Tuesday, April 28, 2026

Question: What was the Colorado Avalanche’s original mascot, active from 1995 to 2001?

Answer: Howler, a 7-plus-foot-tall white yeti, or abominable snowman, served as the Avalanche’s mascot from 1995, when the team relocated to Denver, until 2001, after which the Avs went without a mascot until the arrival of Bernie the St. Bernard in 2009.

While details about Howler’s exit from the franchise are scarce, an Associated Press report documented a March 1999 scuffle between the friendly bigfoot and a fan, Linda Van Hook, who said Howler allegedly kicked her in the stomach before security intervened. Van Hook said of the incident: “I guess I was the end of Howler.”