More than just a Cup to Saint Mary’s community

By Kelsey Whaley, MIAC

WINONA, Minn. — The Stanley Cup is one of the most hallowed and revered trophies in all of sports. For the Chicago Blackhawks and Saint Mary’s University, it is starting to become a bi-annual staple.

In 2013, the Blackhawks needed six games to beat the Boston Bruins in the Stanley Cup Finals. As part of the Cup’s annual victory tour, team President and CEO John McDonough brought the Stanley Cup to his alma mater – Saint Mary’s University – for a public viewing and rally.

Two years later: Déjà vu. McDonough and the cup returned to campus for a special event at Saint Mary’s on Thursday, Sept. 10.

“This is the most beautiful soil the Cup has ever been on,” said McDonough, “I like coming back [to Winona] period, but I certainly like bringing the Stanley Cup with me.”

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That trio has strengthened the sense of family between the Blackhawks and the Cardinals, which serves the Saint Mary’s community in many ways. The connection is not only a bragging right for current and former students and staff. It is also a source of inspiration and a guide for student-athletes and coaches, both on and off the playing surface.This is the second time in three years McDonough has shared the Blackhawks Stanley Cup victory with Saint Mary’s. The Stanley Cup’s second trip to Winona, though, was slightly different from the first. For starters, it did not make any surprise appearances at Gabby’s or any of the other local establishments the night before.

The Cup’s entourage has also changed. McDonough was not the only noted alumni to return to the Saint Mary’s. Eric Lear, reporter for the Blackhawks, and Adam Gill, video coach for the team’s AHL affiliate the Rockford Icehogs, also made the trip with the Cup to their alma mater. Both Lear and Gill are 2008 graduates of Saint Mary’s and play leading roles in the media and video department for the Blackhawks.

At both the private luncheon and afternoon rally, McDonough emphasized the importance of, “one team,” in the Blackhawks organization. The coaches, players, and front office personnel are not the only people responsible for the team’s recent success. McDonough said everyone involved in the organization was critical to the Blackhawks championship seasons, from the interns to the team’s owner.

“These people are as much a part of this Stanley Cup as I am,” McDonough repeated many times throughout the day while referring to the organization’s philosophy.

The Cardinals and the Blackhawks share this, “one team,” philosophy, and Saint Mary’s tries to incorporate it in both academics and athletics. Brother William Mann, president of Saint Mary’s, echoed McDonough’s comments about one team, and encouraged the students in attendance to strive for their goals no matter the obstacles.

John McDonough, Adam Gill and Eric Lear address the crowd at Thursday’s Stanley Cup rally at Saint Mary’s University. (Photo by Kelsey Whaley, MIAC)

The student-athletes in attendance also took McDonough’s message to heart and saw many parallels between 2015’s top NHL franchise and their own. Like the Chicago Blackhawks, there is a strong sense of family on the Saint Mary’s campus, and the Cardinal community extends beyond the school’s borders. The university has a high turnout at many athletic events and, like the Blackhawks, the Saint Mary’s athletic teams want to share their accomplishments, and those of their alumni, with the fans who support them.

“Having all the students here is good, and then getting our name out to the community as much as we can is good too,” men’s hockey captain Mike Mezzano said, “We had good support last year for all our sports, and this just brings even more excitement to our school.”

As the Holy Grail of hockey, and one of the premiere trophies in all of professional sports, the Stanley Cup also serves as a motivational tool for many of student-athletes on campus. However, Many of them saw the visit not only as inspiration for their upcoming seasons, but for their future careers as well.

“It’s great to see people that have graduated from Saint Mary’s succeed and come back to the community and share it with everyone,” noted Jessica Cwik, a junior forward on Saint Mary’s women’s hockey team.

There is still plenty of time, though, before the Saint Mary’s student-athletes have to start worrying about their future. Many of them are still eagerly waiting for practices to begin, and a visit from McDonough only fuels their desire for the dawn of a new season. Until then, though, these players will continue to support their athletic family until it’s their turn to take the court, field, or ice and represent their school.

“We’re really excited,” Cwik said,”[We] want to bring a good name to Saint Mary’s, just like Mr. McDonough did.”

The post Winona welcomes Stanley Cup appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

He has over 41,000 Twitter followers and now has a song written by Twin Cities Blues and Jazz artist J. Elliott Parker.  The song titled, “i Wanna Be Phil Pritchard” was released just in time by Parker as Pritchard, the subject of the song, may be presenting the Stanley Cup to the Los Angeles Kings who are looking to close out the New York Rangers with a four game sweep Wednesday night.

The song was inspired by a 2004 encounter at the NHL All Star game that was hosted at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, MN.  The Cup was on hand and so was Pritchard.  The Keeper of the Stanley Cup was standing watch over the Cup watching as thousands of fans poured by and took in the trophy.

Parker, a hockey fan, felt as though there could be some great stores that ‘The Keeper of the Stanley Cup would have in his travels.

Parker approached Pritchard who was standing alone at the X for a conversation.  What Parker wanted to lear were the stories of the individual players and their customary day with the cup.  Parker instead learned those stories would stay as sacred as the Cup itself.  Pritchard would not budge in sharing stories.

“I tried to gently shake lose a few nuggets,” Parker recalled.  “But he wouldn’t budge.  So, the one story he could tell was his own.”

Pritchard’s story was enough to inspire Parker to write a song about young Pritchard’s early job at the NHL Hall of Fame which eventually led to his current title.  It is one that he has held for more than two decades  According to Parker who tells stories in his music and brings an old school approach to his pieces.

“It’s old school, but I have to fully believe in what I am writing otherwise I am wasting my time and anyone else who listens,” Parker stated.  “Whether famous or unknown, there are incredible stories out there to tell.  Phil just happens to live a life millions would love to live.  I am surprised no one picked up on his story.”

Parker spent considerable time with Pritchard and said,  “I spent 15 maybe 20 minutes with him but, sometimes that is all it takes,” Parker said of his meeting.  “My take away was that he was born to do what he is doing.  Fate.  I know that sounds odd, but I think this guy was born with white gloves.  Phil is soft spoken, at ease and seems to be in complete control.  Perhaps the aura of the cup plays a part of it, but he is just a likable guy.”

Out of that discussion came a likable tune by Parker and we have it here exclusively for you to hear on the MNHockeyMag.com.  If you would like to purchase the song from Itunes, a link is included below this article.

PURCHASE FROM ITUNES:

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Featured Image:
Jamie Langenbrunner during a break during the preliminary game against Canada during the 2010 Winter Olympics. (Photo: Rosie Perera)

When Jamie Langenbrunner looked across the outdoor ice of Washington Elementary school in Cloquet, Minnesota as a kid and saw the lights of his family home flickering in the distance, he knew it was time to take off his skates and head home. It has been many years since his days of organizing shinny games on the westernmost edge of Minnesota’s Iron Range, but the lights of home are once again flickering for the hockey player, bringing him back to the deep quiet nights of the “Wood City of the North,” as he officially retires from the National Hockey League.

On the eve of his retirement from a career that spanned nearly twenty years and included time with the Dallas Stars where he won a Stanley Cup, the New Jersey Devils and the St. Louis Blues, Langenbrunner took some time to discuss growing up Minnesota, winning the Stanley Cup and everything in between with not just another Minnesota kid, but me, a little girl who grew up in the very same city as he did, and skated the very same sheets of ice he learned on.

Q: First things first Jamie, now that your retirement is official how do you feel?

A: It’s a little bittersweet. It’s tough walking away and being officially done with something that you’ve been doing for nearly seventeen years. I’ve been playing hockey since I was five so to admit it’s over is difficult but I’m excited for the next chapter and being able to spend time with my kids and coach them and to get those other rewarding experiences…but it’s been a lot of fun.

Q: You grew up in Cloquet, Minnesota which is a pretty small town. Do you have any fond hockey memories from growing up in Northern Minnesota?

A: I have lots of great memories and I’m actually back here right now with my kids so I’m kind of reliving them a bit! I grew up next to Washington school which had a rink there and I’d walk across the field to skate there as a kid. I’d see my parents’ bedroom lights from the rink and when they started flickering that light it was time to come home. I was pretty fortunate to grow up during a time when our peewee and bantam teams were very competitive throughout the state and I got to play with some of my best friends in Rick Mrozik who went on to play a few games in the NHL and Adam Pavlatos and Kyle Young and guys that I grew up with and was able to play hockey with from the time I was little through high school.

Q: Is it weird for you at all being in Cloquet with how much people look up to you or is it just home?

A: I’ve never felt weird here. It’s always been home to me and I’ve always come back here in the summer. Most of my friends I grew up with are still around so it’s just home to me. They have the banners and such in the rink and I definitely feel special with that but I always look at the guys before me with Corey Millen and Derek Plante and those guys and they are the ones I’m always excited about so for me it’s not a big deal but I’m definitely honored by the nice things people say.

Q: You seem to have the reputation of being a solid leader in the NHL and beyond and have worn a C for multiple squads; do you attribute your leadership abilities to anyone or anything specifically?

A: I think part of it is that I’ve always just kind of been that way, even as a kid. I was the kid trying to arrange the games, as my mom would say. I would be calling all of my buddies making sure we had people from around town to get a game going and doing those kinds of things.

As far as the captaincy thing is concerned, in the NHL I was very fortunate early on in my career to be around some guys who I consider to be great leaders in Joe Nieuwendyk, Guy Carbonneau and Craig Ludwig. The teams I was on in my career also had some great guys I was around who either were captains or had been captains of teams. To see the way they conducted themselves and the way they treated people I was able to really learn firsthand how to do it at that level. I think leadership comes naturally though and you kind of feel comfortable in that role.

Q: Speaking of one of the teams you Captained, what was it like representing the US in the Olympics in 1998 and 2010?

A: Amazing would be the first word. I dreamed of being an NHL hockey player but the Olympics were definitely something that we all looked at and strived for and something I thought had gone away when I turned pro in 94’. Then the opportunity came up in 98’ when they brought the NHL guys in and it was amazing. Being named Captain for the 2010 team and being able to represent not only the country but my town and my team on the biggest stage, and for us to do well was probably the greatest individual honor I was given in my career.

Q: What was more flooring, winning the Stanley Cup or winning a silver medal at the 2010 Olympics?

A: Well if it had been a gold medal we might have a conversation! I think they are really two different things. To win the Stanley Cup, I mean you’re going through a season with a team. In Dallas we made a few trades at the deadline and added another Cloquet guy with Derek Plante and whatnot but you’re basically going through with a team for a six month battle and then a two month war with the playoffs, so you have a bond with those guys that’s pretty deep. You’ve spent more time with them then you’ve spent with your family by the time it’s over and it’s a really pretty amazing thing to go through.

The Olympics, especially with the way it’s set up as a two week long tournament is definitely different. It was a great experience since our group came together so well and we really bonded in a short time though. We had a lot of fun together but I think they are two completely different experiences although the world stage makes it so amazing especially with the country behind you. Hearing those stories back home from people who can tell you where they were while they were watching this game or that game is neat stuff and makes you feel pretty special to be a part of that.

Q: You recently spent some time with your most recent team, the St. Louis Blues, while they were visiting Minnesota. What was that day like for you?

Yeah, I brought my boys down the day before and spent the day with the guys from the Blues and went to pre-game skate. The boys were able to go to the pre-game meal with the guys and we had a good time seeing everybody and spent the day with Zach Parise and stuff afterwards so it was good to see some friends.

Q: So what’s next for you?

A: I’m kind of regrouping a little bit. I’ve actually been talking with the St. Louis management a bit about starting to do something with them. I’m just trying to find the right fit for me with the idea that I still want to have some flexibility to be around for my boys and stuff so we’re having ongoing conversations. Hopefully we find something that works for all parties involved and kind of slowly transition into something else. I’m not in a rush to do anything and it’s nice to have that luxury, so for now we’ll kind of wait and see what happens.

For more information on Jamie Langenbrunner and his career CLICK HERE for the NHLPA media release. You can follow Cloquet, MN native and the author of this article Amy Gist at @AmySnow17 as well as @MNhockeyMag for all of our latest updates, articles and events!

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