The Colorado Eagles Fly High at Budweiser's Keg

Official Review by Rich Kurtzman, Stadium Journey Regional Correspondent

Since their inception in 2003, the Colorado Eagles have flown high as one of the top franchises in the entire CHL (Central Hockey League).

Through six full seasons, the Eagles have won their Northwest division every year, including four conference championships and two league titles (2005, 2007). For the 2011 season, the Eagles joined the East Coast Hockey League as an affiliate of the Winnipeg Jets and St. John's IceCaps of the AHL.

The Eagles are constantly competitive and their arena, the Budweiser Events Center, is a top-notch stadium fitting of a top-notch team.

Budweiser Event Center, known to locals as "the Keg" due to its name and look of a keg on its side, is located just outside of Loveland, Colorado and it sits just east of I-25. The Keg's location gives people from the cities of Loveland, Greeley and Fort Collins an opportunity to attend games, as it's less than a half an hour drive from any of the three towns. Plus, it's only an hour from Denver and Cheyenne, in a perfect location for thousands of fans to get there from all around.

Budweiser is a multipurpose events complex, with the ability to host hockey, indoor football, basketball, rodeos, trade shows and more.

The arena, like most of the more contemporary stadia of our day, is visually attractive from any angle.

The Keg has three glass facades that surround the main entrance and it's easy to see how the stadium designers attempted to mimic the great entryway at the Pepsi Center down the road in Denver. Also, the use of brick was a nice touch - overall it's an attractive arena.

The concourses are big and well lit, with many stands ready to sell food, drinks and merchandise.

Also, Budweiser Events Center hosted the 2009 CHL All-Star Game and it regularly hosts the biggest names in music and comedy.

Food & Beverage    4

Budweiser Events Center has, you guessed it, Budweiser and Bud Light on tap ($7.00 per pint) as well as Pabst and a full bar from which attendees can purchase a variety of mixed alcoholic drinks.

For those not wanting alcohol, the Keg also has Pepsi products on tap.

For food, Budweiser Events Center has the regular stadium fare; hotdogs, hamburgers, fries, nachos, popcorn and pizza, and they also have specialty treats like the loaded hotdogs, gourmet pretzels, carved sirloin and ice cream.

There's also the "Bullhorn Lounge," a place for fans to host personal parties, dinners and more before selected events. There are a variety of menus to choose from and the Bullhorn Lounge can host up to 100 people.

Also, for club and suite ticket holders, there is the "Executive Club Restaurant" as well. The restaurant is located on the top floor of the Budweiser Events Center, it offers beautiful Rocky Mountain views, has a full menu and a full service bar as well.

Atmosphere    4

The atmosphere at "the Keg" was fun, with a more professional feel than that of other smaller venues.

There were season ticket holders all around, a good mix of families and adults, with adults holding the distinct majority.

The video/stat board that hangs over center ice gives fans a chance to watch replays, as does the giant projector screen on the North end of the stadium. Plus, the team puts on contests for fans, like answering an Eagles trivia question, or the "kid challenge" that had toddlers suiting up like hockey players, taking a ride in a sled pulled by their dads and collecting plastic bottles.

Neighborhood    3

Yes, the Keg is centrally located between five major metropolitan areas, but that's also a downfall when talking about its neighborhood in closest proximity.

For those looking for sandwiches before the game, there's a Quizno's Sub on the Events Center grounds, and there's a Subway on the East side of I-25.

On I-25 and Crossroads Boulevard, the exit from the interstate that will get you to Budweiser Events Center, there's a Hooters, and if you continue East on Crossroads toward the stadium, there's a Nordy's Bar-B-Que on St. Cloud Dr.

Nordy's offers arguably the best Bar-B-Que in Colorado, with delicious gut-busting combos that can accommodate 1-5 people and the family meal includes a whole chicken, pork brisket, beef brisket, sausage links and many sides.

And for fans looking to do some shopping before or after games, the Shops at Centerra, a large collection of popular stores; including Macy's, Finish Line and Dick's Sporting Goods, are all only two miles south of Budweiser Event's Center. Plus there are a variety of great restaurants at the Shops at Centerra, like Rock Bottom Brewery and the Bent Fork.

Fans    5

Budweiser Events Center seats 7,200 fans (5,289 for hockey) and on the cold December night I attended, at least 4,500 were in attendance, screaming and chanting on their Eagles.

In fact, Eagles fans sold out 181 consecutive games, every contest in their first four-and-a-half years of existence. There's even a waiting list currently for season tickets as Eagles hockey is a hot ticket.

The Eagles are a big deal in Northern Colorado, a vast majority of the fans in attendance wore a wide variety of Eagles jerseys and the fans are knowledgeable about their hockey.

During the game, a 4-3 loss, fans were uproarious, pushing their team to play better hockey, chanting, "Let's go Eagles! (clap, clap, clap-clap-clap)" and "De-fense, De-fense!"

Overall it was a great experience, one of the finest minor league venues I've personally attended.

Access    3

Since Budweiser Events Center is located just off of I-25, it's easy to access from all around.

If you're coming from the North, they suggest you get off at Exit 262, take the frontage road for two miles and you'll arrive at the Keg.

From the South, turn off the interstate at Crossroads Boulevard (Exit 259), take it East for one mile, turn left (third left off of the interstate) on Fairground Avenue and cruise into the Events Center's parking lots.

Return on Investment    4

Tickets to the Eagles games cost a mere $18, and since the arena is quainter than others, there isn't a bad seat in the house and there's an intimate feel for spectators.

Plus, parking around the arena is only $5 and the flow of cars leaving the parking lot is well done, so waiting isn't more than a few minutes.

Extras    3

The Eagles Chicks, the dance team for the Eagles, dance four-deep behind the North end of the ice and others stand at the portal entrances cheering on the Eagles.

Fans can share a special announcement at an Eagles game for a $25 donation to the Colorado Eagles Foundation, and they run immediately as the first or second intermissions begin.

Rich Kurtzman is a Colorado State University Alumnus and a freelance journalist. Along with being the Colorado/Utah Regional Correspondent for Stadium Journey, Kurtzman is the Denver Nuggets and Denver Broncos Featured Columnist for bleacherreport.com and the CSU Rams and Fort Collins Beer Bars Examiner for examiner.com, as well as a weekly contributor to Mile High Hoops.

You can follow Rich on Facebook or on twitter.

*Photos courtesy of the Colorado Eagles. Photograph of fans celebrating courtesy of Stephanie Burchett.