People in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., lined up for hours at the GLF Memorial Gardens to catch a glimpse of hockey’s most famous trophy on Wednesday.
Vegas Golden Knights forward Michael Amadio had his turn to bring the Stanley Cup back to his hometown.
The team beat the Florida Panthers in five games to take the 2023 NHL championship.
“Just driving, I saw the whole lineup of people and I heard they’re lining up all morning. So it’s awesome to see that support, and I’m excited for today,” Amadio told reporters at the event.
Amadio said that when fellow Sault Ste. Marie player Tyler Kennedy won the Stanley Cup in 2009, playing for the Pittsburgh Penguins, it had a big effect on him.
“I was one of those kids,” he said.
“So to be able to do that today for everyone else in the community is an awesome feeling and something I’ll never forget.”
La <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/CoupeStanley?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#CoupeStanley</a> à Sault-Sainte-Marie. <br>📰: <a href=”https://t.co/EIIMBWE2oT”>https://t.co/EIIMBWE2oT</a> <a href=”https://t.co/R1o7DgvavN”>pic.twitter.com/R1o7DgvavN</a>
—@BienvenuSenga27
Young fans like Landon Bennison and Hunter McMillan were among those who waited to meet Amadio and see the Stanley Cup up close.
“Very proud, yeah,” said Bennison. “I am just happy that he got the Stanley Cup.”
McMillan said it’s not every day someone from Sault Ste. Marie gets to see the Stanley Cup in person and meet a player from the winning team.
“That makes me feel very, very inspired and I hope I can achieve that someday,” he said.