Why Hello, Stanley Cup

By: Connor Lenahan

Earlier this year the Pittsburgh Penguins won the Stanley Cup under the guidance of Boston University alum Mike Sullivan, and thanks to the play of BU’s Nick Bonino. Coach Sullivan had his day with the Cup today, and for some reason decided to bless the presence of Boston University with the greatest trophy in all of sports. I was lucky enough to get to touch the Cup, and I felt all tingly.

I’m not an extraordinarily big hockey fan, at least for the NHL, but I will almost always watch the Stanley Cup Playoffs, because they are some of the most exciting games in the entire world of competition. Way back when I was recovering from my last broken leg, the Boston Bruins and Chicago Blackhawks played one of the best Stanley Cup Finals series in history, and I had a perfect excuse to watch it. Maybe it was the pain medication I was taking, but it was incredible to experience – amazing game after amazing game and I felt like a marshmallow.

But since coming to college and falling for collegiate hockey I have been enamored with this legendary trophy. The Lombardi, Larry O’Brien, and World Series trophies are cool, and being in their presence is fairly awesome, but they have nothing on the Stanley Cup. How could it? The coolest celebration in sports is the post-victory skate with the Cup.

Plus any trophy that is fairly close to my size – notice that I’m not that much taller than the Cup at 5’3″ – is badass. I’m currently looking up how quickly I can get a replica for my room at school. This trophy is beautiful, special, and a useful cereal bowl – a personal goal of mine being to hoist, set down, and eat Captain Crunch from the Cup – and I am extremely happy to have gotten this photo with it.

If it goes missing, I didn’t do it – okay?