“Somebody ask him if he drives a van” “Legendary”: NHL fans react to Avs’ Ivan Ivan's historic first and last name

Ivan Ivan made NHL history simply by stepping onto the ice. The rookie center for the Colorado Avalanche became the first player in league history to have the same first and last name.

Ivan hails from Ostrava, Czechia, and played three seasons in the QMJHL with the Cape Breton Eagles before joining the Avs organization. He started last season with Colorado's AHL affiliate, the Colorado Eagles, before getting called up to make his NHL debut against the Vegas Golden Knights.

In that game, Ivan logged just under 10 minutes of ice time and did not record any points or shots on goal. However, he etched his name in the NHL record books thanks to his unique name.

Fans reacted with amusement on social media, poking fun at Ivan's first and last names being identical. One fan tweeted:

"Somebody ask him if he drives a van."

Another fan simply wrote:

"Legendary."

Here are some more reactions from fans on X:

"I wonder if he prefers his first name or last name on the back of his jersey," one fan said.

"Thank god someone finally broke through the name ceiling. We need a movement," another fan wrote.

"Hahaha man, I was really missing things like these here on Twitter," another fan said.

"Well hockey fans around the world now know who the least creative parents are… ever," one fan said.

While it was a lighthearted way to make history, Ivan Ivan can now claim to be the first and only NHL player ever to have the same first and last name.

Ivan Ivan on Avalanche being his favorite team

Ivan Ivan has been an avid Colorado Avalanche fan since childhood, looking up to legends like Joe Sakic. Now living his dream of playing for his favorite team, Ivan reminisced on his early fandom.

"I remember the best overall guy was Joe Sakic at that moment," Ivan said last week to NHL.com. "So I really liked him because he was the best player on that team. It was just full of legends."

While playing in the NHL is every hockey player's dream, it's especially meaningful for Ivan to suit up for the Avalanche. Much like his childhood days using the Avs on PlayStation, he now shares the ice with superstars Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, Mikko Rantanen and more.

"I watch them and watch every detail," Ivan said. "[I] learn everything that I can from them. And it makes me better. It's just great to watch them. [They're] the best players in the world. So just watching them and almost writing down some stuff."

In his first pro season with the AHL's Colorado Eagles last year, Ivan Ivan posted solid numbers including 31 points through 12 goals and 19 assists over 67 regular season games.