The Passing of the Cup: John Carlson’s Day with Lord Stanley

Posted on July 4, 2018 by

Photos: @Capitals

To all our United States viewers, happy Independence Day! To all else, happy Wednesday! And John Carlson, if you’re reading this, happy Cup Day!

It’s been a busy few days for number 74 in Red. NHL star defenseman John Carlson just recently signed an 8 year deal with the Capitals, and today, while Washington fans were celebrating their independence in one of America’s most historic cities, the newly re-signed Capital got to have his day with the Stanley Cup. Carlson opted to include the public in his personal celebration with Lord Stanley, and made a small difference in some peoples’ days in the process.

FireStation

John’s first stop on his personal Stanley Cup Parade was the Bethesda Fire Station 6 in Maryland, where he, the Cup, and the staff, all posed for some pictures.

Carlson was born in Massachusetts and grew up in New Jersey. Despite this, he considers DC to be his home, at least in his adult life. So it makes perfect sense that he’d want to give back to the community that’s given him so much and stood by him and the rest of the Washington Capitals through thick and thin. We’ve said it before, and Carlson said it today, but to all the service men and women out there, thank you for the sacrifices you make each and every day.

Hospital

After spending some time with the local heroes, it was time to take the Cup to visit some of the hardest fighters in the DC area, at the Children’s National Health System Hospital in Washington, DC.

Carlson came here with the hopes of brightening the days of sick children and their families, and his goal paid off in spades. After a quick introduction, Carlson went to a pep rally in the hospital and was even interviewed on the hospital’s own radio talk show. After his interview, Carlson went up to spend sometime with the children who weren’t well enough to attend the rally. The children’s hospital is a big deal to John and his wife, Gina. Their young sons’ pediatrician is a director at the hospital and the Carlsons are happy to be a part of the community and to support these children, whether they’re in for something minor or fighting for their lives.

Parade

After what was undoubtedly an emotional, bittersweet hospital visit, Carlson returned to Chevy Chase, Maryland, the town he calls home. Here, he and Lord Stanley were the toasts of the town at the annual Fourth of July parade.

FundRaiser

After some patriotic fun, Carlson finished up his day in the public eye by taking the Cup to the Michael Mosier Defeat DIPG Foundation in Bethesda. The fund raising event is to bring awareness to pediatric cancer. The Carlsons are frequent to donate to the cause, but when word broke out that John wanted to bring the Cup to the event, it had a spectacular outcome. Thanks to the special appearance by Lord Stanley, the fund raiser was able to earn over $100,000!

From this point on, Carlson and his family kept a low profile for the rest of the day, which included a private dinner and a fireworks shows. “It’s about the fans too,” he said. “They get joy seeing the Cup and seeing me and all that, and that’s awesome too. It’s just a good mix of both and doing the right thing and doing a fun thing. We’re all enjoying ourselves and raising a lot of money, so that’s kind of the best of both worlds”.

The Salt Line, Washington, D.C.

John Carlson was the first Washington Capital to have his own day with the Cup, and he certainly set the bar high with his community involvement, but he can’t be faulted for wanting a little privacy as well at the end. For more coverage on the Caps and their days with the Stanley Cup this summer, stay tuned to NoVaCaps.com!

By: Chris Laroche

This entry was posted in News, Washington Capitals and tagged , , , . Bookmark the permalink.