On banner night, Artturi Lehkonen decided to have one himself.
Lehkonen, a Stanley Cup-winning hero acquired by the Avs from Montreal last March, scored two second-period goals to help power Colorado to a 5-2 win over Chicago on the opening night of the 2022-23 season late Wednesday night at Ball Arena.
The Avs opened the evening with an emotional, 30-minute pregame ceremony that featured Blink-182 singer Mark Hoppus, a victory lap by captain Gabe Landeskog with the Stanley Cup, and the raising of the 2022 NHL championship banner to the rafters.
But the on-ice fireworks were only just getting started.