Devon Toews spent Sunday afternoon in a different kind of spotlight.
The Colorado Avalanche defenseman stepped onto the mound at Coors Field and delivered the ceremonial first pitch before the Colorado Rockies took on the St. Louis Cardinals. Instead of his usual job on the ice, Toews was in the ballpark as part of the pregame festivities, then settled into the stands to watch the game.
The Hockey News was in attendance for the game.
It was a fitting cameo for Toews, who is an avid baseball fan and had a chance to represent the Avalanche away from Ball Arena while connecting with Colorado’s wider sports scene. His presence also underscored how often the state’s pro teams overlap in the same fan base, with Avalanche and Rockies supporters getting chances year-round to back both clubs.
The Rockies gave the crowd something to cheer about early. They jumped out to a 5-1 lead, but the bullpen unraveled in the sixth inning and allowed five runs.
Colorado then tried to claw back, only to fall further behind in a 10-8 loss to St. Louis.
Sunday also arrived against a backdrop of recent reports about the Walton-Penner group and the expectation that the Broncos owners will acquire a larger portion of the team. For Rockies fans who have endured years of bad baseball, the idea of better days may be something to hold onto.
Maybe that means the kind of stretch Avalanche fans have lived through for much of the last decade: strong teams, playoff runs, and plenty of postgame fireworks.
For one afternoon at least, the connection across Colorado’s sports landscape was on full display. And for the Avalanche, training camp is right around the corner.
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