After spending the day with Brett Connolly in Prince George, British Columbia, on Monday, and Jay Beagle in Calgary, Alberta on Tuesday, the Stanley Cup continued its tour of southern Canada with a stop in Dauphin, Manitoba for a day with former Capitals coach Barry Trotz. (Reminder, you can find the latest schedule of dates for Capitals players “day with the Stanley Cup” right here. You can find links to each and every “day with the Stanley Cup” that have already occurred right here.)
Barry Trotz’ Stanley Cup celebration in Dauphin actually started Tuesday night with a street dedication in his honor. The street he grew-up on in Dauphin was renamed “Barry Trotz Way”. You can read more about the ceremony right here.
Barry started his day by picking up the coveted chalice at the Duphin Airport. Trotz was quick to hoist the mug. NHL tradition states you can never hoist the Cup above your head until you have won the Stanley Cup. It’s been a long, hard-earned and well-deserved hoist for Barry.
Dauphin Regional Health Centre, Dauphin, Manitoba
Barry’s first stop after picking up the Cup at the airport was the Dauphin Regional Health Centre.
Trotz also spent part of his mrnimg taking the cup to a couple of seniors’ homes before a parade in his honor was held.
Another Stop, Dauphin, Manitoba
Trotz met with a few of the folks from Dauphin Wednesday morning at a local establishment. At the gathering, one of the Hockey Hall Of Fame officials gave a brief overview and history of the Stanley Cup, including a few extremely important metrics.
Parade, Dauphin, Manitoba
A parade down the north side of Dauphin’s Main Street, was held in Barry’s honor, and got under way at 12:30 p.m. local time.
Barry, his family and friends rode on a float in a two-kilometer arc through Dauphin, accompanied by a Ukrainian band, Dauphinites in Ukrainian costume and the horsemen and women of Canada’s National Riding & Dancing Cossacks.
“This is the first time that somebody who grew up on this town and played minor hockey in this town has come back to show off the greatest hardware in the world,” said John Orisko, a member of the Riding Cossacks, who procures vintage weapons for the group.
“Barry’s family is of Ukrainian heritage and he requested us to be the honour guard for the Stanley Cup in today’s parade.”
Public Event, Credit Union Place, Dauphin, Manitoba
The parade concluded at Credit Union Place, home of the Dauphin Kings of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League (MJHL). Trotz used to play for, coach and was the general manager of the Kings a few years back.
Prior to the official start of the event, the Mayor Of Dauphin, Allen Dowhan, officially proclaimed the day as “Barry Trotz day” in Dauphin.
As has been the case all summer, lines to see the champion and the Stanley Cup were very long. (Videos courtesy of the Dauphin Herald).
Organizers were hoping for a crowd of 1500, but were met with an estimated 5000 people, out to meet Trotz and see the cup. Trotz told CTV Winnipeg “The cup is special because it brings communities together. You can see that here today. I wanted to bring the cup back here because this is where it all started. My parents have lived here for 40 years.”
The public event was also used to raise money for local charities. Trotz pledged to match all money raised up to $75,000. Once at Credit Union Plac, Trotz met fans and posed for photos for four hours.
Private Gathering, Dauphin, Manitoba
Barry Trotz, his family and close friends closed out the day with a very quiet gathering. (Video: TianaTrotz)
Chandler Stephenson will have his day with the Cup on Thursday in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan and will also be with the Cup on Friday, which will include a visit with the folks in Humboldt and the Humboldt Broncos.
PREVIOUS DAYS WITH THE CUP
John Carlson
Alex Ovechkin
Michal Kempny
Jakub Vrana
Steve Bowman
Mark Nemish
Chris Patrick
Rob Tillotson
Brian MacLellan
Matt Niskanen
Jason Serbus
T.J. Oshie
Todd Reirden
Michael Booi
Madison Bowey
Ross Mahoney
Braden Holtby
Brett Leonhardt
Brock Myles
Scott Murray
Tom Wilson
Devante Smith-Pelly
Lars Eller
Andre Burakovsky
Christian Djoos
Nicklas Backstrom
Philipp Grubauer
Evgeny Kuznetsov
Dmitry Orlov
Brett Connolly
Jay Beagle
By Jon Sorensen