Two white gloves. Too many air miles.
Two sentences to sum up the summer of Philip Pritchard, better known as the guardian of the Stanley Cup.
“The Kings won it back in June. It’s been almost 100 days now. Here we are before the home opener, we’ve travelled to seven different countries — Finland, Sweden, Slovakia, Slovenia, Russia, and all across Canada and the United States,” Pritchard says when we spot him in the bowels of the Hockey Hall of Fame, mere days from puck drop.
If anyone is fit to compare the days the myriad members of the Los Angeles Kings spent with sport’s most hallowed trophy from June through September, it’s Pritchard, who tagged along with Stanley for the bulk of the summer as the chalice touched a record seven different nations.
“What’s great about this summer is, these guys won it two years ago. So their days this summer were a bit different,” Pritchard says. “They had more time to spend with their families and close friends besides doing the public thing because they won it so recently.”
With the Kings having received their rings earlier this week and the banner raising set for Wednesday night, we asked Pritchard to tell us his top three days with the Cup this summer.
“It’s time for the Cup to be won again,” he smiled. “Let’s get it going.”
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Anze Kopitar, Slovenia
“Kopitar’s time in Slovenia was unbelievable. He’s a great person, first of all; he does so much for his community and his town. But to have him bring it home in an Olympic year when Slovenia finished in the top eight, and all his [national] teammates showed up for the event — I thought that was pretty special.”
Jordan Nolan, Garden River, Ont.
“Jordan Nolan’s day up in Garden River, Ont., was uniquely special in a different way because his dad is now coaching Buffalo again. They’re father and son and (are) also competitors. But Ted was there every inch of the way celebrating. No, he didn’t touch it. But it was great, though. That’s a hockey family — dad coaching, son winning the Cup twice.”
Dean Lombardi, Napa Valley, California
“The most unique, most special one was with Dean Lombardi, the GM. He’s got a place just outside of Napa Valley; they bought a place there when he was with the Sharks there. It was a week after the earthquake went through Napa Valley, so his whole day changed because of that. The public showing of the Cup they did, all the funds went toward the earthquake relief fund. It wasn’t about hockey; it was a celebration for that Valley area.
“He and his wife were so involved in at all. They live there, they raise horses there, it’s their getaway. To see an earthquake roll through town, it’s devastating. We were there a week later. The hotel opened the night before [we arrived], but there were cracks all over the place. It shouldn’t have been open.
“He’s such a passionate man, not only about hockey but (about) life and his friends. So to have that celebration in the wake of something terrible that happened was special.”