"It never gets old."
Those are the words of L.A. Kings goalie coach, Bill Ranford, after bringing the Stanley Cup to New West Thursday for the fourth time since 1988, the year he won it as a player with the Edmonton Oilers.
"It's a hard trophy to win, probably one of the hardest in sports, so if it can happen again, I'm looking forward to it," he said.
A few hundred hockey fans greeted the New West resident at Glenbrook hall. According to Ranford, the decision to have it on display there was an easy one.
"My dad was a firefighter for over 30 years. The local fire department was a huge part of building my house," he said. "I thought it was a great way to give back to the guys that are a big part of this city."
Meanwhile, Ranford Sr. was all smiles as he watched his son interact with the crowd. "We're so proud of him. It's amazing to have won it four times," he said. "He treats his goalies like they're his kids."
Of the many fans lined up was Gillian Crawford, who made the trip all the way up from Seattle. "This was very much a bucket-list moment. We had to take the day off and come see it," she said. "It just has so much tradition."
North Van resident, Katherine Dumbar, had her eight-month-old son sit in the Cup. "I don't think he'll be able to remember it, but it'll be a great photo to look back on," she said.
Jeff Gill with the New West fire department also had the same idea with his son Joshua. But things proved to be a little tricky.
"He kind of acted like a cork. Once we got him in there, it was a bit hard getting him out."
The event was by donation, with all proceeds going to Honour House.
The cherished silver chalice will be stopping in Kelowna and Kamloops next.
