- The Stanley Cup, Hart Trophy and Conn Smythe Trophy visited Pikangikum First Nation in northwestern Ontario
- A 15-year-old named after Cam Neely and Zdeno Chara got a surprise video call from Chara
- Read below for how the trip tied into the Heritage Classic in Winnipeg
The Stanley Cup made a stop in one of the most remote communities in Ontario this week, and it meant everything to the people who got to see it.
The NHL and the NHLPA flew the Cup, the Hart Trophy and the Conn Smythe Trophy into Pikangikum First Nation on Wednesday and Thursday. The community sits about 45 minutes by air from Winnipeg and is reachable only by plane or winter ice road, per NHL.com‘s Shawn Roarke.
The trip was part of the buildup to the 2026 Heritage Classic, which puts the Canadiens against the Jets at Princess Auto Stadium on Sunday night. We already showed you how the stadium is being dressed up for the game.
The best moment came from a 15-year-old named Neely Zdeno Turtle. His name is a tribute to Bruins legends Cam Neely and Zdeno Chara, and he showed up to see the Cup in a Brad Marchand jersey.
Andrew Ference, a member of the 2011 Bruins who now works in the league’s social impact department, heard the story and dialed up Chara on a video call. Turtle was stunned.
Turtle was asked what the surprise meant to him.
“It’s absolutely unbelievable. I didn’t expect him to call Chara. It means a lot. Pikangikum is really remote, accessible only by plane and by winter (ice) road. This doesn’t happen every day and you have to take it all in.”
Leo Suggashie, a 61-year-old elder, also got a long look at the hardware. He remembered watching the 1978 Final between the Bruins and Canadiens on a black-and-white TV powered by a generator on the reserve.
Suggashie talked about finally seeing the trophy in person.
“Forty-eight years later and I get to see and touch the Stanley Cup. I never thought I would see this. The thrill of a lifetime.”
The visit also included a welcome dinner, a cultural gift exchange and a stop to see the elders. The Jets donated 80 hockey sticks and 100 balls, and Tim Hortons brought 1,600 NHL trading cards.
Students, teachers and Ontario Provincial Police officers then played a ball hockey game outside, with Turtle scoring a goal in his Marchand sweater. Franklin Paibomsai, an adviser to the chief, played goal for the losing side and promised a rematch.
The Cup has made similar trips to First Nations communities before, according to CBC, including a dog sled arrival in the Yukon in March. This one landed in a community that does not get many chances like it.
Amanda Sainnawap, the assistant director of education for the Pikangikum Education Authority, summed it up as the visit wrapped up:
“We can’t top this. No way.”
The Heritage Classic is the next big event on the calendar. Here’s how the league is inviting fans to welcome both teams to Winnipeg:
Puck drop is 7 p.m. ET Sunday on Sportsnet, TVA Sports and TNT.
