- Jordan Staal brought the Stanley Cup to the pediatric unit and POGO Clinic in his hometown of Thunder Bay
- The Conn Smythe winner also hauled the trophy into a Mr. Sub and a local school
- Read below for full details on Staal’s day with the Cup
Jordan Staal took the Stanley Cup home to Thunder Bay, and he started the day where it counted.
The Carolina captain brought the trophy to the Thunder Bay Pediatric Unit and the Pediatric Oncology Group of Ontario Clinic on Sunday, giving kids who couldn’t get to a rink a close-up look at it.
Phil Pritchard, the Hockey Hall of Fame vice president who travels everywhere with the Cup, posted the photos. The room was covered in homemade Hurricanes logos and a big drawing of Staal hoisting the trophy, hanging right behind the real one.
The rest of the day got louder. Staal carried the Cup into a Mr. Sub and then a local school, drawing a crowd at both stops. Check out the sandwich shop visit:
Staal earned the right to the victory lap. He took home the Conn Smythe as playoff MVP after 12 points in the postseason, eight goals and four assists, plus the two-way work and faceoff dominance that have defined his career. Carolina went 16-3 on the way to the title.
It’s the second championship of his career. The first came as a 20-year-old with the 2008-09 Penguins, which was 17 years and one franchise ago.
Staal made it clear this summer that he had no interest in finishing anywhere else, telling reporters he believes in what Carolina is building. Thunder Bay got the payoff.
He’s not the only one making the rounds. Teammate Sean Walker hit an Ontario hospital and an ice cream shop earlier in the month, and the Cup has been working its way through the Hurricanes roster all summer.
