The Avs-Red Wings edition of “Mile High Memories” take listeners to a happy place

Looking back on the Avalanche-Red Wings rivalry edition of “Mile High Memories,” Sandy Clough and Adrian Dater took me back to my hockey happy place. One filled with fisticuffs, bloody faces and great hockey.

Anyway, listening to the episode, I’m reminded of how the Red Wings lit up Patrick Roy when he played for the Canadiens. They scored nine goals on him. Then, he was traded to the Avalanche less than a week later. So you can thank the Red Wings for giving Colorado the great Patrick Roy.

I was in high school when this epic rivalry started back in 1996. With my beautiful head of hair filled with gel blowing in the wind, Coloradans were starting to take notice of this feud. I didn’t really need to mention my hair, but I just wanted to point out that at one time I did have it.

As a young hockey fan in Colorado, this rivalry was exactly what I, as well as others like me, needed to get pulled further into the frozen bliss of the game. Two teams that were incredibly skilled, but consumed with so much hate, they would beat the snot out of one another on the ice. Yea, it was a beautiful mix, and the entire state was falling in love with the Avs because of it.

Even though I couldn’t skate to save my life, I couldn’t wait to catch an Avalanche game, especially if it was against the hated Red Wings. It’s weird to say, but I miss the hate. Does that mean I should be going to therapy?

Dater gave amazing details of how these two teams grew to despise one another. How the words “I’m sorry” from Claude Lemieux would have snuffed out a lot of the fire between the great franchises, but that’s just not something Claude could stomach to do. It’s fascinating to hear all of the trash talk that took place between the Avalanche and Red Wings back then, and Adrian was right in the middle of it, taking notes and loving every minute.

Although the current Avalanche team seems to be moving in the right direction to try and take Lord Stanley’s Cup, and this rivalry has long since died, this episode makes you realize how long it’s been since the Avalanche were atop of the hockey world.

This is a fun trip down memory lane, whether you’re a hockey fan or not. There’s sports, violence, smack talk, lust… wait, no lust… and championships. Well done, guys!

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To listen to the show, click here