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| Devils' defenseman Tommy Albelin brought something very special to his daughter Amanda's show-and-tell class. |
(Wednesday, June 18) -- The time - 9:00 a.m. Monday. The Stanley Cup was on its way to visit Amanda and her first grade class but something was holding up traffic and as a result, the arrival of the Stanley Cup to celebrate the championship won by Amanda's daddy was delayed. Police had blocked an intersection ahead and a motorcade was swiftly being directed past curious onlookers. It turned out that former president Bill Clinton had been in the motorcade that morning. But no one at Amanda's school seemed to mind when her dad, Devils' defenseman Tommy Albelin, walked in holding the Stanley Cup. Tommy took the Cup over to his son's school afterwards, where he put smiles on the faces of Adam's sixth grade classmates.
The Stanley Cup was then transported over to Montclair Golf Club in West Orange, New Jersey. The club, one of the oldest in the United States, was founded in 1893 and counts Baseball Hall of Famer Yogi Berra as a member. In fact, the Stanley Cup's appearance was for Yogi Berra's charity golf tournament. Retired Devil John MacLean was on hand for the tournament, as were former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani and baseball greats Joe Torre, Roger Clemens, Don Mattingly and David Cone.
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| A celebratory team/family photo shoot welcoming four new members to the clan - (from left to right) the Vezina Trophy, William M. Jennings Trophy, Stanley Cup, and Prince of Wales Trophy. |
When the Stanley Cup returned to the Meadowlands Monday afternoon, the entire staff at the Continental Airlines Arena was given a Devils' home jersey with his or her name on the back. They then assembled at centre ice, huddled around the Stanley Cup, and had their photos taken as a permanent souvenir saluting the 2002-2003 Stanley Cup champions.
Monday night, hockey's most coveted trophy made an appearance at the Canadian Society of New York's 26th Annual Hockey Achievement Awards Dinner. This year, Montreal Canadiens' great Henri Richard was honoured, and on hand was Lou Lamoriello, the Devils' CEO, President and General Manager, as well as Glen Sather, Ken Dryden, Bob Gainey, Scotty Bowman, Bill Torrey, Bryan Trottier and Denis Potvin -- all Honoured Members of the Hockey Hall of Fame. Henri Richard is one of the Stanley Cup's closest friends, having had his name engraved on the trophy more than any other player. Henri was a member of eleven Stanley Cup championship teams, all with the Canadiens, during his phenomenal twenty season NHL career.
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| Every morning, Jim McKenzie visits Bagels Abroad. This time, Jim brought something that opened the eyes of the deli's breakfast crew. |
On Tuesday morning, Gull Lake, Saskatchewan's Jim McKenzie woke up and went through his usual daily routine, which always includes a stop at his favourite bagel shop. Except this time, he brought along the Stanley Cup for the restaurant patrons to see. If regulars couldn't sleep Tuesday night, it had nothing to do with too much coffee and everything to do with the excitement of seeing the Stanley Cup up close and personal.
McKenzie then visited his son's Grade 2 class with the Stanley Cup. Before the Cup arrived, 7-year old Connor told anyone who would listen, "This is going to be the greatest day of my life!" As Jim was leaving after the Cup's visit, he asked his son if the visit by the Stanley Cup was everything he dreamed it would be. "Yep," Connor replied, but it was the ear to ear grin that truly answered the question.
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| Jim McKenzie's daughter Taylor and her classmates were participating in Sports Day...until the Stanley Cup arrived. |
Jim McKenzie is a big, tough boy. At 6'5" and 225 pounds, he's the biggest Devil, and no opposing forward relishes the thought of standing in front of the net when Number 19 is on the ice. But Jim is one of the game's great guys, and when he visited daughter Taylor's school, the kids were in the midst of a sports day. Jim took the trophy around so that every single child would have a chance to see and touch the Stanley Cup, and be able to tell the story for the rest of their lives!
The Stanley Cup was being flown back to Toronto Wednesday morning at 11:30, where it would play an integral role in a party at the Hockey Hall of Fame, celebrating the tenth anniversary at the current location at Yonge and Front streets in Toronto's exciting downtown core.
Friday's Stanley Cup Journal gives us a hint of the Stanley Cup's musical tastes - from Blue Rodeo to Nashville.
Kevin Shea is a hockey journalist and historian living in Toronto.
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