Pro sports job gives Mike Schanno a taste of success

Sarah, Mike and Christian Schanno

Michael Schanno ('86) has accomplished something many athletes only dream of doing.

“I got to drink from the Stanley Cup in 1996 and 2001 at the staff Stanley Cup parties. I can't remember if it was champagne, beer or dirty water,” said Schanno, who also owns a pair of NHL championship rings.

Schanno is the director of broadcasting for Colorado Avalanche hockey, Denver Nuggets basketball, Colorado Mammoth lacrosse, Colorado Crush arena football and Colorado Rapids soccer.

Before hoisting and drinking from Lord Stanley's Cup, Schanno worked numerous other jobs in the world of sports. After graduating with a degree in Broadcast News, Schanno worked at a moving company until he accepted a job at Phoenix Communications Group. There he worked at Sports News Satellite as a producer and a field producer for “This Week in Baseball” and “Powerstick Hockey Week.”

“I would interview players of all the MLB and NHL teams that would be in the New York area for features on the shows and team highlight films, Stanley Cup films and World Series films,” Schanno said.

Schanno changed coasts and worked as highlights supervisor on a show called “Press Box” on the Prime Ticket Network. After his father became ill, Schanno returned to Colorado and got a job with the Colorado Avalanche and Denver Nuggets in 1995.

“I have been there for the past nine years and have seen our company (Kroenke Sports Enterprises) grow from two teams and old McNichols Arena to the Pepsi Center and five teams and a new TV Network.”

At his job, Schanno said, he produces games, edits hundreds of commercials and shoots countless hours of videotape on community relations shoots with players. To get to this point Schanno says, “I learned a lot from (Assistant Dean) Steve Jones.”

Schanno admits that “the hardest day is ahead of me with our new sports network,” but the rewards make his job worth the long hours.

Schanno lives in Littleton with his wife, Sarah, and their son, Christian, who was born last year. They are expecting their second child, a girl, in September.

MSchanno@PepsiCenter.com