Avalanche fans record thank-yous for team's support of LGBTQ+ community

The Colorado Avalanche are going all out for Pride month, and their fans couldn't be happier.

Avalanche supporters from the LGBTQ+ community have started posting thank-you videos due to the team's impressive initiatives this June.

The team's marketing and game operations departments have flooded Avalanche home games and social channels with Pride references in celebration this month.
"We wanted to take this unique opportunity while we were playing in June to celebrate the entire month," Colorado vice president of marketing Meredith Lavery told NHL.com. "As much as we love having a Pride night, Hockey is for Everything isn't a one-night or a one-size-fits-all kind of celebration. So we really wanted to embrace it in June and make it into a month-long celebration."
The team used Pride-themed game elements, including rainbow hats for its ice girls and an
auction of game-worn
"We Skate for Equality" hooded sweatshirts that Avalanche players wore in the Edmonton bubble during the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs with proceeds benefiting You Can Play.
Mascot Bernie carried a Pride flag and a sign that invited fans to "show your pride," then cheered on two fans who went on a date to Game 2 of Colorado's Stanley Cup Second Round series against the Vegas Golden Knights.

It's all part of Colorado's organizational philosophy of inclusion.
"We refer to our fan base as Avs Faithful, and they mean everything to us," Lavery said. "We definitely spend a lot of time with them and engaging with them, and we realize Avs Faithful is made up of a diverse group of people. There's a lot of different people who make up the heartbeat of our brand, and we want to make sure that everyone has a space to be supported as a part of Avs Faithful, because they support us so we want to in turn support them."
The result has been a celebration of all, especially on social media where Avalanche fans shared their exuberance for the cause.
"There's a core belief that sports, and in particular hockey, should be inclusive. That's what makes this environment special," Colorado senior vice president and chief marketing officer Declan Bolger said. "And it's coming from that space and that mindset of working hard to make our game available and accessible to all, be that in the LGBTQ community and many other communities that we have."
The Avalanche season ended with a series loss to the Golden Knights on June 10, but still have an array of Pride month plans in the works, including something extra special reserved for Pride Day, June 28.
"We've got some great coaches and adult players that are a part of the LGBTQ community, and we have a fun video that will be airing next week that we're shooting for Pride Day," Lavery said. "It will kind of just show that we're all connected by our love of hockey and the love of the Avalanche."