A sports fan named Ryan Clark was banned from attending Colorado Avalanche hockey matches after spreading his late best friend’s ashes on the ice.
Mr Clark will not be allowed to attend the Ball Arena for any of the Stanley Cup finals games after honouring his friend there earlier in the season.
He says that following Kyle Stark’s death in December 2021 he was invited to a game at the arena in Denver by his friend’s parents, and asked them if could bring some ashes to it,
Before the game started he grabbed some of the ashes and threw them over the arena’s protective glass and onto the ice.
“We had him in a little baggie. We got Kyle over the glass and into the ice. An usher had come up to me and was like, ‘Hey dude, what was that?’ and I said, ‘Well, to be honest with you, that was my best friend Kyle. He died’,” Mr Clark told ABC News affiliate Denver7.
Shortly after the incident, Mr Clark got a letter from the team saying that he was banned from Avalanche games at the arena for the rest of the season. Despite this, Mr Clark says he has no regrets.
“I’d do it all over again with the biggest smile on my face like I did the last time. I know in my heart that’s where he wanted to be,” he said.
“When asked constantly, ‘Where do you think he is?’ Well, that Zamboni got him all over the ice. Realistically, again, not the brightest idea, but in my heart the best way I could give tribute to my friend for what he truly loved more than anything in the world.”
Mr Clark says he has watched the Avalanche games from home but wishes he could watch one more with his pal.
“I just love him very much. I miss him very much. I wish we were doing a different kind of interview. I wish we were those fans that were coming out of the arena,” he said.
Colorado currently leads the Stanley Cup finals against the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1 with game four being played in Florida on Wednesday.
