To this day, certain details of the trip are fuzzy but the fact remains - although I did not earn a chance to hoist Lord Stanley's Cup over my head in victory, I did manage to run my fingers across the engraved names that cover all sides of that special trophy. I giggled like a school girl as I read the names of guys like: Scotty Bowman and Toe Blake, Beliveau and Richard, Lafleur or Lemaire, a fella named Gretzky and his counterpart Lemieux.
Fast forward eleven years and those same two college roommates once again delighted in this year's race for the Cup. Now a family man, I have a new found joy sharing the ups and downs of playoff hockey with my kids. As the stream of passion filled hockey games reeled on our television, a fervor of hockey fever swept back into the Kirby household. Rather than take in another episode of iCarly with his sister in the other room, Logan continually choose to pile in next to Dad offering his 3 year old take on "play-by-play" for multiple periods of hockey. And although her love of teenage micro-drama is strong, Emma even checked in on a few games here and there. A real sign of change is when Tyler and Michele supported mine and Bear's decision to re-decorate the boys' bedroom with Christian Bros. hockey sticks whose best days are behind them.
Last night, the Flyers and the Blackhawks did not disappoint and neither did my children. Being just a toddler, Logan was only allowed the first two periods of Game 6. We high-fived and hugged our way through those 2 periods as Logan pointed out Pronger was being naughty; Niemi was making the big saves, and Toews must have fast skates. I could have sworn that my little Bear had a stop watch and was keeping official statistics of Big Buff's ice time because it wasn't long until Logie was calling out Buff's shifts long before I noticed.
And then the folks at NBC gave us a peek at Lord Stanley of Preston's Cup. We watched as the tenders polished the oldest trophy in North American professional sports and I shared with Logan that the winners get to spend their time "with the Cup." Asking Bear what he'd do if he ever won it, my son replied, "I'd bing it home an share wit Mommy and Tyler and Emma and Gunner and You!" I laughed and may have been dreaming of the possibilities of that reality when I asked him if we could take it fishing with us. Of course this seemed silly to a three-year old. Even sillier when I asked him if we could drink from it. "You can't dink Apple Juice from the Stanley Cup, Dad!" Of course son, I'll keep that in mind. And off he went to bed while the zamboni did it's job during the 2nd Intermission.
A late 3rd period Philly goal tied things up and just over 4 minutes into OT, Patrick Kane snuck one by the goalie and just about everyone in T.V. land to end Chicago's draught in pursuit of the championship. This morning, moments after he wiped the sleep from his eyes, Logan asked if "Buff got the cup?" I carried him downstairs where he and Emma took in some early morning SportsCenter. Logan was quick to point out the Stanley Cup to his big sister as the Hawks paraded it around the ice in highlights. But Bear wanted to know where Buff was.
I asked Emma what she'd do if Logan won the Stanley Cup, she didn't hesitate to quietly tell me that she'd "sneak into Logan's room when he was sleeping and bring it into her room." And as I hugged her, Logan spotted a new Roseau County hero - Dustin Byfuglien - with the cup over his head.Hopefully Logan will be able to check the spelling on that name 20 years from now when they're putting his on it.
1 comment:
Excellent commentary on the game. What a game. What a series.
Hawks win, Hawks win.
I've won that Cup a million times in my mind, and like you, can only hope that one day my boy brings it home for real, so we can share from it a few Bud Lights!
Keep your head up, my friend. It's gonna be a long summer now!
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