Latest news with #PhilPritchard
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
This Canadian city is planning its sixth Stanley Cup parade since 2007. It has no NHL team
No Canadian NHL team has won a Stanley Cup in 32 years, meaning no Canadian NHL city has hosted a Stanley Cup parade for its hometown team in more than three decades. But one Canadian city, too small to host an NHL team, is in early discussions for what could be its remarkable sixth Stanley Cup parade since 2007. Halifax has produced some of the most exciting — and successful — hockey players of our time. And with them has come a tradition of bringing the Cup to their NHL-less hometown for parades that can draw tens of thousands of people. Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby brought the coveted National Hockey League trophy back to his hometown of Cole Harbour, a suburb of Halifax, and toured it around the city, in 2009. He then repeated it in 2016, and again in 2017. 'All three of his parades were unbelievable,' Phil Pritchard, the 'Keeper of the Cup' and legendary Hockey Hall of Fame curator, said in a recent interview. 'Most guys don't really have parades and things like that. They have little town celebrations or community things. But Halifax went all-in.' An estimated 25,000 people attended Crosby's first hometown parade in 2009, with fans reportedly lining up 10 deep in some places to cheer on their hockey hero. A similar parade route for Crosby in 2016 drew about 30,000 people. And when Sid the Kid was the marshal for the city's 2017 Natal Day parade, that number reportedly doubled. 'What I found amazing about it was the people who came out in support, not just to watch the parade, but volunteered, that helped with security, that just helped out,' Pritchard said. Thousands of people also showed up for Nathan MacKinnon's 2022 parade in Halifax when he won the Stanley Cup with the Colorado Avalanche, which Pritchard dubbed 'equally as amazing' as the Crosby celebrations. 'Not to take anything away from Sidney or Nathan, but maybe it's the people of Halifax – they're hockey crazy,' Pritchard said. 'And they've got two of the best players in the world playing, so maybe it all falls in together.' Pritchard's quick to point out that Joe DiPenta was the first hockey player to bring the Stanley Cup back to his hometown of Cole Harbour in 2007, as a member of the Anaheim Ducks. But his celebrations and parade were 'a lot smaller,' Pritchard said. Official Stanley Cup parades have been going on for more than a century. The first one the Hockey Hall of Fame could confirm marched down Winnipeg's Main Street after the Winnipeg Victorias won the Cup in 1896, three years after it was first awarded. For the past 30 years, players on Cup-winning teams each get at least a day with the storied trophy, to do with it as they please. This year's Cup champion, the Florida Panthers, has 100 days with the Stanley Cup, from the night they won it, June 17, until the NHL's opening night in early October. One of the breakout stars of this year's Panthers is Halifax's Brad Marchand. He won the Cup in 2011 with the Boston Bruins, but chose to celebrate with smaller events at Halifax City Hall and a visit to the local children's hospital. 'He didn't have a parade,' Pritchard said. 'Not a lot of them do actual parades. The community has to get that going and Halifax has been great at it.' The 37-year-old right winger, who hails from the Halifax suburb of Hammonds Plains, deserves a parade, according to Jason Wilson, who teaches a course about hockey in Canadian history at the University of Guelph. 'Marchand has proven himself to hockey fans everywhere. He has even convinced long-suffering Leafs fans like myself that he's the real deal,' said Wilson, co-author of Lord Stanley: The Man Behind the Cup. 'His commitment to focusing on the game and shredding — though perhaps not altogether — his sometimes-bizarre non-hockey play on the ice, is a declaration of maturity. When you consider the Four Nations Cup and this past Stanley Cup playoffs, I think there's an argument to be made that he has to be included among the top five most impactful players of 2025. An impact that surely has the good people of Hammonds Plains, N.S., planning a parade route for their ice warrior.' Marchand scored six goals in five games for the Panthers during the 2025 Stanley Cup Final, including game-winning goals in both of their road wins, to help Florida take their second straight championship against the Edmonton Oilers. 'Brad doesn't have a date picked yet' for his personal day with the Stanley Cup, Pritchard said. That begs the question: should Halifax throw Marchand a parade? 'It takes more than one guy to have the parade,' Pritchard said, 'the community's got to get behind it.' Halifax Mayor Andy Fillmore sounds keen on hosting a Marchand parade. 'Brad Marchand is a hometown legend and now a two-time Stanley Cup champion and Halifax couldn't be prouder,' Fillmore said in an email. 'As mayor of Halifax, I'd love to welcome Brad home to celebrate this incredible win, with the Cup, of course. We're in early discussions at the city about how to help make that happen. It's entirely up to him, but if he's game, we'd be thrilled to host him here in Halifax this summer.' Free donairs for 1,500 Haligonians thanks to Brad Marchand's goal for the Florida Panthers Ageless Marchand continues Stanley Cup sizzle Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
This Canadian city is planning its sixth Stanley Cup parade since 2007. It has no NHL team
No Canadian NHL team has won a Stanley Cup in 32 years, meaning no Canadian NHL city has hosted a Stanley Cup parade for its hometown team in more than three decades. But one Canadian city, too small to host an NHL team, is in early discussions for what could be its remarkable sixth Stanley Cup parade since 2007. Halifax has produced some of the most exciting — and successful — hockey players of our time. And with them has come a tradition of bringing the Cup to their NHL-less hometown for parades that can draw tens of thousands of people. Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby brought the coveted National Hockey League trophy back to his hometown of Cole Harbour, a suburb of Halifax, and toured it around the city, in 2009. He then repeated it in 2016, and again in 2017. 'All three of his parades were unbelievable,' Phil Pritchard, the 'Keeper of the Cup' and legendary Hockey Hall of Fame curator, said in a recent interview. 'Most guys don't really have parades and things like that. They have little town celebrations or community things. But Halifax went all-in.' An estimated 25,000 people attended Crosby's first hometown parade in 2009, with fans reportedly lining up 10 deep in some places to cheer on their hockey hero. A similar parade route for Crosby in 2016 drew about 30,000 people. And when Sid the Kid was the marshal for the city's 2017 Natal Day parade, that number reportedly doubled. 'What I found amazing about it was the people who came out in support, not just to watch the parade, but volunteered, that helped with security, that just helped out,' Pritchard said. Thousands of people also showed up for Nathan MacKinnon's 2022 parade in Halifax when he won the Stanley Cup with the Colorado Avalanche, which Pritchard dubbed 'equally as amazing' as the Crosby celebrations. 'Not to take anything away from Sidney or Nathan, but maybe it's the people of Halifax – they're hockey crazy,' Pritchard said. 'And they've got two of the best players in the world playing, so maybe it all falls in together.' Pritchard's quick to point out that Joe DiPenta was the first hockey player to bring the Stanley Cup back to his hometown of Cole Harbour in 2007, as a member of the Anaheim Ducks. But his celebrations and parade were 'a lot smaller,' Pritchard said. Official Stanley Cup parades have been going on for more than a century. The first one the Hockey Hall of Fame could confirm marched down Winnipeg's Main Street after the Winnipeg Victorias won the Cup in 1896, three years after it was first awarded. For the past 30 years, players on Cup-winning teams each get at least a day with the storied trophy, to do with it as they please. This year's Cup champion, the Florida Panthers, has 100 days with the Stanley Cup, from the night they won it, June 17, until the NHL's opening night in early October. One of the breakout stars of this year's Panthers is Halifax's Brad Marchand. He won the Cup in 2011 with the Boston Bruins, but chose to celebrate with smaller events at Halifax City Hall and a visit to the local children's hospital. 'He didn't have a parade,' Pritchard said. 'Not a lot of them do actual parades. The community has to get that going and Halifax has been great at it.' The 37-year-old right winger, who hails from the Halifax suburb of Hammonds Plains, deserves a parade, according to Jason Wilson, who teaches a course about hockey in Canadian history at the University of Guelph. 'Marchand has proven himself to hockey fans everywhere. He has even convinced long-suffering Leafs fans like myself that he's the real deal,' said Wilson, co-author of Lord Stanley: The Man Behind the Cup. 'His commitment to focusing on the game and shredding — though perhaps not altogether — his sometimes-bizarre non-hockey play on the ice, is a declaration of maturity. When you consider the Four Nations Cup and this past Stanley Cup playoffs, I think there's an argument to be made that he has to be included among the top five most impactful players of 2025. An impact that surely has the good people of Hammonds Plains, N.S., planning a parade route for their ice warrior.' Marchand scored six goals in five games for the Panthers during the 2025 Stanley Cup Final, including game-winning goals in both of their road wins, to help Florida take their second straight championship against the Edmonton Oilers. 'Brad doesn't have a date picked yet' for his personal day with the Stanley Cup, Pritchard said. That begs the question: should Halifax throw Marchand a parade? 'It takes more than one guy to have the parade,' Pritchard said, 'the community's got to get behind it.' Halifax Mayor Andy Fillmore sounds keen on hosting a Marchand parade. 'Brad Marchand is a hometown legend and now a two-time Stanley Cup champion and Halifax couldn't be prouder,' Fillmore said in an email. 'As mayor of Halifax, I'd love to welcome Brad home to celebrate this incredible win, with the Cup, of course. We're in early discussions at the city about how to help make that happen. It's entirely up to him, but if he's game, we'd be thrilled to host him here in Halifax this summer.' Free donairs for 1,500 Haligonians thanks to Brad Marchand's goal for the Florida Panthers Ageless Marchand continues Stanley Cup sizzle Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here.
Vancouver Sun
19-06-2025
- Sport
- Vancouver Sun
Florida Panthers' Stanley Cup damage just the latest mishap in the trophy's storied history
Some hockey fans are understandably bent out of shape over the Florida Panthers damaging the Stanley Cup this week, but the coveted trophy has been through worse. It's been sunk to the bottom of a swimming pool. It's been used in the baptism of several infants and at least one baby has pooped in it. It's even been dropped — or maybe it was tossed — from a second-storey balcony overlooking a rock star's whiskey-shaped pool. 'It happens every year, the bowl gets damaged — basically it gets 'out of round' if you know what I mean,' Cup keeper Phil Pritchard told a Washington Capitals blogger in 2018. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. 'It is nobody's fault; it just happens every year. It has become part of the lore of sports' greatest trophy.' The Stanley Cup has once again sustained some damage from the recipients. 🤕 (📸: Peter Joneleit/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) Here are just a small handful of the known stories about what the silver and nickel trophy has endured through its 131 years. Dents and cracks At some point after knocking off the Edmonton Oilers in Game 6 on Tuesday night, the Panthers managed to crack the trophy's bowl and dent the base before even leaving the arena, as evidenced by photos being circulated on Wednesday. A spokesperson for the Hockey Hall of Fame told the Associated Press it will be repaired in time for Sunday's victory parade in Sunrise, Fla. It wouldn't be the first time the Cup has been damaged almost immediately after it was awarded. As the Colorado Avalanche gathered on the ice for a team photo to celebrate their 2022 championship, Nicholas Aube-Kubel stumbled and dropped the Cup as he skated into the dogpile, leaving a noticeable dent on the base. Nicholas Aube-Kubel takes a tumble with the #StanleyCup 😬 @Avalanche | #GoAvsGo Just a year before, the Tampa Bay Lightning damaged it at some point prior to or during a boat parade to celebrate a second-straight title. That'll buff out. Because the Stanley Cup spends 24 hours with each player and staff member of the winning team, how the damage occurred is usually a mystery or the stuff of anecdotal legend. But while visiting St. John's with the Boston Bruins' Michael Ryder in the summer of 2011, cameras captured the trophy taking a tumble from a table. Three years earlier, a few days after the Detroit Red Wings claimed the Cup, it was dented after falling off a table at the restaurant owned by defenceman Chris Chelios. The Cup makes a splash The Panthers were the last team to take the hockey's holy grail swimming when they took it to Fort Lauderdale Beach after last year's defeat of the Oilers in the final. At points during their revelry, players hoisting the Cup were diving into waves. Pritchard, in an email to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel , expressed concern about possible erosion but said they 'managed to clean it as good as possible and dry it off.' Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk later admitted it wasn't ideal. 'I think somebody said that's not technically allowed, but I said it was too late,' Tkachuk said Thursday. 'It already happened.' Other famous dips include the time it ended up at the bottom of Mario Lemieux's pool following their 1991 win, tossed there from a 20-foot high waterfall by defenceman Phil Bourque. 'We had to dive in,' Bryan Trottier recounted on the Spittin' Chiclets podcast in 2022, 'Troy Loney and I dive and get the Cup out of the Pool. It was very tarnished the next day.' The most famous pool story occurred eight years later as the Dallas Stars celebrated the organization's first championship. While partying at the home of Pantera drummer Vinnie Paul, the Stars celebrity superfan said Guy Carboneau tossed the Cup to teammate Craig Ludwig from a balcony above his pool — that was s haped like a bottle of Crown Royal whisky — only for it to hit the pool deck and fall in the chlorinated water. Carboneau disputed that version of events in a 2022 interview with D Magazine in Texas , saying it was an accident as he tried to hand it off to Ludwig. 'If I really wanted to throw the Cup, I would have thrown the Cup. But that was not my intention.' Ludwig, who admitted in the same article that they were all fairly drunk by this point, couldn't be sure what happened. Oh, Baby! The first known and reported instance of an infant being baptized in Lord Stanley's Cup came in 1996 when the Avalanche's Sylvain Lefebvre used it for his daughter's He was followed in 2008 by the Red Wings' Tomas Holmstrom, whose niece was welcomed into the Christian faith in the bowl from which countless beers and bottles of champagne have been slurped. The Pittsburgh Penguins' Josh Archibald had his three-week-old baptized in 2017, and the Avalanche's Jack Johnson used it for all three of his kids on his day with the trophy in 2022. In 2008, Kris Draper admitted to the Toronto Star that his newborn daughter 'pooped in the Cup.' 'That was something. We had a pretty good laugh,' said Draper, who cleaned it out and 'still drank out of it that night.'
Miami Herald
18-06-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
A few fun facts about the Stanley Cup now that the Panthers have won it (again)
Some stuff you might want to know about the Stanley Cup, first awarded in 1893, most often won by the Montreal Canadiens and won the past two seasons by the Florida Panthers. ▪ There is only one Stanley Cup. A display version stands in at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto when the real Stanley is on the road. ▪ The Cup travels a lot. The NHL estimates it's on the road 300 days each year. Each player, coach and staffer on the winning team gets a day with it. The Cup also makes a number of charity and promotional appearances. ▪ The Cup travels with Phil Pritchard, an NHL employee. Pritchard handles the Cup with white gloves and cares for the Cup better than some kids care for elderly parents. ▪ The captain lifts the Stanley Cup first after accepting it from the NHL president or, since 1993, commissioner Gary Bettman. Then, the captain hands it off to a teammate who skates with it for a lap or so before handing the Cup to another teammate and so on. Tuesday night, after Game 6, the Panthers decided to let the players who weren't with the team for last year's Stanley Cup title skate with it first. So, Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov handed the Cup to defenseman Nate Schmidt, who handed it to Seth Jones, who handed it to Tomas Nosek.... ▪ Each player on the Cup-winning team who has played 41 regular-season games or one Stanley Cup Final game will have his name engraved on the Cup. ▪ The Cup is 37 pounds of sterling silver. Players often say it feels lighter when they're hoisting it.
Hamilton Spectator
11-06-2025
- Sport
- Hamilton Spectator
Podcast: What's it like to be the keeper of the Stanley Cup?
A few days from now, Burlington's Phil Pritchard is going to do what he's done every June for years and walk the Stanley Cup out to centre ice to present to the new National Hockey League champions. With apologies to sportscaster Jim Nance and his famous line about the Masters, this is a tradition like no other. A few weeks after that's done, Pritchard will start travelling to the ends of the earth to give each of the winners their day with the trophy. Which is an annual festival of joy that's taken him to the Great Wall of China, Russia and even into a sauna with a future Hall of Famer. In this episode of Placeline Hamilton, we find out what he thinks about before walking the Cup out there, what the one request from a player was that he couldn't fulfil, and the one rule he's never broken, even though he could and nobody would ever know. Oh, and we learn where all those white gloves go after he's worn them. This podcast explores issues about the city and stories of interest to those who call it home. Every week, Spectator columnist Scott Radley will dive into hot-button topics with newsmakers, explore stories with the reporters covering them, and chat with those who add to the fabric of this community. Whether it's serious or lighthearted, Placeline Hamilton will keep you informed and engaged. Listeners can expect new episodes every Wednesday. Follow or subscribe at Apple Podcasts , Spotify , Amazon Music or wherever your favourite podcasts are found.
