Bernie Has Not Gone Home
The Colorado Avalanche were eliminated. Bernie the St. Bernard has shown up at Ball Arena for Games 5 and 6 anyway. Game 6 was scheduled as an away game regardless of the outcome.
DENVER — Bernie the St. Bernard showed up for Game 5.
Ball Arena was dark. The ice was being converted back to the Nuggets’ floor. The Dog Park — his Dog Park, built after Howler — was locked for the season.
He had it open by 5:30. He brought the T-shirt cannon. Possibly a sign of inspiration? We’ll likely never confirm.
The Vegas Golden Knights completed the sweep five days ago, 2-1 at T-Mobile Arena. The Presidents’ Trophy winners scored seven goals in four games.
Bernie does not appear to have absorbed this. He worked both nights — Game 5, Game 6 — running his full routine. Crowd pump. Walk through the lower bowl. Photo ops with children who were not there. During Game 6, which was a road game and would not have been played in Denver regardless of outcome, he stood in the lower bowl pointing the t-shirt cannon at Section 109 for twenty minutes.
At one point he produced a rolled-up souvenir program. He bopped an invisible spectator on the head with it. Absorbed the shove. His leg came up.
He put the program down. Bernie doesn’t do that.
A Zamboni operator on the midnight shift alerted Sad Mascots after reviewing security camera footage. Arena management has not responded to requests for comment.
The footage never showed the cannon firing. Presumably it is still loaded.
Correction: A previous version of this article stated the sweep occurred “four days ago.” Game 4 was May 26 — five days before publication. We regret the error. We were channeling Bernie while losing track of the days…and reality. Actually, come to think of it, isn’t today May 29th, not May 31st? Um, we might be in need of help, too.
