- Sean Walker filled the Stanley Cup with four flavours of Kawartha Dairy ice cream
- The Hurricanes defenseman also visited pediatric oncology patients at Southlake Health
- Read below for the video, the quotes and the full rundown of Walker’s day
Sean Walker packed the Stanley Cup with four flavours of ice cream, then carried it into a pediatric oncology clinic.
The Carolina Hurricanes defenseman spent Wednesday with the trophy around his home region north of Toronto. His stop at the Kawartha Dairy in Newmarket turned into the viral piece of the day: Moose Tracks, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, Pralines & Cream and Coconut, all heaped into the bowl of hockey’s oldest trophy.
Kawartha Dairy posted the whole thing to Instagram with Queen’s “We Are the Champions” playing underneath. Take a look:
Rani Chatoorgoon, the shop’s marketing director, described the scene in a statement to CP24.
“A few of our customers were treated to a jaw-dropping surprise when Sean strolled in carrying the Cup and after enjoying a champion-sized bowl of ice cream, he was incredibly generous with his time, making himself available to anyone who wanted a moment with this hallowed trophy.”
Earlier in the afternoon, Walker brought the Cup to Southlake Health in Newmarket and worked his way through the pediatric unit, signing autographs and posing for pictures with patients and staff. Two kids held up a homemade sign thanking him for stopping by the POGO Pediatric Oncology Clinic.
Southlake shared photos from the visit:
Walker explained why the hospital stop meant as much to him as the parade of rinks and ice cream shops.
“It’s an incredible honour to bring the Stanley Cup home to Georgina, but what makes it even more meaningful is the opportunity to spend time with patients and families at Southlake. Hospital visits and stays can be challenging, especially for kids, and if this visit can bring a few smiles, create some special memories and brighten someone’s day, then it’s time well spent.”
Kade Richardson, a patient at the hospital’s paediatric oncology clinic, said seeing the trophy up close gave him something to aim at.
“It’s a special thing for me because it helps me look forward and inspires me to get to the end of my treatment.”
His day had started at the Georgina Ice Palace in Keswick, the rink where he first learned to skate. Fans lined up outside the building before the doors opened.
Undrafted out of Bowling Green, Walker has now played 476 NHL games between Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Colorado and Carolina. At 31, he just put together a career year in Raleigh, with nine goals and 31 points in 81 games before logging 19 more in the playoff run that ended with the Hurricanes lifting the Cup.
Carolina’s summer with the trophy keeps rolling through Ontario. Mark Jankowski rode a fire truck through Dundas with it this week, and there are still names left on the list.
