Inside the bizarre mystery surrounding Avalanche fans' weirdest tradition
Photo credit: Bruce Bennett / Mile High Sticking
The wider hockey community continues to be bewildered by the Colorado Avalanche fanbase's most unusual long-standing tradition, a bizarre mystery that shows no signs of being solved anytime soon.
It all started when in-arena DJ Craig "Triple T" Turney heard the 1999 pop-punk anthem during a Throwback Thursday broadcast and decided to give it a shot.
Inside the strange mystery behind Avalanche fans' oddest tradition.
Aaron Poorman from Mile High Sticking writes that back in 2019, Triple T was the song as a fun little dose of nostalgia, but he could've never predicted just how wildly it would end up connecting with Denver crowds.
"Why exactly did the Blink 182 song work so well? The catchy chorus being both familiar to the masses and fun to sing along with are the easy answers. But the song did not become a signature until they learned precisely when to deploy it to full effect." -Poorman
Fans might remember hearing 'All The Small Things' during the bubble-era playoff run, but by 2022 the Avs had perfected its use, saving it as a third-period rallying cry. Dropped late in games with Colorado ahead, the song landed like a blast of pure, positive energy.
"It feels obvious now of course. Your average fan can agree that 'work sucks, I know' they will even enjoy yelling it at the top of their lungs over mid-game beers. Yet a little patience and a goal or two later and the lines, 'say it ain't so, I will not go. Turn the lights off, carry me home' have whole new kind of organic magic." -Poorman
That's the magic behind getting an entire arena to belt out every world together. Sports fandom thrives on shared rituals and quirky lore, and as a music geek myself, I love that Colorado has embraced this one so fully.
Today, 'All The Small Things' isn't just a fun sing-along, it's part of the Avs' identity, woven into the very fabric of Ball Arena culture.
The Avalanche may never have another anthem as cherished as 'All The Small Things.' And it's unlikely they'll see another song catch on with fans in such a delightful unexpected way.
| POLL | ||
AOUT 2 | 21 ANSWERS Inside the bizarre mystery surrounding Avalanche fans' weirdest tradition Should the Avalanche bring back the 'All The Small Things' sing along chant? | ||
| yes | 15 | 71.4 % |
| no | 6 | 28.6 % |
| List of polls | ||
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