Kaitlyn Criss poses for a photo in front of a hockey rink. (Photo provided by Kaitlyn Criss)
If it weren’t for the Colorado Avalanche’s Gabriel Landeskog injuring his knee in 2020, Kaitlyn Criss’ photography career would have never started with such a bang. Capturing every win, loss and moment in between goes beyond action shots for hockey photographer Kaitlyn Criss.
One of the most impactful moments of Criss’ career was photographing Landeskog’s first game back after an extended knee injury on April 11, 2025.
“ That game was insane,” Criss said. “Like every single news outlet that you could ever imagine was there.”
Landeskog, the Colorado Avalanche’s long-time captain, made a monumental comeback after his injury sidelined him for nearly two seasons. He played two games with the Colorado Eagles before his return to the NHL, scoring a goal and game-winning assist against the Henderson Silver Knights.
Criss recalls a specific shot she captured of Landeskog throwing T-shirts into the crowd after the game. The energy was electric. The photos taken by Criss that night were later used in promotional imagery for the Colorado Avalanche.
Another defining moment in her career was Eagles assistant head coach Kim Weiss’ first game, as the second female head coach in North American professional hockey. Criss’ photos of Weiss on the bench were published widely by outlets including The Athletic and ESPN, marking a monumental moment for women in all facets of sports.
“Seeing that was a moment I will never forget,” she said.
A day in the life
Criss’ night photographing a Colorado Eagles hockey game usually starts with an hour-and-a-half drive and a stop at Starbucks. She orders a venti iced pink drink, no inclusions, with one scoop of vanilla bean powder. She’s been the team’s lead photographer since June 2025 after interning with the organization the previous year.
Game nights follow a fast-paced routine. After making the drive to the arena, she sets up for walk-in shots before briefly meeting with the media team, then covers pregame crowd interaction, warmups and the puck drop.
Criss works closely with the Eagles’ digital media manager, Jessica Butterly. Butterly is responsible for social media posts and advertising.
“We have a great working relationship. Sports photography is very in the moment and things happen fast,” Butterly said. “I know I can rely on her to take great photos, edit, and send them my way to post within ten minutes of the goal or celly that I want to post.”
Butterly explained that photos are also uploaded into dropbox for Eagles’ marketing, corporate and ticketing to use in promotions. Billboards in and around Loveland, Colorado feature Criss’ photos.
Once the game begins, she is responsible for photographing and uploading the action in real time.
“Puck drop is always scary because I’m on the ice in front of 7,000 people,” Criss said.
She recalled a game in which the team scored six goals, three within the first five minutes. She and the media team scrambled to keep audiences up to date. The success of in-game reporting takes a village, Criss explained, pointing to a team of digital interns, content managers and editors that keep the team’s social media and branding current.
“So if we get a goal, they ideally like to have the photo within five minutes,” she said.
Butterly describes Criss as a trustworthy friend, with a creative mind and a great eye.
“I hope to work with her for a long time, but cannot wait until she gets her moment in the big leagues!” Butterly said.
Early career
“I never thought in a million years I was going to be a sports photographer,” Criss said. “ My junior year of high school, I started shooting sports at my high school and I was like, okay, I can do this. I’m pretty good at this.”
After high school, she continued photographing sports, including baseball and football, before covering hockey for the University of Central Oklahoma (UCO) Bronchos. During her time at UCO, she developed a passion for the sport.
“ I was really terrible at first, but then I figured out how hockey works,” Criss said. “I fell in love with it because it’s so niche in Oklahoma.”
Her stint at UCO led to an intern position with Allen Americans, an ECHL team based in Allen, Texas. She worked her way into a lead photographer role, mentoring other interns, before she was offered a position with the Tulsa Oilers, an ECHL rival of the Americans.
A friend then connected Criss with the Texas Stars, the AHL affiliate of the Dallas Stars. In many of her positions, she was unpaid and often drove more than three hours to photograph a game. Criss later worked briefly in baseball back in Oklahoma, a stint she said did not align with her long-term career goals.
“Hockey was where I wanted to be,” she said.
She left baseball to intern with the Colorado Eagles in 2024. Through it all, one thing remained consistent – Criss’ drive and passion for hockey photography. Her dedication shows in her work, through the monumental moments she has captured.
“Kaitlyn always has a great attitude and ensures everyone from staff to intern feels comfortable and included,” Butterly said. “She makes friends very easily and has been able to make the players feel comfortable and relax during shoots ensuring the best photos. I love seeing her mentor interns, she loves to share her knowledge.”
Criss has built a flourishing career as a woman in sports photography, overcoming unpaid intern positions and moments of doubt. She is a mentor to a sizable team of interns and aspiring professionals: photographers, reporters, graphic designers. Women of all paths look up to her.
“Believe in yourself. There were so many days that I didn’t think I would get to where I am, and I just stayed persistent and I continued to work,” Criss said. “Trust that you can get yourself there.”
Contact Lily Sharp at lily.sharp@colorado.edu.
