Photo courtesy of Michael Martin - Team Photographer for the Colorado Avalanche

Following a summer of celebrations, as a result of victoriously hoisting the Stanley Cup this past June, the Colorado Avalanche received one of the final commemorations of their championship last Monday at Castle Pines Golf Club. 

Players, staff, management and their spouses all united for the signature tradition of reflecting back at the incredible run and applauding the group's accomplishment over dinner followed by the ultimate tribute of receiving the iconic championship rings. 

Tweet from @Avalanche: What���s in the box?#AvsRing #GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/7gvto4yxTv

The special evening began with a cocktail hour as the players returned from a day of golf and freshened up before meeting their significant others for beverages and stellar scenics of Colorado's vibrant sunset contrasting against the darkened silhouette of the Front Range. After everyone was in attendance, the group shifted into the dining room where they were welcomed by a tribute video which diligently cataloged the organization's journey - including trials and tribulations - en route to the 2021-22 Avalanche team eventually summiting the ultimate goal of becoming Stanley Cup champions.  

"It's kind of like Christmas," goaltender Pavel Francouz said prior to unboxing his ring. "You don't know what you're going to get, but you know what to expect. The best part about this is that we get together as a team and with our families. We all feel the bond we made with the Stanley Cup run… That's something you dream about as a kid. I've seen a Stanley Cup ring from Jiří Šlégr, he was my teammate when I played back home [in the Czech Republic]. I would never imagine that I would have one too. It's really special."

The evening was emceed by Altitude Sports Radio Play-by-Play for the Avalanche Conor McGahey. 

After dinner and dessert - featuring a chocolate brownie shaped-hockey puck filled with white chocolate mousse and raspberry - came the moment everyone in attendance waited for. McGahey welcomed the Keepers of the Stanley Cup up to the stage where the Avalanche leadership group consisting of captain Gabriel Landeskog and alternate captains Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen thanked them for their time of looking after the Cup over the summer as they gave them each a team-autographed six-liter bottle of wine. 

Moments later, the players returned to their seats as the Keepers of the Cup hand-delivered their burgundy-colored wooden boxes as well as the respective gifts for their spouses. McGahey carefully instructed the group on opening the boxes in unison because once opened, the box showcased a screen at the back two-minute and 15-second clip of the on-ice Slo-Mo Symphony - featuring McGahey's final call of the game - with edited by Altitude producer Peter Aragon of the players' on the ice celebrating their Stanley Cup win. 

Tweet from @Avalanche: A peek inside.#AvsRing #GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/o3fvgMI1lM

As the players, staff, management and spouses watched the video while their eyes brimmed with inevitable emotion from reliving one of the pinnacle moments of their professional careers. 

At 1:51, the room broke out in laughter as the video showed the moment when former Avalanche forward Nicolas Aube-Kubel skated towards his teammates for the group photo and tripped on the ice, inevitably denting the Cup, much to the dismay of the Keeper's of the Cup. 

From there, the players examined their gorgeous Stanley Cup rings which was embedded with 669 diamonds, 42 rubies - six of which make up the "A" in the Avalanche logo and are a nod to the number of games that Colorado defeated Tampa Bay in the Stanley Cup Final - and 20 sapphires. 

"It exceeded everything that you expected and had hoped for," Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog said. "For me, I try not to have much expectations going into things like this. I just went into it looking forward to the whole night in general. Obviously, we knew it was going to be well done and we knew it was going to be a beautiful ring. But knowing it was going to look like this, if I had said that I'd have been lying. It's gorgeous, it's heavy, it's got a bunch of amazing details to it. With the video in the box, it's incredible."

After the players, staff and management unveiled their coveted keepsakes to commemorate their Stanley Cup victory - and their spouses unboxed their pendants - the group ventured out to the back lawn for photos lit by the autumn moon and spent time reminiscing around a bonfire. 

Tweet from @Avalanche: They���re BEAUTIFUL 🥹The hard work and dedication all in one. #GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/jULPvKFz7L

The spectacular evening served as one of the final events of Colorado's Stanley Cup celebrations in addition to the team hoisting their 201-22 championship banner two days later at their home opener against Chicago which officially marked the beginning of their now, quest to defend the Cup. 

"You dream of winning the Cup, and then you don't know what will come after that," veteran defenseman Erik Johnson said. "But there's so much more after that. All of the days, I obviously had some extra days with the Cup. I soaked it up as much as I could. That's the thing about team sports is you can do things together as a team that you could never do as an individual. That's the great thing about team sports and that's what makes it extra special. If it's just one of us by ourselves it doesn't mean the same. With all of us together, there's a lot of guys that have been here a long time. So to just see it come into fruition is what it's all about."

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