Tampa Bay Lightning forward Alex Killorn celebrated his one day with the Stanley Cup by going back to his hometown, bringing it to Beaconsfield, Quebec.
The Stanley Cup tour also continued last month through Ontario.
As an example, Lightning centre Anthony Cirelli brought the Cup to Greater Toronto, including his hometown ice rink at the Vaughan Sports Village for a public event.
Winning back-to-back never looked so sweet. #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/l9NnJ9Z8pf
— NHLPA (@NHLPA) August 30, 2021
With the Stanley Cup on the move, the one question that may come to mind for Northern BC hockey fans is, will Tampa Bay head coach Jon Cooper bring the Cup to Prince George, the city where he grew up.
It appears the answer is no, at least not this year.
“It is tough now because of the climate. Getting my family across the border has been a no-go right now. We will see what happens in the future,” said Cooper in an extensive interview with Brendan Pawliw of mypgnow.com
Lightning continues to strike for PG’s Jon Cooper after winning the Stanley Cup twice with @TBLightning. He sat down with @mypgnow for an exclusive interview @HockeyCanada
| https://t.co/nrbwvfYMSQ #cityofpg #northernbc #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/BDOy5IOn34— My Prince George Now (@mypgnow) August 27, 2021
“Probably the one downside in 2020, nobody got their days with the Cup and now people are getting their days with the Cup but there are so many rules in trying to get it across the border. Hopefully, at some point, it will be able to be done,” added Cooper.
The 54-year-old, who will be the head coach of the Canadian men’s NHL team at the 2022 Beijing Olympics, may not feel the urgency to bring the Cup to his hometown.
“You know I was upset when Washington beat us in 2018 but the benefit of that was Brett Connolly got to bring the Cup to PG. At least it was there three years ago. Hopefully, we will be able to bring it to PG in the future.”
When Turner Stevenson helped the New Jersey Devils to the NHL title in 2003, he was able to bring the Stanley Cup to Prince George.
31 days across Canada..coast to coast, 2 oceans, 7 provinces, lots of events and tons of parties. The @TBLightning #Stanleycup celebration tour continues. Next stop: Europe! @nhl @HockeyHallFame pic.twitter.com/aNPN1IAGBs
— Philip Pritchard (@keeperofthecup) August 31, 2021
Cooper, who graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration from Hofstra University in 1989, is very much a family man and covered a wide range of topics in the 17-minute interview.
His mom passed away last year after Tampa celebrated its first Cup victory in the Edmonton bubble.
She did not make the trip to the Alberta capital.
“It was a tough time for me because my mom had been at every championship I had won all along the way and when we won our first one I was able to talk to both of my parents on the ice and I could hear in her voice how excited she was.”
“She was my biggest fan, I think of her daily and it was tough not having her experience the second one.”
Cooper is in an elite company. He is just one of 10 NHL head coaches to win multiple Stanley Cups in the last 60 years and naturally is looking for more.
“It’s been a lifelong dream to win a Stanley Cup and we were afforded to do that and then to top it off by not only being named the coach of the Canadian Olympic team but to compete for a gold medal. I am so grateful for the opportunity but I hope it doesn’t stop there.”
Jon Cooper of the Tampa Bay Lightning has been named Canada coach for the 2022 Beijing Olympics https://t.co/ncCowtaTYn via @NHLdotcom
— NHL.com (@NHLdotcom) August 9, 2021
Cooper and the Lightning go for a three-peat starting with the NHL’s first regular-season game on Tuesday, October 12th when Tampa hosts the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Yes, the hockey season is just about here.
The PG Cougars, for example, are just two weeks away before they start pre-season games against the Blazers (September 17th in Kamloops and the next night in Prince George).
FROM THE QUOTE RACK:
At the recent ‘Field of Dreams’ game in Iowa, Kevin Costner made a surprise appearance by stepping out of the corn in centerfield. It went over so well that he next plans to jump out of a fish tank when they celebrate ’Waterworld.’
*Contributor Bill Littlejohn of South Lake Tahoe, California
Coach Bruce Arians said Tampa Bay Buccaneers, players and staff, are now 100% vaccinated against COVID-19. Makes sense. Seniors are at highest risk of serious illness, so Bucs want to protect their star quarterback.
*Comedy writer Janice Hough of Palo Alto, California www.leftcoastsportsbabe.com
In Case You Missed It:
According to Smithsonian Magazine, 10 percent of people are nervous around a clown. That same 10 percent are terrified of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
*Western Canadian comedy writer RJ Currie www.Sportsdeke.com
Hartley Miller is the news and sports director/supervisor plus morning news anchor for 94.3 the GOAT and Country 97fm. He also is the radio color commentator for P.G. Cougars’ home games.
Hartley has been on the Prince George airwaves since 1979 and is the author of You Don’t Say (sports quotes).