- William Carrier brought the Stanley Cup back to his hometown of L’Ile-Perrot, Quebec, on Saturday
- The Hurricanes forward won his second Cup in June, adding to his 2023 title with Vegas
- Read below for Carrier’s message to the kids and how this celebration topped his first
William Carrier brought the Stanley Cup home to Quebec, and a whole lot of kids got to dream a little bigger because of it.
The Carolina Hurricanes forward set up shop at Eperviers Park in L’Ile-Perrot on Saturday, signing autographs and posing for photos with dozens of local children for more than an hour, per NHL.com.
Carrier was asked why he wanted to spend his day with the trophy surrounded by kids from his old neighborhood.
“I wanted to share this with the kids,” Carrier said. “I was lucky enough to see the Cup when I was younger, and it motivated me to win it. If I was able to motivate a few of them today, I’m happy. I wanted to show the kids that it’s attainable and that anyone can win it.”
Watch Carrier reflect on his second championship:
Carolina won it all on June 14, closing out a six-game Final against Carrier’s old team, the Vegas Golden Knights, to cap a 16-3 playoff run.
Here’s the moment the Cup officially belonged to Raleigh:
The homecoming runs deep for Carrier. When he was six, he asked his parents to stick the logos of all 30 NHL teams on his bedroom ceiling, hoping one of them would draft him one day.
He left the family home at 15 to play for the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles in the QMJHL. Two Cups later, that gamble looks pretty smart.
Someone asked how this celebration stacked up against his first Cup day back in 2023, when he carried the trophy through the same town after winning with Vegas.
“In fact, I’m enjoying the moment even more,” Carrier said. “The first time, you don’t know what to expect. The day flies by in the blink of an eye. This year, I’m appreciating it more.”
He earned it. Carrier skated on the fourth line with Eric Robinson and Mark Jankowski and threw his weight around all spring, piling up 91 hits in 19 playoff games. That number ranked third in the entire league.
His name is now one of the 52 Hurricanes engraved on the Cup this summer.
When the day wound down, Carrier climbed into the backseat of a Ford Mustang with the Cup in his arms and headed home to enjoy the rest of it with family and friends.
