My Most Sentimental Mail Day. This One Made Me Cry.
As a kid growing up in Anchorage, AK, the winters were obviously brutal and there was very little to do for fun. But there was one constant: Alaska Aces hockey. I began watching hockey around 2002/03; the Aces were my introduction to this beautiful sport.
We had a rowdy and passionate fanbase that showed up and showed out every single gameday. The cowbell crew and beer-fueled fans would often make the Sullivan Arena a deafening, intimidating place for opponents to come in. We'd often be voted as the most passionate fanbase in the minor leagues.
Over the years, I watched that team run through countless players. Whether it was up-and-coming prospects trying to make it to the NHL; oldheads who were in the final stage of their careers; or hometown kids just wanting a chance to play professionally, the Aces had plenty of talented guys at any given time.
I watched this team win 3 Kelly Cup championships - 2006, 2011 and 2014. All three were some of the greatest moments of my life. The entire city rallied around the team every postseason and the celebrations were epic. Unfortunately, they won each championship on the road; but, we would show up at the airport (hundreds, if not thousands) each time to greet the team as they walked in.
But, as all good things do, they must come to an end. Ownership suffered tremendous losses in the wake of rising travel costs and a decline in attendance, as the Alaskan economy was going through its challenges. By February of 2017, ownership declared that it was the final season we'd have together.
The Alaska Aces played their final game on April 8, 2017. My (at the time) fiancee and I were in attendance, along with a sold out, standing-room only crowd. When the final horn sounded, I fell to my knees crying. I didn't just lose my hometown team, I lost a childhood best friend.
And that brings us to this beautiful jersey, worn by Danny Moynihan. This was the style the Aces wore in their final ever game played. At the time, they were the Vancouver Canucks' affiliate. I must say...Boomer, our mascot, looks incredible cosplaying as Johnny Canuck.
I'm so deeply grateful I found this. This marks the end of a long search for what was the final memory of a franchise that meant so much to me. Aces forever.