HOCKEY: Maria Maniatis Tough Choice For a Loyal Fan

EDITOR'S NOTE: She's a hot chick who loves hockey....What more do you want?

As a recent transplant to Los Angeles, I ask myself the same question every relocated sports fan asks herself…where do my loyalties lie? As a Colorado native and excitable hockey fan, the answer is simple, with the Colorado Avalanche.

Sure it's easy to love the Avs. They are two time Stanley Cup winners, currently first place in the Northwestern Division and second place in the Western Conference. With strong stats like that, and really great team colors, who wouldn't love them? We are Stanley Cup contenders again this year. Patrick Roy logged an NHL record in December with his 500th win. Team captain Joe Sakic is a leading scorer again. My team looks as good as they always have and the playoffs are sure to be exciting.

I've been an Avs fan since they first moved to Colorado from Quebec in 1995. Denver was a football town and no offense to Bronco fans, but they just weren't my team and football just isn't my sport. My older brother influenced my love of hockey by taking me to University of Denver games and teaching me the rules. Imagine my excitement when a professional hockey team loaded with good-looking players was coming home to Colorado! Oh yeah, and they were loaded with talent, too.

Okay, so "Roy" is pronounced "Row-ah." Did he want to hoist up this trophy since he was a little boy (pronounced "bow-ah")?

Since this is my first full season away from Colorado, I was a little concerned at the beginning of the season about Peter Forsberg taking a leave of absence. Sure his health is a high priority and no one wants professional athletes to suffer for their sport, but can we really pull it off without him? I've always been a big Forsberg fan, not only because of his talent, but also because of his humility. So I started the season off on-edge. Clearly my concerns were unwarranted.

Adopting the LA Kings probably isn't as difficult as it otherwise would be, considering the fact that two of my favorite former Avalanche players, Adam Deadmarsh and Aaron Miller, play for the Kings. Avalanche management had to make some tough choices and their trade was a result of those decisions. Of course, the Kings made a sacrifice to the Avs as well, and we ended up with Rob Blake as a result. Some Kings fans I know are still bitter about that one. I don't blame them.

Since I love Los Angeles, I want to adopt the Kings as my surrogate team. I think I might be willing to compromise. The Avs will always be my team. The Kings can be my new team and I'll root for and buy memorabilia from both teams. The only exception is when they play each other and then I have revert back to my first love, the Colorado Avalanche.

January 31, 2002

Maria Maniatis is an actress and model who moved from her hometown of Denver to the great metropolis of Los Angeles about a year ago. She has a degree in Economics from the University of Colorado and is an avid rock climber. (Editor's Note: And she's newly single!) Maria is a long-time, die-hard Avalanche fan...and asks that you don't ever put her name in the same sentence as "Redwings."