Meet Adam Foote, John-Michael Liles, Other Avalanche Alumni In Vail Soon

Want to rub shoulders with some Colorado Avalanche alumni, such as Adam Foote, John-Michael Liles, Eric Lacroix, Scott Parker, and many others? Come on up to Vail on Sept. 10, then. It’s the fourth annual Avalanche Alumni weekend, where you can play golf with the boys, get hockey lessons on the ice, mix at a reception, and bid on some cool Avalanche stuff as part of a silent auction – all to benefit youth hockey.

Here are all the details, from their press release:

Directors of the Vail Mountaineer Hockey Club (VMHC) are pleased to announce their fourth annual Avalanche Alumni Weekend.  Scheduled for September 10, 2022, each of five exciting events will include well-known members of the Colorado Avalanche Alumni Association. The epic weekend of festivities will provide attendees and sponsors with hockey, golf, and virtual auction options along with the chance to rub elbows with Colorado’s most beloved hockey players.

Kicking off the event is a virtual silent auction, beginning on Friday, September 2.  On Friday, September 9, high-level sponsors will join Avs Alums for golf at the Vail Golf Club followed by a VIP Welcome Reception at The Hythe.  On Saturday, September 10, Vail Mountaineers coaches and Avalanche Alumni players will run youth hockey clinics at Dobson Ice Arena – with possible appearances by some of the players who brought home the 2022 Stanley Cup trophy, as well as the Av’s beloved mascot, Bernie!  While half the Alumni are on the ice for the clinics, the other half will be at Grey Salt in Vail Village for a free-to-the-public Meet and Greet.  Altitude TV will be in attendance at both to showcase the event and the Vail Mountaineers program.  The night of September 10, 2022 is where the action culminates as the Avalanche Alumni players, including Adam Foote, Peter Budaj, Scott, Parker, Pierre Turgeon and Vail local, John-Michael Liles, face off against the Vail Snowcats for a fast-paced, exciting, and high level game of hockey.  Marc Moser will be calling the game on the mic, local favorite Terry Armistead will be singing the National Anthem, Bernie and the Ice Patrol will be hanging out with the fans, young skaters from the Vail Mountaineer program will be filling the 1st intermission with relay race fun, and spectators can win $500 in the Chuck-a-Puck competition during 2nd intermission! 

“In my fourth and final year as the Fundraising Director of the Vail Mountaineer Hockey Club, I am incredibly proud of the event that we have been able to create and grow with our gracious partners – the Colorado Avalanche Alumni Association”, says Trista Sutter regarding her time on the Board of Directors at VMHC.  “From its inaugural year in 2018, we have been able to raise almost $175,000 in support of youth hockey in the valley, directly offsetting program fees for nearly 200 local families while providing critical funding for the club’s scholarship program – and that’s even after cancelling our 2020 event and losing significant sponsorship funding due to the pandemic.  This year, we hope to hit the $250,000 mark with the help of local companies like our Presenting Sponsor, Frontgate Avon, ticket sales, clinic sales, and the money raised through the amazing items donated to our virtual silent auction, while bringing together the valley’s hockey enthusiasts for a fun-filled charitable weekend.”

“As a member of the Vail Mountaineers Board of Directors and full-time resident of the Vail Valley, I’m excited to once again be a part of the Vail Mountaineer Hockey Club’s Avalanche Alumni Weekend,” states John-Michael Liles, a longtime Avalanche standout and prominent member of the Colorado Avalanche Alumni Association. “It provides me with the opportunity to support both my family’s community and Colorado Avalanche Hockey, two things for which I have great passion. I’m also really looking forward to being back on the ice again with some great teammates from my time playing in Denver.”

For more information, to buy tickets to the game or youth hockey clinics, make a monetary donation or donate silent items for our virtual silent auction, please visit www.bidpal.net/aaw2022. If interested in sponsoring this local, family-friendly event, please contact VMHC’s Fundraising Director, Trista Sutter, TV’s original Bachelorette, at vmhcfundraisingdirector@gmail.com.  

About Vail Mountaineers Hockey Club

Based in Colorado’s Vail Valley, VMHC is a non-profit youth hockey organization dedicated to teaching the sport of hockey both through recreational and competitive play. Guided by the principals of fair play, respect and sportsmanship with an emphasis on fun, character development and the cultivation of individual potential, VMHC is committed to delivering an exceptional hockey experience in a safe and healthy environment. For more information, please visit VailMountaineers.com.

About the Colorado Avalanche Alumni Association

Started in 2014, the Colorado Avalanche Alumni Association (CAAA) was formed to give back to the game that has been so generous to all of them over the years. Each player who has worn an NHL sweater carries a special significance to the game of hockey.  Throughout the season, the members of the Alumni Association participate in charity hockey games and events to benefit Kroenke Sports Charities and other organizations near and dear to the hearts of the members.