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CHL Colorado Eagles

Colorado Eagles to Make Hockey History, Break Sellout Streak Record

January 9, 2008 - Central Hockey League (CHL)
Colorado Eagles News Release


LOVELAND, Colo. - Saturday night, with their 145th consecutive regular season sellout, the Colorado Eagles will set a new standard for minor league professional hockey. Minor league hockey has been played in North America for over 100 years, and come Saturday, no team will have strung together as many sellouts as the Eagles. Including playoff games, the Eagles will have sold out 173 consecutive games total - every single game in their four-and-a-half years of operation.

"Our fans have shown their love of hockey and the Colorado Eagles by setting this new sellout record. I am very proud to be part of this organization and all of its accomplishments - especially setting this historic number," said Eagles president, general manager and head coach, Chris Stewart. "Hockey has been played in this country for over a century, and the fans in Northern Colorado should be proud to call this incredible record their own."

Many things have contributed to the sellout streak: a successful team (two CHL championships in its first four years), a great facility (the Budweiser Events Center, completed in 2003) and a hard-working front office. Above all, the incredible fans in Northern Colorado deserve credit for the accomplishment. Their support has been phenomenal since the franchise's inception - the Eagles' streak started with the very first game in franchise history, October 17, 2003 - and they have made the Budweiser Events Center the "Toughest Building to Play In" three straight years in the CHL's annual survey of media, team and league personnel. In the same three surveys, the fans have also been voted the league's best. "This accomplishment is a tribute to how dedicated Eagles fans are," said Eagles executive vice president of ticketing and marketing, Chris Augusto. "They should be proud that they have made hockey history; 145 consecutive sellouts and counting."

The sellout streak doesn't look like it will end anytime soon either. The team currently has a season-ticket waiting list of over 200 names. One of the very first season ticket holders, Paul Czarnecki, explained the communities' ties to the Eagles, in part, by saying, "I have made friends with the folks around me and see many business associates at the games. Every Eagles game is different and exciting and the cost for that level of family entertainment is exceptional."

The Eagles will mark the occasion with a pre-game ceremony, free T-shirts commemorating the feat for every fan in attendance, special pricing on concessions and deals on select team merchandise. In addition, fans will also be able to purchase special "145" t-shirts for $1.45 at the merchandise booth (while supplies last).

Furthermore, as if the new sellout record and its associated excitement and deals aren't enough, Eagles fans will also be treated to a night featuring the yearly Meadow Gold Cowbell giveaway (a fan favorite), the annual Meadow Gold Jammin' Jersey auction (proceeds to benefit the Colorado Eagles Foundation) a chance to skate with Eagles players after the game, and there will also be a post-game autograph session.

The record has been held by the Wilkes-Barre Penguins (minor-league affiliate of the Pittsburgh Penguins) of the American Hockey League since October 30, 2004; their streak began on December 22, 2000. The Wilkes-Barre Penguins' streak included two games at the home of the NHL's Penguins, the nearly-17,000-seat Mellon Arena. The AHL club did not sell out the Mellon Arena, but did sell over 8,143 tickets (the capacity of Wilkes-Barre's arena) to each game.

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