🧵A #HeyNext viewer asked a question: What ever happened to the old #GoAvsGo mascot: Howler the Yeti?
And it sent me down a fantastic rabbit hole this afternoon.
Join me....
And it sent me down a fantastic rabbit hole this afternoon.
Join me....
Howler was the Avs first mascot when the franchise moved to Denver from Quebec City. He's the reason the classic Avalanche sweaters have a foot patch on the shoulder.
Then all of a sudden... around the turn of the century... Howler disappeared...
Then all of a sudden... around the turn of the century... Howler disappeared...
A few vague articles about Howler over the years have mentioned an incident with a fan in 1999 in a game against the Chicago Blackhawks.
It took some digging but finally Nexis found me the 1999 AP article about the incident.
It took some digging but finally Nexis found me the 1999 AP article about the incident.
So I searched for Linda Sprehe's number... and called it...
...and she picked up...
...and she picked up...
Linda lives in Florida now. But she was living in Denver on March 20, 1999. Her boyfriend was a huge fan of the Blackhawks. She was wearing his jersey at the game.
She went outside between periods to smoke. And she says Howler was nearby...
She went outside between periods to smoke. And she says Howler was nearby...
Howler had rolled up posters and was "bonking fans on the head with them."
When Howler decided to bonk Linda on the head, she told me she pushed him.
Howler pushed her back...
When Howler decided to bonk Linda on the head, she told me she pushed him.
Howler pushed her back...
Linda says pretty soon the pair was scuffling. She didn't go into any injuries, but in the article from the time, Linda's dad David says Howler kicked her in the stomach during the scuffle.
This must have been quite the scene in a time long before everyone had a phone camera.
This must have been quite the scene in a time long before everyone had a phone camera.
Linda told me security broke them up and took them each to separate rooms inside the arena. She gave a statement to police and went home.
It's unclear what happened next.
I can't find anything official from the Avalanche about retiring Howler... so....
It's unclear what happened next.
I can't find anything official from the Avalanche about retiring Howler... so....
It would take the Avalanche an entire decade to replace Howler - until 2009 - when Bernie came onto the scene.
10 years... he just... disappeared.
10 years... he just... disappeared.
"I guess I was the end of Howler," Linda, befuddled about why a reporter was calling her all these years later, told me.
And that's the story of Howler as far as we know.
Know more? DMs are open.
More on #HeyNext
And that's the story of Howler as far as we know.
Know more? DMs are open.
More on #HeyNext
UPDATE: An old 9News aircheck says that Howler was let go after the 2001 season. So he stuck around for the last Cup... before the Avs waited 8 years to replace him.
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