Washington Capitals goaltender Braden Holtby is a NHL all-star, a Vezina Trophy winner and now, after years of playoff heartbreak, a Stanley Cup champion.
Holtby could think of no better place than Lashburn, Sask., the place where his hockey dream started, to bring the Stanley Cup and celebrate his long road to glory.
“That’s where I learned how to play and my dad coached basically every team I played for here and it was just a big part of our life growing up so it was nice to bring it back to your roots,” Holtby said.
“It’s nice to thank everyone for that because there’s a ton of people that go into helping you succeed along the way and it’s a nice way to say thank you.”
Bringing the Cup to the community holds a special meaning to Holtby.
“I think it means even more when you’re from a small town, a place where it hasn’t been before,” Holtby said.
“I think that’s pretty special, a pretty unique moment.”
It’s a sentiment echoed by Holtby’s mother, Tami.
“This is where the people are that he played with and it means a tremendous amount to him,” she said.
“To see a new rink here and hockey flourishing is just super and he wanted to do his part to make sure that continues.”
Neil Reece, the organizer of the event, said his expectations were exceeded as hundreds of people came out to see Holtby and the Cup.
“This is something beyond our dreams I think, is to have Braden come back, having started out here and have him come back to this small town of Lashburn,” Reece said.