There’s a reason the Stanley Cup is called the most special trophy in all of sports.
There’s just nothing that compares to the feeling of raising the silver Cup after months, years, or a lifetime of work.
It all comes down to that special moment when the buzzer rings, when your teammates—friends, really—all jump onto the ice for hugs and celebrations.
And everyone who’s ever won it all says the same thing: to finally lift the Cup and celebrate with your friends and family, there’s just nothing better than that feeling.
Ron Francis knows all about that. He won two Stanley Cups during his Hall of Fame career.
When he won it the first time, with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1991, he heard something from Paul Coffey just before the final buzzer that he would never forget.
And if you love hockey, it will definitely give you the chills.
“As a kid growing up, especially as a hockey player, you always dream of winning the Stanley Cup,” Francis said during a Twitter Q&A some years ago. “I remember being on the bench standing next to Paul Coffey, who had won it before in Edmonton, and as the clock is ticking down five, four, three, he’s looking at me and he said ‘As great as this moment is, it’s only going to get better every day of your life because it’s something they can’t take away from you.’
“That’s been really true. And I think the beauty of the Stanley Cup is that you get to share it with people that are important to you.”
After the Pens won the Cup, Ron Francis actually got to take the Cup with him home. This was before the Cup had a protector or escort and before every player got their own day with the Cup.
“I remember the look on my Dad’s face,” Francis said. “Just the sheer excitement of being around the Stanley Cup. We started doing some fun things. ‘Dad lay in the bed, pretend you’re sleeping with the Stanley Cup.’ ‘Dad, sit in the bathtub, take your shirt off and look like you’re taking a bath with the Cup.’
“The look on his face, I’ll never forget. He was just so thrilled to do that.”