Sleeping with Lord Stanley\'sâ¦. Cup
Published on June 4, 2004 under SPHL (SPHL)
Florida Seals News Release
Yes, you have seen the hype generated by the Tampa Bay Lightning fans. No, you haven't seen the full hype that Lord Stanley's Cup has truly brought through the years. Florida is just beginning to sense the importance of this silver idol. Canada, for years, has worshipped this monstrous cup as the be-all end all of sports. Lord Stanley's Cup, like the SuperBowl bronze football award, the Kentucky Derby wreath, the World Series trophy, is revered in the sports world. Passed down from year to year to teams dominating the fast paced world of hockey, Lord Stanley's Cup holds history on its face. And yes, I got to sleep with it...well sort of.
I remember the first time I saw this beauty called the Stanley Cup. I had moved from Korea and was growing up in Toronto, Canada, the home of the Hockey Hall of Fame. In Toronto, and all of Canada, people live and breath hockey from the day they are born. Some learn to walk with hockey skates before they actually walk in shoes. Canadians rush to the rinks, to their t.v.'s, to local bars, to see their favorite hockey teams fight it out...and yes, sometimes they literally fought it out...bloody noses and all. For weeks before and after the quest for the cup began it dominated every news media around. How could a child in Canada avoid not knowing about it??? It was impossible. So, this little guy from Korea couldn't resist the excitement either. Little did I know during that fateful day I took the ice for the first time, that the name of Jim Paek, my name, would be engraved alongside of the famous players of the past. Little did I know that I would sleep with Lord Stanley years later...his cup that is.
The final seconds counted down during the last game of the playoffs...the Pittsburgh Penquins were winning 8-0 You knew that it could happen. You knew that it was possible. You felt the excitement, yet you couldn't let your guard down. Anything is possible in the game of hockey. The buzzer blew, the scoreboard didn't change, the Pittsburgh Penquins had won...MY team had won...I had won. As this huge, silver layered cup was passed to me the reality sunk in...this was ours...this same hockey monument that had been carried by athletes that I idolized as a child now would bear my name. It was an unbelievable feeling. And I was lucky enough to experience it twice.
Did I really sleep with Lord Stanley's cup? You betcha. For one week each of the Pittsburgh Penguins players got to have the cup. And yes, both times I took it home to Mom, the kids, the community and my living room. Too big and bulky to cuddle with, Lord Stanley's Cup maintained a quiet relaxing place on the pillow alongside me. Well, not really but it sounded good. Unlike some of my teammates who decided to see if it could float in Mario Lemieux' swimming pool I gave took good care of it. It didn't have to be used to baptize my daughter like other players did, nor did my dog eat from it as Clark Gilles of the N.Y. Islanders had his pet do. I didn't punt kick it into a canal nor did I plant geraniums in it (Mother of Detroit Red Wing Steve Yzerman did). Lord Stanley's Cup just came home with me for a quiet normal existence before heading over to the Hockey Hall of Fame for the white glove passing to another of my teammates. I'm certain that he needed the rest though...his swim that year loosened his rings just a little.
Ah, the stories Lord Stanley's Cup could tell. Some of them are just as sacred as the Cup itself. As we look forward to the final games of the playoffs, Floridians should take a moment to enjoy the game of hockey. They should take a moment to reflect on its 101 year history and realize that right here, in this State of Florida, could be the opportunity and possibly the reality that history is writing another chapter on Lord Stanley's Cup. Will Florida get to sleep with Lord Stanley next? Stay tuned...and enjoy the thrill. I did and I will never forget it.
Jim Paek, two time Stanley Cup winner with the Pittsburgh Penquins, Head Coach of the Southern Hockey League, Orlando Seals, was the first Korean Player to ever play in the NHL. He was the first Korean to win the Stanley Cup.
SPHL Stories from June 4, 2004
- Sleeping with Lord Stanley'sâ¦. Cup - Florida Seals
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