'Keeper of the Cup' Approaching the End of Another Long Journey During Final
Phil Pritchard and Craig Campbell, donned in their white gloves and crested blazers, accompanied the Stanley Cup and the Conn Smythe Trophy aboard an NHL charter flight in Edmonton on Saturday at around 9 a.m. local time, heading to Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
By the time they touch down late in the afternoon, the trophies will have traveled approximately 12,000 miles during the Final – nearly 20,000 kilometers for those using the metric system – in preparation for Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final on Monday between the Florida Panthers and the Edmonton Oilers at Amerant Bank Arena (8 p.m. ET; ABC, ESPN+, SN, TVAS, CBC).
This marks the first time since 2011 that the trophy has crossed the U.S.-Canada border five times in a series, reminiscent of the Boston Bruins and Vancouver Canucks' seven-game showdown.
“It’s been one heck of a series,” Pritchard remarked with a laugh, an hour before the charter departed Edmonton, having just cleared security and U.S. Customs and Border Protection with the trophies.
Pritchard, curator of the Hockey Hall of Fame and vice president of its Resource Center and Archives, is better known to fans as the "Keeper of the Cup." He serves as the Stanley Cup’s historian, travel agent, tour guide, silver polisher, and bodyguard.
On the journey since Game 3 of the Final has been Craig Campbell, Pritchard’s long-time friend and colleague, and the Hall of Fame's Resource Center and Archives manager. Campbell is familiar to fans as the other white-gloved Stanley Cup escort who presents the trophy to the winning captain alongside NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman.
The Stanley Cup has been on the road since June 6, with Pritchard accompanying it for all but Game 3 in Edmonton. He shared the trophy’s extensive itinerary, estimating the mileage:
- June 6: Pritchard, colleague Bill Wellman, the Stanley Cup, and Conn Smythe Trophy flew from Toronto to Fort Lauderdale for Stanley Cup Final Media Day on June 7 (1,209 miles).
- June 6-10: In Florida for Games 1-2.
- June 11: Pritchard, Wellman, Cup, and Conn Smythe flew from Fort Lauderdale to Toronto (1,209 miles).
- June 12: Campbell took the Cup from Toronto to Edmonton (1,680 miles).
- June 12-15: In Edmonton for Games 3-4.
- June 14: Pritchard brought the Conn Smythe to Edmonton.
- June 16: Pritchard and Campbell, together for the remainder of the journey, flew with both trophies from Edmonton to Fort Lauderdale (2,550 miles).
- June 16-18: In Florida for Game 5.
- June 19: NHL charter from Fort Lauderdale to Kansas City for refueling (1,491 miles).
- June 19: Kansas City to Edmonton (1,339 miles).
- June 19-21: In Edmonton for Game 6.
- June 22: NHL charter from Edmonton to Fort Lauderdale (2,550 miles).
- June 22-24: In Florida for Game 7.
Pritchard has taken three commercial flights: to Florida for the start of the Final, back to Toronto, and to Edmonton for Game 4. He has been on the NHL charter for the remainder of the journey.
“Imagine the air miles!” Pritchard joked, adding that he’s glad not to be claiming them. “The staff on the charters have been unbelievable, wonderful.”
This Final has been smooth for Pritchard, Campbell, and their valuable travel companions. Pritchard recalls the 2019 Stanley Cup Final when the Bruins didn’t want the trophies in Boston’s TD Garden until their presentation after Game 7, won by the St. Louis Blues.
“No issues at all this year,” he said. “Teams, security, and the communities have been fabulous.”
On Friday, Pritchard and Campbell polished the Stanley Cup for potential presentation to the Panthers, then packed the Cup and Conn Smythe for one last trip to Florida with the series tied 3-3. Despite celebrating crowds and a police escort, it took them about half an hour to cover the mile from Rogers Place to their hotel.
The Stanley Cup was spotlighted even before the Final began in Sunrise, Florida. Pritchard and Wellman placed the trophy on the Amerant Bank Arena ice before the opening face-off, with the Oilers and Panthers lined up on their blue lines.
Pritchard has advocated for showcasing the Cup before Game 1, akin to soccer’s World Cup where players walk by the trophy. “A new tradition? I hope so,” he said. “The Cup used to be on the ice in the 1960s before the Final began. It’s so dramatic.”
The Stanley Cup’s next destination after Game 7 on Monday is still undetermined. If the Oilers win, Pritchard and Campbell will return to Edmonton with the champions, the Cup, and the Conn Smythe. If the Panthers win, they’ll stay in Florida for the parade and celebrations. Then, a quick turnaround to get the trophies to Las Vegas for the 2024 NHL Awards and the 2024 Upper Deck NHL Draft.
Pritchard hopes for prompt engraving of the winners' names on the Cup, as was done last year for the Vegas Golden Knights. “That’s something I’ve tried to push for years,” he said. “It’s brilliant. Families get to see their names on the Cup when players and others have their day with it.”
For now, the Stanley Cup and Conn Smythe Trophy will be locked away until Monday night at center ice.
Top photo: The Stanley Cup at center ice of Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Florida, before Game 1 of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final, with the starting lineups of the Edmonton Oilers (left) and Florida Panthers on their blue lines.
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