A Night Out With the Colorado Eagles & a Ticket Give Away

I grew up so close to British Columbia, Canada, that I joke about being “practically Canadian.” Growing up in Northwest Washington not only gave me an ever-so-slight Canadian accent, it also made me a hockey fan. After all, hockey is a national religion in Canada.

Originally a Vancouver Canucks fan, while I was in college in Spokane, Washington, I was introduced to live hockey in the form of Spokane Chiefs games, and they were totally awesome.

A Night Out With the Colorado Eagles, game shot, photo by Ashley Potts
Colorado Eagles | Photo Credit: Ashley Potts

Today, I live a stone’s throw away from the Budweiser Events Center, home of the Colorado Eagles. After a several year hiatus, Ryan and I attended the Colorado Eagles v. Idaho Steelheads game last week, where we were reintroduced to the loud, rambunctious fun that is live hockey.

We were also reminded that there are no fans quite like the Eagles fans – they are hardcore crazy about their team, and rightly so. In their 15-year history, the Eagles have gone to 14 consecutive playoffs, have played in six finals and have won three championships.

A Night Out With the Colorado Eagles, crowd shot, by Sierra Spiller
Colorado Eagles | Photo Credit: Sierra Spiller

“This has been a very, very successful club on the ice,” says Gavin Riches, assistant general manager of the Colorado Eagles.

We attended a Wednesday night game, and the stadium, which features 7,200 seats, was nearly full. Even before the game started, the electricity of the crowd was palpable and this energy never dissipated.   

While the Colorado Eagles provide world-class entertainment, these games are all about local love; the team’s connection to Northern Colorado goes beyond local sponsors, and these relationships are visible at each and every home game. For instance, the introduction of the team included kids from local youth hockey teams and a moving rendition of the National Anthem sung by a local middle school choir.

A Night Out With the Colorado Eagles, goalie, photo by Sierra Spiller
Colorado Eagles | Photo Credit: Sierra Spiller

Prior to attending this game, I spoke to Visit Loveland’s director, Cindy Mackin, about what this team means to Loveland.  

Loveland is so fortunate to have this amazing Kelly Cup-winning organization right in our backyard,” she says. “The Colorado Eagles are a HUGE draw regionally, bringing thousands of people to Northern Colorado and Loveland every year and serves as a major driver for tourism economics.”

A Night Out With the Colorado Eagles, mascot, photo by Jordan Reyes
Colorado Eagles | Photo Credit: Jordan Reyes

As the game started, it occurred to me that hockey is like a ballet on ice. As the team works in unison across the rink, it’s like a dance, albeit a bit rougher than Swan Lake.

The intensity of the play and the intensity of the crowd never wavered during the game, which was a close one. Jock rock played during every stoppage on the ice and organized entertainment occurred during the three intermissions.

In the end, the Eagles pulled off a 5 to 4 win against their Western Conference Mountain Division rivals.

A Night Out With the Colorado Eagles, photo by JReyes
Colorado Eagles | Photo Credit: Jordan Reyes

New since our last visit, the Bud Light Balcony, a new bar area with a terrific view of the ice, is great for the 21-and older set. It would be an excellent area for a group to rent out for a fundraiser or other type of party. I also love that several of the concession stands in the Budweiser Events Center feature several local food vendors.

If you’d like to experience a night at a Colorado Eagles game, this is your chance to win tickets. Thanks to First National Bank, the Official Bank of the Colorado Eagles, you can enter here to win four tickets to the Colorado Eagles v. Tulsa Oilers on Feb. 28, 2018.

A Night Out with the Colorado Eagles

This blog post is part of my series of posts sponsored by First National Bank and their #WeGrowAsOne Campaign. First National Bank knows that growth in the community starts with growth in the local economy and I believe that’s a major reason they picked me, a local, Colorado blogger, to help out with this campaign.

Keeping with the spirit of their campaign, enter this ticket giveaway by telling me your favorite local business in your community. Please be sure to leave your email address when prompted in the comment section.

A Night Out With the Colorado Eagles, selfie shot

A winner will be chosen at random on Friday, February 9, 2018, so get your responses in and share this giveaway with a friend. Winner will have 24-hours to respond before the runner-up is chosen, so please leave me an email address that you check on a regular basis.

Good Luck & Go Eagles!

This post sponsored by First National Bank.

21 Comments


  1. I love to support local businesses! We try to eat at locally owned restaurants (Four Friends, shells and Sauce, Liks) as much as we can!

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  2. Colorado Eagles games are so fun! I especially love how much the community loves and enthusiastically supports the Eagles, by packing the house at those games. I’m so glad they are part of the Loveland area!

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  3. Right now I’m kinda addicted to Dark Heart Coffee and Crash Cuisine! They are very representative of what Loveland is all about – care, joy, and fantastic customer service!

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  4. Buy local, Follow the local puck – Go Eagles

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  5. Does eye center of no Colorado count? I’m getting PRK done there which may or may not be because they sponsor the Eagles 😉

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  6. Mo Betta restaurant is awesome! I would love to win Eagles tickets to take a friend of mine who is a super fan of the Eagles. Neither of us has been able to go for years because of finances

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  7. Well, I’m not sure if it’s fair to say my favorite is my own business, so I will give a shout out to Fresh Plate Cafe & Catering in downtown!

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  8. As part of the I Love Loveland business supporters and the LDDP we try to serve local as much as possible.

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  9. We love Loveland Dance Academy’s adult tap class and all the teachers at Magnolia Music Studio Northern Colorado!

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  10. Great article! We just love going to the Eagles games!

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    1. Henry’s is our favorite place to go

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  11. Our favorite local business is Coffee Tree. We even did some of my daughter’s senior pictures there. We would love win tickets to a game. I had never really thought about it before but we worked concessions a couple times for a fundraiser and it sounded like everyone was having a lot of fun, unfortunately game tickets for four are not usually in our budget.

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  12. Our favorite local businesses are restaurants like The Welsh Rabbit in Foci. Love to support local artists too, since I am one too!

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  13. My favorite local business is Sweaty Moose Food Truck, who travels all over Northern Colorado.

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  14. The McCarthy’s Love the Eagles. My favorite local business, other than my own, is a tough call. Loveland is chalked full of great breweries, awesome service businesses and fantastic restaurants. How about my favorite local business that is yet to open? That is Laughing Leprechaun Meadery Downtown. Can’t wait.

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  15. My favorite business would be “Generations” Restaurant. I love the martinis too. The owners are great at supporting local fundraisers. I love community giving, community spirit and fine food.

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  16. I’ve been wanting to go to a hockey game for a while now, my brother was telling me how fun it is, while I am a huge football fan, I feel like I should branch out. One of my favorite places in Colorado in Denver it’s Just Be Kitchen, and in Boulder, it is Thrive Raw Cafe.

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  17. Lulu’s Asian bistro and the Urban egg are two that come to mind.

    Reply

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