco's play the KC Chiefs last year, bought the tickets as a surprise to my 12 year old football playing son. Get to the game and it seems his #15 Marshall jersey wasn't gonna get much use. By the 4th quarter he is screaming "Coach Mc Daniels you stink ". Now many may wonder what kind of Dad am I to teach my son such behavior, and I will say not that kind of Dad (me being the quiet type whose favorite teams typically stink) I can only attribute it to the NYC DNA and anger issue's I may have had as a kid and yelling something similar when Uncle Stanley took me to a game and Richard Todd was Qb and I believe I may have mentioned the stench of coach Michaels thanks

• we've had so much fun over the years going to the AV's games and just can't afford it this year. oh, please pick us and we'll scream and yell loud "go AV's".....

• Growing up in South Carolina, we didn't really have access to ice hockey. We finally got to go to a Hurricanes game, which was a HUGE deal since it was not only expensive, but forever away in North Carolina. The thing I remember most about my first NHL game was my dad yelling "HIT SOMEONE ALREADY!" during a quiet moment, and seemingly the entire coliseum looking at him. He was fired up. I was mortified. Over the years, "HIT SOMEONE ALREADY!" has turned into my favorite thing to yell at sporting events. Which is applicable for everything but baseball, really. My dad and I still "watch" hockey on tv together - chatting on the phone or texting throughout the duration of the game, me in Denver, him still in SC.

• My dad always worked a ton of hours, so when I got to spend time with him, it was always special and valuable. The greatest time spent is when him and I went to Colorado Rockies games (the Hockey team, not the baseball team)!! Just him and I, just the guys going to the game. Hockey now means quite a bit to me as its time I get to spend with my dad! Thanks

• One of my fondest childhood memories is the fact that my mom, a single mother, would make sure to bring me to a pro-hockey match every year while I was growing up. She herself wasn't a fan. I'll never forget when I was seven or eight years-old, a major fight breaking out. I was thrilled. She was horrified. But she still brought me back for years to come. Love you, mom.

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