Boulding: Denver Pioneers Showing Avs Aren’t The Only Hot Hockey Team In Town (+)

You may have missed it, with all the hullabaloo about the Colorado Avalanche’s juggernaut of a franchise record-setting 19-game point-accumulating bonanza, but the Avs weren’t the only team in the Mile High City enjoying a prolonged stretch of absolute domination. Indeed, Colorado’s other highly successful puck program, the University of Denver Pioneers, also enjoyed a nice stint rolling up the dial in the win column.

“We’re going streaking!” – The Avs and Pios and Frank the Tank, probably.

Maybe you didn’t hear much about it, but head coach David Carle’s Pioneers went 14-0-1 at home to start the season—their first loss in Magness Arena coming on Feb. 12.

While Colorado was beating the Bolts, DU was stomping St. Cloud State. When the Avalanche was trouncing Toronto, the Pioneers were clobbering Colorado College. As the Avs were whipping Winnipeg, the Pios were annihilating Alaska Fairbanks.

At the same time, Colorado was climbing the NHL standings, the University of Denver was setting the pace in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference, surging to the top and shouting to the world of higher education that they were back and taking no prisoners.

And just like how it took a plucky underdog in the Dallas Stars to stop the Avalanche, it fell upon the No. 6-ranked Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs to end the Pioneers’ impressive run at home.

DU’s 3-2 loss ended a nine-game win streak—which had gone on since the Bulldogs previously beat the crimson and gold in the Land of 10,000 Lakes on Dec. 11—but it didn’t keep the Pios from holding onto the No. 3 spot in both the DCU/USCHO.com Poll and the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Poll for the second consecutive week.

What does all that mean? It means the Pioneers are looking real good as they push through the end of the season and into the NCHC quarterfinals in March. The squad has five games on the road before returning to campus for the regular-season finale versus the Colorado College Tigers.

If you’re looking to jump on another hockey hype train here in Colorado, this one is it. The Pios are looking to make a statement in the postseason this year after getting passed over by the NCAA selection committee for last season’s final tournament—an insult made worse by the fact that the West Regional portion of the event was held up I-25 at the Budweiser Events Center in Loveland.

The venue will also host the West Regional this year and again in 2026, and it would be great to not have to watch two of four teams from Minnesota compete without a little Colorado representation.

It would be great to see national scoring leader Bobby Brink bouncing pucks off the twine in the home of the Colorado Eagles. It would be great to see rookie rear guard Sean Behrens making a difference in a barn he could be skating in regularly as an Avalanche prospect. It would be great to see seniors Brett Stapley, Cameron Wright, Ryan Barrow, Cole Guttman, and Kyle Mayhew propelling the Pios to their 18th Frozen Four appearance with a chance at the school’s ninth National Championship title.

It would be incredible to see things come together for hockey in Colorado, not just for the Avalanche, but for a crucial pipeline to the NHL and a community staple.

And it starts anew with this weekend’s games at Western Michigan.