by Mark Smiley | Apr 17, 2026 | Travel
by Mark Smiley
University of Denver players celebrate on the ice after securing their 11th NCAA National Championship, capping a resilient postseason run with a dramatic third-period comeback. Photo courtesy of the NCAA.
The University of Denver has once again cemented its place among college hockey’s elite, capturing the NCAA National Championship in a thrilling finish to a remarkable season. For fans across the Denver metro area, including the Cherry Creek valley, the victory is both a point of pride and a celebration of one of Colorado’s most storied athletic programs.
For much of the championship game, the odds appeared stacked against the Pioneers. Still feeling the effects of a double-overtime semifinal win over Michigan, Denver struggled to generate offense early. Wisconsin carried a 1-0 lead into the third period and dominated possession, outshooting Denver 26-6 on goal and 58-22 overall. Goalie Johnny Hicks once again faced relentless pressure, turning away wave after wave of scoring chances.
The turning point came midway through the third period.
Senior forward Rieger Lorenz battled in front of the net and capitalized on a rebound off a shot from Garrett Brown. After his initial attempt was stopped, Lorenz stayed with the play and slipped the puck through to tie the game with 12:29 remaining.
The goal shifted momentum instantly.
Just minutes later, Kyle Chyzowski tipped in a slapshot from Boston Buckberger with 5:52 left, giving Denver a 2-1 lead it would not surrender. The late surge secured the program’s 11th national championship.
“It’s a one-shot game after two periods,” head coach David Carle said after the game. “We finally got one to the net, and Lorenz was able to hang around that area. It gave our guys belief.”
Hicks, who anchored the team throughout the tournament, was named the Frozen Four’s Most Outstanding Player. The freshman recorded 29 saves in the championship game, including several key stops in the final period, and finished the season unbeaten since taking over the starting role in January.
Denver reached the title game with a hard-fought 4-3 win over Michigan, where Hicks made a career-high 49 saves. Senior captain Kent Anderson delivered the game-winner, supported by goals from Clarke Caswell, Cale Ashcroft, and Chyzowski.
“We weathered it well,” Carle said. “They threw a lot at us, but we stayed composed. When we had our chances, we made them count.”
The championship marks Denver’s third under Carle, adding to titles in 2022 and 2024, and further extends the program’s lead as the winningest in NCAA men’s hockey history.
Beyond the ice, the victory resonates across the Denver community. Hockey has deep roots in Colorado, and the Pioneers’ success continues to energize youth programs, local rinks, and fans throughout the region. In neighborhoods like Glendale and Cherry Creek, the championship serves as a reminder of the area’s strong connection to top-tier athletics.
As celebrations continue, the Pioneers’ latest title stands as a testament to resilience, teamwork, and a championship mindset, qualities that have long defined Denver hockey.
by Mark Smiley | Apr 1, 2026 | Main Articles
Glendale nightclub pioneer helped launch iconic Colorado Boulevard club in 1979 and remained active manager for decades.
by Mark Smiley
Cowboy At Heart: George Miller poses with his horse.
George Miller, one of the original founders and longtime managers of the Glendale nightclub Shotgun Willie’s, died March 10, 2026. He was 87.
Born on September 25, 1938, for more than four decades, Miller was closely tied to the well-known club at Colorado Boulevard and East Virginia Avenue, a business that has been both a prominent Glendale landmark and a lightning rod for debate since it opened in 1979.
Miller helped launch Shotgun Willie’s with three friends who shared a love of country western music. The group opened the establishment as a country western bar at 490 South Colorado Boulevard, then the site of the Rondo Bar and the Bavarian Inn Restaurant. The club took its name from Willie Nelson’s 1973 album “Shotgun Willie,” and Nelson, who lived in Evergreen at the time, granted permission for the name and visited the bar in its early years.
Originally a country-themed nightclub, Shotgun Willie’s began featuring female dancers in 1982 and eventually grew into one of the region’s best-known adult entertainment venues.
Stanley Cup: George proudly hoists the 1996 Stanley Cup. Colorado defeated Florida in a four game sweep to win their first Stanley Cup.
Miller grew up in Kansas City, Missouri, where his father was a physician and his mother a registered nurse. Although his father encouraged him to pursue medicine, Miller chose a different path.
“I never saw a man work harder in my life than my father,” Miller once said, noting that doctors in that era often worked long hours without significant financial reward.
After graduating from Colorado State University, Miller joined the Army Reserve during the period surrounding the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Berlin Crisis, and the Vietnam War. He later built a successful drywall contracting business before entering the nightclub industry with the opening of Shotgun Willie’s.
Although he was an original owner, Miller began working as a manager at the club in the early 1990s and remained involved in its day-to-day operations well into his seventies.
Known for his enthusiasm for the club and its patrons, Miller often described Shotgun Willie’s as more than a nightclub.
“From the beginning it has been, and continues today to be, essentially a friendly neighborhood bar,” he once said. “That’s why people who come in once return so often.”
Miller was also remembered for moments that linked the club to Colorado sports history. One of his favorite memories was when members of the Colorado Avalanche brought the Stanley Cup to the club after their championship victory, allowing Miller to raise the trophy overhead.
Outside of the nightclub business, Miller remained a dedicated horseman and dog trainer, interests he pursued regularly during trips to Texas for hunting and riding. Friends described him as a lifelong cowboy at heart.
Miller was married for more than 50 years and had two daughters and four grandchildren. One of his grandsons, Kelly, is a classical musician who has performed multiple times at Carnegie Hall, with Miller proudly attending the performances.
Even in his later years, Miller showed little interest in retirement. When Shotgun Willie’s celebrated the opening of a new building on adjoining land in 2013, he remained actively involved in the club and its future.
At the time, he said he hoped to be present for the club’s 50th anniversary, a milestone that would mark half a century since the Glendale establishment first opened its doors. That celebration will take place in 2032.
A celebration of life took place on March 25, 2026.
