Redemption and Lord Stanley's Cup

Today’s story is 15 years in the making. You see, when I was a senior in high school, my parents, brother and I took a multiple stop Spring Break trip. We drove to Atlanta and boarded the Amtrack train and headed up the East Coast. At the time, Amtrack offered a three-city trip for a discounted price. So, we took advantage of the offer and visited New York City, Buffalo, and Philadelphia.

While in Buffalo, we rented a car and visited Niagara Falls and one day drove up to Toronto to visit the Hockey Hall of Fame. We were all excited about this trip since we all loved hockey; not to mention the opportunity to see Lord Stanley's Cup!

We arrived at the Hockey Hall of Fame and my dad bought our tickets. We took a tour of the facility and played all the games that they had available. There was one were you could go into a recording booth and do the play-by-play for a game; another where you could shoot pucks into a net and so on.

At one point during the day, and it may have been on the tour, we were able to enter the room where the Stanley Cup resides. We were so excited. My dad was ready with camera in hand to take everyone’s photo with the Stanley Cup. We stood beside it with large smiles on our faces! We couldn’t believe our luck – after all it’s not everyone who gets to be up close and in person with Lord Stanley’s Cup. After we all had our photo taken with the cup, we walked around the room looking at the various awards and bands that had been taken off of the cup. It was a really fun and enjoyable day and we were all glad we had come. We got back in the car and headed east to Buffalo to spend the night before our morning train trip to Philadelphia.

Our first tour in Philadelphia was the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall. We walked around, took some photos and then started on a tour. I will never forget the next moment. I remember it like it was yesterday and I can see the image in my mind so vividly it’s almost like it’s in slow-motion. I remember sitting on a wooden bench along a wall waiting on the next portion of the tour. It seems like my mom was sitting next to me and my brother on her other side. My dad was standing up and the next thing we knew he had dropped the camera. Now, this may not seem like a big deal this day and age – that is unless you break your camera – but, in 1995, digital cameras were non-existent. This was the age of film and when my dad dropped that camera, the back door of the camera popped open and exposed the entire roll of film! No pictures of the Liberty Bell; no pictures of Independence Hall and horror of horrors – no pictures of Lord Stanley’s Cup! My dad said not to worry. He would take the film in anyway and see if there were any pictures on it – there weren’t. Nothing, nada, zilch, zero! We no longer had proof that we had stood beside and touched with our hands Lord Stanley’s Cup! Who would believe us without proof?!

Flash forward 15 years – last Tuesday, my dad called me. Left a message and said he had some exciting news to share. I had no idea what it could have been; so, I called him as soon as I could. “Lord Stanley’s Cup is going to be at the UAH game on Friday!” my dad said. I was so excited I could hardly stand it! Redemption – at last! There would be no film exposure this time around!

Once Friday rolled around I was so excited it put me in one of the best moods ever! I was jumping around like a school girl with a big smile on my face all day! My dad came and picked me up and then we drove over to Tony’s to pick him up and we headed to the VBC. The doors opened at 4:00 and we got there about 3:45. My dad stood in line while Tony and I handled the ticket purchasing – you had to buy a ticket to the game to get in and see the Cup. We were probably the fifth – seventh people in line.

My dad went first. He was like a kid in a candy store. In the first photo I took, I was trying to get just a photo of Lord Stanley’s Cup and then my dad stuck his finger in the shot because he was so excited pointing away!

I got quite a few pictures and had to shoo my dad out of the way so I could get a photo of just me and the cup and he still ended up in background – I had to crop him out. My only regret is that I didn’t get a shot of me kissing it like my dad and Tony (and Tony’s not even a hockey fan!). I felt so rushed and didn’t have time to think – it all happened so fast. I realize there were other people in line behind us, but come on – don’t rush a twice in a lifetime experience. After I had my photo taken with Lord Stanley’s Cup and then Tony, guess who wanted just one more picture – that’s right, my dad. Friday’s Stanley Cup visit didn’t have the magic of Toronto, but I finally have proof that I’ve touched the Stanley Cup – even if it is 15 years overdue.