The Stanley Cup is coming back to the Hamilton region.
Last month, NHL champion Brandon Montour brought hockey’s most sought-after trophy to Six Nations of the Grand River near Brantford, Ont.
Now, on Aug. 19, Florida Panthers player Carter Verhaeghe will bring it to Hamilton’s Waterdown area. He’ll attend a public event at noon Monday at the Harry Howell Arena, according to a media release shared by the city and Verhaeghe’s media team.
Verhaeghe, who’s from Waterdown, played minor hockey in Hamilton for years.
This is the second time Verhaeghe will bring the cup to Hamilton, after a victory with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2020.
Season-winning NHL players traditionally spend a day with the cup during the off-season, touring it around locations that are meaningful to them. For that reason, it seemed very likely the cup would come to the Hamilton area.
Darnell Nurse from Hamilton and Adam Henrique from Brantford played in the series back in June for the opposing Edmonton Oilers, so no matter which team won, several local player would have the chance to bring the trophy here.
Verhaeghe, who plays centre for the Panthers, scored the first goal of the final game against the Oilers, and had an assist.
“I’m really looking forward to sharing the Cup with the community that has played such an important role in my development as a player and as a person,” Verhaeghe said in the news release.
The announcement says Verhaeghe will not be available for autographs, but the first 300 attendees will have a “photo opportunity.” There will also be a free skate session at the arena from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m., but Verhaeghe will not attend it, the media release said.
In late July, Six Nations hosted a parade and event for the community to celebrate Montour and the Panthers’ win.
Montour will start the new NHL season with the Seattle Kraken, after the team announced on July 1 that it had signed him to a seven-year deal.