A small page devoted to my home team.
I like to watch hockey. I can't debate the skills of the players, past or present or anything like that. But it's a really cool sport and pretty sexy. My favorite team is the Colorado Avalanche. Obviously, I love the whole team--so far, I have met and gotten autographs from: Adam Deadmarsh, Adam Foote, Milan Hejduk, Alex Tanguay, Shjon Podein, Dan Hinote, Ville Nimienen, Radim Vrbata and Martin Skoula. Sarah has been lucky enough to also meet Chris Drury, Stephane Yelle and Scott Parker and my friend, Daniel met and blew me away by getting me a personalized Peter Forsberg autograph!! All the Avs have been incredibly nice! But, I don't have the time and space to fit them all, so this page will focus just on my favorites. I'm not going to update it all the time with scores and stats. If you want to check up on the current team news, check out their official website, Colorado Avalanche. Martin Skoula My favorite player is #41, Martin Skoula. He's from Litomerice Czech Republic and he is one quick, agile skater, quick to get the puck away from the other team. He grew up idolizing New York Ranger Brian Leetch. With the retirement of Ray Bourque, he has become a key part of the Avs defense. He's always getting (unfairly) ragged on by the press and fans, but he is a good and underappreciated player on the team. (You would not believe the crap I get for wearing his jersey. Sheesh.)
This page is graphic intensive and takes awhile to load...but don't you all have DSL anyway? :P
If you would like to use any of these pictures on a website, *please* ask first! I realize most are from the press, but I did purchase all the cards and it is extremely rude to take them without asking. Thanks!
He doesn't have an official nickname listed, but I have heard him called "Skoo" and recently "Skoulie." His best friend on the team is Milan Hejduk, who took him under his wing in his rookie season and they room together on the road.
Check out his stats and these many nice photos.
Skoula's Career Bio According to The Denver Post:
"Martin Skoula was only 17, and he didn't speak much English. With his family's blessing, he packed his bags - his equipment bags - and his suitcases and left his native Czech Republic for North America to seek his fortune--or at least a living...of the Avs' six Europeans,including the inactive Peter Forsberg, only Skoula came over to North America and played major junior before he was draft-eligible. Each major junior team can have only two Europeans, and the players selected in the "European draft" essentially have opted in by having their agents - yes, agents - indicate their willingness to play North American major junior. The Barrie (Ontario) Colts took Skoula, and he joined them in the fall of 1997 - two months before his 18th birthday. After his first season with the Colts, the Avs made him the overall 17th choice in the 1998 draft. "There are so many good players in Ontario and it's the smaller ice, so I think it helped," Skoula said. "It really helped in the draft, I think. If I had stayed in Europe, I don't think I would even have been drafted." Colorado left Skoula with Barrie for one more season, and the young defenseman joined the Avs for the 1999-2000 season.
"One Swede, one spleen, one team, one Cup."
--Martin Skoula to Peter Forsberg
"It's what every hockey player dreams of."
--Martin Skoula on winning the Cup
"I would go."
--when asked what he would do if there was a fire during the parade and his truck was called.
A playoff article about SkoulaNot too friendly, but descriptive!
My letter to the Denver Post. The cheesy headline was *not* mine!
More articles coming soon.
The best picture of Skoula, EVER!
Skoula's got his game face on.
Definitely the cutest Av.
Skoula with the Barrie Colts--yes, one of these cards is signed, but I bought it that way. :P
Progression of a rookie.
Draft day, draft day!
Celebrating with the team after a win.
At a practice. He has nice hands.
Who's house? Skoo's house!
"You're going to be selling these on Ebay, aren't you?" (I did not take these)
Signing a case of pucks. And none of them were for me, sniff.
You can never have enough action shots.
Or enough profile shots.
A future Norris Trophy winner.
Rubbing Ville Nieminen's head.
Holding Tanguay back.
Looking stunned, after his very first playoff goal May 31st, 2001.
Trying his best to keep New Jersey from the Cup in Game 7.
"YES! WE ROCK!"
Skoula leaps up to touch Patrick Roy's helmet.
You can't help but love this photo. Lucky Skoula gets to be in the center.
The partying Czech gets ready to douse the locker room in champagne.
Skoula donned some funky shades and bared his legs for the Victory Parade.
The picture that accompanied the news of his selection for the Czech Olympic team.
Skoula and Hejduk with the Cup in the Czech Republic. Anyone speak Czech? There's an article that accompanies it.
"Finally! A cup that fits!"
Honoring the September 11th victims. You can barely see him, but it is a neat picture.
Poor Skoula. He fell to the ice after his accidental pass to the Oilers gave them a goal.
Skoula and Nimo model the new jersey. He claimed the runway is not in his future, but eventually someone will tell him he has the right cheekbones and whoosh, he'll be with Calvin Kline.
"You rock, Aebi!"
Skoula goes for the gold and takes out a German player during the 2002 Winter Olympics.
Skoula practicing in San Jose for the 2002 Playoffs.
Milan Hejduk
I have been meaning to add Milan Hejduk to my page for sometime, but life got in the way. (I know, I know, I manage to add new Skoula stuff, but I don't have to type as much code for that!) He is from Usti-nad-Labem in the Czech Republic. I think he is a very under appreciated member of the team, despite being incredibly fast, agile and able to sneak that puck in the smallest corners of the net. He had a tough time when he came to the Avalanche, something else he doesn't get alot of credit for, being unable to speak English and unused to the North American style of play.
This led him to befriend Martin Skoula when he joined the Avs, to try and help him adjust and they are very close friends. He's made two trips to the Olympics, winning a gold medal in Nagano. What more can I say? If you want more info Check out his stats and enjoy the pictures and stuff below. He's one of the first Avs I ever met and was very quiet, but nice--and drives a sweet car!
Adam Deadmarsh
I know, Adam Deadmarsh isn't an Av anymore, he's an LA King. He was my favorite player on the team and so to me, he'll always be one. So I'm leaving my small collection of stuff here. Adam is a real badass on the ice and whenever there's a really good fight, you know he's right in the middle of it. Off the ice, he's actually a really nice guy, with the coolest last name I've ever heard. Visit the links and then check out the pictures.
CONGRATS to Adam! He won a silver medal in the Olympics with the US Hockey team!
A young Deadmarsh with the Nordiques
My signed photo
Adam signed this for me at the charity baseball game. The signature's kind of hard to read because he had to balance it on his knee.
It's also a huge picture, so be patient.
My
signed Avalanche hat
He signed this at the same game. A guy at a sports store saw me wearing it, nearly had a heart attack and promptly tried to sell me a new one to wear, so I could seal the signed one in a display case. It's not a very clear shot, but you try scanning a hat!
Adam's Starting Lineup Figure, not too bad a likeness
Deadmarsh's Starting Lineup card
I think he just kicked Derian Hatcher's ass!
"Do you think I hit him too hard?"
"I like the penalty box, so there!"
Deader as an LA King.
This page is always under construction. But be sure to check out Sarah's Avalanche website.It has Alex Tanguay, Ville Nimenien, and a frightning number of photos of the piercingly-blue eyed Peter Forsberg.
Is a a movie about the Avs in the works? Check out 16 W: The Colorado Avalanche Story and find out. Want reviews of hockey movies? Check out Hockey Movies.
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