With its convincing win (and series victory) last night the Colorado Avalanche moved one step closer to what I’m calling the “Denver Double”: hockey championships on both the professional and amateur ice.

Two weeks ago the men’s hockey team from the University of Denver (inexplicably called “DU” I learned while visiting) won the 2026 “Frozen Four” tournament in Las Vegas and the school’s 11th national championship. A Stanley Cup for the Avalanche would mean that both titles went to teams from the Mile High City.

Rare? Sure. Unprecedented? Not exactly. The Denver-Denver parlay occurred four years ago, though back then I wasn’t quite the Denver aficionado I consider myself currently and therefore it escaped my notice.

One thing I learned about Denver traveling through those parts a few weeks ago is that they love their sports teams.

Pro basketball has been consistently good the past few years and this season the Broncos really brought it as well.

But hockey?

They’re a mile above everybody else.