Eurolanche

A Message from David Puchovsky

Eurolanche members,

it is difficult for me to write these words, but everything must come to an end...

When I founded Eurolanche in 2007 at the age of 17, the first European Fan Club of the Colorado Avalanche, today the largest Fan Club in the world and the oldest Fan Club in the entire NHL, I never imagined that it would still be here almost 20 years later, that it would have organized dozens of events in the US and Europe, and that I would manage to organize 16 trips to NHL games, 15 of which I would attend in person.

And all this on a voluntary, fan-based, non-commercial basis, solely out of passion and devotion to one organization, which some people still fail to understand.

With Eurolanche, I saw 101 Avalanche games in the US, met dozens of players backstage at Pepsi Center/Ball Arena, toured the locker room, held the Stanley Cup, gave numerous interviews to the American media... On my individual trip, I saw six Avs wins in a row. In Europe, I didn't miss any of the four games. A total of 111 games...

I experienced everything I could.

However, given the current situation in the US and Slovakia, I started to think about what to do next.

On the one hand, I didn't see the point in isolating dozens of friends overseas who are suffering under Trump's administration. Some of them are like my second family. On the other hand, I wanted to put an end to all my trips. So I decided to do one more.

I spent the last few days in the USA. It was fantastic. Hundreds of photos and a very detailed diary will be published on Eurolanche.com soon. I will return to Eurolanche on Tour XVI again and again. It was a special, exceptional trip.

Organizing 16 trips was increasingly challenging. It's enough material for a book; in fact, I've already written one about the first 10 years of the Fan Club. There will be a second one. It will be more detailed, more open, direct, uncensored, it will set the record straight, provide answers to many unanswered questions, and finally address the crazy disinformation that still circulates about the Fan Club among certain people.

It's nice to watch the NHL with my own eyes, but the biggest and most important game today is taking place in Slovakia. If I want to go all in, I need more time and energy. That's why trip number 16 was my last as an organizer.

This does not mean that I will never return to Colorado. It is my second home, but the time has come for me to enjoy it in a different way, and especially without any influence or restrictions on my other activities.

I firmly believe that a successor will be found to organize Eurolanche on Tour to Colorado. I will be happy to provide assistance and participate in such a trip as a participant.

The list of people I would like to thank for their help in organizing Eurolanche Invasion/Eurolanche on Tour is very long. That is why I am writing a book where everyone will be mentioned. So, for now, allow me to briefly thank everyone who has helped us in any way with our trips across the ocean.

The biggest thanks go to the season ticket holders. They are the ones who have helped us over the past seven years, whether by donating tickets to games, providing benefits and discounts, or donating souvenirs for our members to win in contests. Without them, all of this would have lost its meaning back in 2019.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart!

 EUROLANCHE INVASION/EUROLANCHE ON TOUR 2008-2026

• 16 trips for 113 fans from 13 countries to 105 Avalanche games

• We saw 15 games at opponents' arenas

• We also visited: Wyoming, Utah, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Arizona, Nevada, California, Texas, Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York + Tijuana in Mexico, Toronto in Canada 

• We appeared in reports/live broadcasts on all regional stations in Colorado, as well as on NBC Sports

• We met more than 100 NHL players

• We traveled more than 50,000 km/30,000 miles

• A detailed breakdown of 100 games is available at Eurolanche.com

Related Stories

100 gms in the history of Eurolanche on Tour

The Fan Club reached a historic milestone in its 19th season.