Happy birthday, Colorado — and Colorado sports.
Leading into the state’s 150th birthday Aug. 1, The Denver Gazette has partnered with the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame to publicize the definitive list of Colorado’s top 150 sports moments.
Colorado Sports Hall of Fame historian Dave Plati and a committee of 10 compiled and will release the list every week until the No. 1 moment on July 31. Plati and Broncos icon Jim Saccomano will unveil the list weekly on a Colorado Sports Hall of Fame podcast at coloradosports.org/podcast/.
No. 104 — Oct. 5, 1976
Hockey was back but in the NHL for the first time. The Kansas City Scouts had relocated to Denver as the Colorado Rockies. They won their first game, defeating the Toronto Maple Leafs, 4-2, before a sparse crowd of 7,359 at McNichols Sports Arena. Rookie Larry Skinner scored the first Colorado goal, which was assisted by Chuck Arnason and Wilf Paiement, who had a goal and two assists. Two Rockies goalies combined to stop 39 of 41 shots.
—Dave Plati, Colorado Sports Hall of Fame historian