The Colorado Avalanche are in the midst of playing the Tampa Bay Lightning for the Stanley Cup finals with Game 5 set for tonight. The Lightningare down 3-1 in the series,but for one unlucky fan, he will not be able to attend the proceedings at Ball Arena.
Ryan Clark is that unlucky fan who shared a love for hockey with best friend Kyle Stark, who died last December. The two were rabid Colorado Avalanche fans and would go to the Ball Arena to cheer on the home team for years.
Stark was the best man at Clark’s wedding, but unfortunately Clark lost his best friend just before Christmas and Clark wanted to honor his buddy by throwing some of his ashes on to the ice at the Ball Arena.
Fan banned from attending Colorado Avalanche games
“If you saw the little bit of the amount that I actually got on there, the Zamboni took care of it round one,” Ryan Clark told the Denver press when he threw his friend’s ashes over the glass on January 8th.
Fans pose in front of Ball Arena before Game One of the 2022 Stanley Cup Final between the Colorado Avalanche and the Tampa Bay Lightning at Ball Arena on June 15, 2022 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
“The usher asked me, ‘What was that?’ I gotta be honest with you. It was my friend. ‘What do you mean?’ I said, ‘Well he passed away. Yesterday was his service and I spread some of his ashes out there,’” Clark stated.
Clark was later escorted out of the arena by security and was sent a letter by mail informing him he was banned from all Avalanche games for the remainder of the season.
Clark has since taken his exile from Ball Arena with humor, “If you’ve ever seen ‘Angels in the Outfield,’ like this is just the hockey version, so when they’re at home and they need a little assistance, my boy’s out there to assist,” Clark stated.
