Oops! Tampa Bay Lightning Dent Stanley Cup During Boat Parade Celebration

2 years ago 292

TAMPA (CBSMiami/AP) — Hockey’s beatified grail, the Stanley Cup, was really dented during the Tampa Bay Lightning’s title vessel parade solemnisation and is present successful Montreal undergoing repairs.

After the Lightning celebrated a 2nd consecutive title with different signature “Champa Bay” vessel parade connected Monday, the 128-year-old metallic chalice needed to beryllium sent northbound of the borderline for repairs aft slipping and hitting the crushed during a storm.

“All good, going successful for a tuneup,” Cup Keeper Phil Pritchard of the Hockey Hall of Fame said.

It has been damaged and fixed before, including erstwhile the 2018 champion Washington Capitals did “Cup stands” (think kegstands) aft winning the archetypal NHL rubric successful franchise history. The Cup is inactive scheduled to beryllium acceptable for the commencement of the Lightning’s summertime of Stanley that players didn’t get to bask aft winning past fall.

“What we’re hoping is getting 2 days with the Cup: back-to-back days,” three-in-a-row champion Patrick Maroon said past week.

The 2nd Lightning vessel parade successful 10 months was fitting of that tendency for much celebration. Captain Steven Stamkos wore a T-shirt bearing the connection “BACK TO BOAT,” and the back-to-back champs were toasted with a vessel parade connected the Hillsborough River, with thousands of fans nary longer burdened by COVID-19 restrictions gathering downtown to articulation the fun.

The country — 5 days aft the Lightning closed retired a five-game Stanley Cup Final triumph implicit the Montreal Canadiens — hardly resembled the riverfront gathering organized aft the squad won past year’s rubric portion playing successful bare arenas due to the fact that of the pandemic.

Dozens of residents connected boats and different watercraft enjoyed a adjacent presumption of vessels carrying players and coaches. A post-parade rally successful a downtown parkland was delayed much than an hr erstwhile a dense thunderstorm accompanied by gusting winds sent fans scattering for cover.

Eventually, Lightning proprietor Jeff Vinik and players took the podium to code the assemblage successful a dependable rain.

At 1 point, guardant Yanni Gourde slid crossed the signifier connected a trolley portion immoderate different players and manager Jon Cooper climbed down to interact with fans on barricades.
Forwards Alex Killorn and Nikita Kucherov took to the water, circling boats and cruising on the stream slope connected a pitchy ski.

Playoff MVP Andrei Vasilevskiy placed the Conn Smythe Trophy connected his head, overmuch to the delight of drenched spectators soaked by the rainfall and champagne sprayed by players.

It’s the 3rd clip successful 10 months that the Tampa Bay portion has celebrated a nonrecreational sports rubric with a unsocial parade conception Tampa officials developed to supply the Lightning and the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers a mode to enactment safely with fans during the pandemic.

The Bucs were honored 5 months agone aft winning the Super Bowl for the archetypal clip successful 18 years, with thousands lining the downtown riverfront portion being encouraged to deterioration masks and observe social-distancing practices.

The February solemnisation capped a magical postseason tally the Tom Brady-led Bucs began by winning 3 consecutive playoff games connected the roadworthy earlier finishing the travel by becoming the archetypal squad to triumph a Super Bowl played successful its location stadium.

Brady besides provided the astir memorable infinitesimal of the parade, shockingly tossing the Lombardi Trophy from 1 vessel to different wherever choky extremity Cameron Brate caught it for the astir celebrated reception of his career.

The Lombardi Trophy weighs 7 pounds, portion the Stanley Cup is 34 1/2 pounds and is present day-to-day with an upper-trophy injury.

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