[Trailer Fire]

I met the 95-96 Colorado Avalanche the summer after they won he cup. Adam Deadmarsh if from my home area. His home town is roughly 15 minutes from where I grew up. The summer after the cup win, Deadmarsh got married, and brought the cup home at the same time. I was walking to a local restaurant known as "The Collander" which is more akin to a spaghetti assembly line, when 2 limos (the only ones we have in town) and a couple more cars pull up. Out comes a bunch of dudes I didn't recognize. I was 7, shoot me. Finally I recognize one of the faces. Joe Sakic. Holy crap. Patrick Roy. Peter Forsberg. Adam Foote. They kept piling out and piling out. As a young Avs fan (shut up... I was young, idolized Roy, and was just hitting my stride following the NHL) I was completely floored. Sakic, Foote, Ozolinsh, and especially Roy were awesome about meeting this young, insignificant fan. Mike Ricci, and, who my dad later told me was Warren Rychel, were assbags. They couldn't be bothered to even respond to me. Mike Keane grabbed my Avs hat, pulls out a sharpie from somewhere and hands it around for the guys to sign. Roy even ruffled my hair.

I saw Deadmarsh a few years later after he got traded to LA and thanked him. He actually told me he remembered it, and they guys gave Ricci and Rychel big time crap.