Washington Capitals’ Chandler Stephenson plans to bring the Stanley Cup back to his home province of Saskatchewan and to those affected by the Humboldt Broncos bus crash.
The 24-year-old forward captured the coveted trophy with his team, defeating the Vegas Golden Knights 4-3.
The tragic collision between the Broncos’ bus and a semi-trailer on April 6 claimed the lives of 16 players and staff on their way to a playoff game. Thirteen others were injured.
WATCH: Washington Capitals win Stanley Cup for 1st time
His older brother, Colton, was at T-Mobile Arena on Thursday night in Nevada and said a crash survivor, Brayden Camrud, was there for the game as well.
Chandler saw him in the stands and brought him onto the ice.
“Just to see how excited (Camrud) was, and not having to think about what happened and what he’s been through … he was so happy,” Colton said.
“That was probably the happiest moment of my life, everything that we both worked for finally came together and it was all worth it,” he said over the phone on Friday.
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In a post game interview, Chandler told Ron MacClean that he knew a couple of the guys on the bus and is planning to visit Humboldt with the cup.
“It’s one of those things I want to do for those guys and the people of Humboldt,” Chandler said Thursday.
Colton said the tragedy in Humboldt hit everybody hard, including him and his brother.
“It hit everybody so hard because everybody’s been on a bus. Me and Chandler lived on a bus for almost our whole teenage lives, so it just effected everybody in such a way that we felt like, there’s nothing you can do, but you win a cup, you show your respect,” he said.
“Because those guys were trying to win a cup, maybe not the same one, but it was always the same dream to get to the Stanley Cup. It’s a good way to show our respect to the guys that passed away.”
“My mom wants to take it all around the province, but we’re going to need a spaceship to do that,” Colton joked.
The siblings grew up in Saskatoon, dreaming of one day winning the Stanley Cup. Chandler played a season with the Saskatchewan Midget AAA Hockey League’s Saskatoon Contacts team, and Colton was a member of the Saskatoon Blazers.
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“When we were little, we also looked at the (Henrik and Daniel Sedin) and said ‘that’s going to be us one day’ and kind of put our nose to the grindstone and … now we’re here,” Colton said.
“I had too many concussions, and had to retire, seven, eight years ago when I was 19 playing for the (Edmonton) Oil Kings. It was both our dreams and I had to put my dream aside and make sure I gave him the best opportunity to make it. I turned into his training partner, I’m the rabbit that he’s always chasing.”
Chandler was drafted by the Capitals 77th overall in 2012 and just completed his first full season with the NHL champions.
After Game 5, Chandler said he idolized Colton.
“He’s my older brother, we’ve been through it since I was born,” he said.
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