Where on Earth is the Stanley Cup?
TEXT OF INTERVIEW
Scott Jagow: Last night, Hockeytown got another Stanley Cup. The Red Wings beat Pittsburgh four games to two. So the season’s over, but the journey is just beginning for the actual cup. It’s about to travel the world, as it does every year. And somebody has the job of following it around. That somebody is Phil Pritchard with the Hockey Hall of Fame.
We reached Phil at his hotel in Pittsburgh this morning. So Phil, where is the Stanley Cup right now?
Phil Pritchard: Right now, it’s . . . Nick Lidstrom’s house. What time we got, 5:08 Eastern time? Part of the ritual tradition on the first night, the captain is responsible for it.
Jagow: So the basic concept here is that each member of the team gets to keep the cup for a day?
Pritchard: Basically, yeah. And I mean each member of the team, that means that’s all the players. That’s the coach and staff, the owners, the equipment managers, the doctors — everybody’s part of that team.
Jagow: And they can take the cup anywhere they want?
Pritchard: Pretty close to it. Like you look at the Red Wings’ roster, there’s a Russian, a Slovak, Czech Republic, Fin and Swedes.
Jagow: What’s the strangest thing you’ve seen happen with the cup?
Pritchard: The strangest thing . . . I mean, we’ve been mountain climbing with it, we’ve been fishing with it. We’ve been at churches for kids to be christened out of it. We’ve been to sauna parties over in Northern Finland and Sweden. And all these things sound weird, but when the guys explain why they want to do this afterwards, it all makes sense. It’s part of who they are and what they are.
Jagow: Have you ever gotten nervous about the cup getting damaged or lost, or anything like that?
Pritchard: I mean, I think one of the things about it is it’s the cup’s 115 years old and it’s an inanimate object. So it does get scratched, it does get dinged in that. And I guess when you and I are 115, we’re gonna get scratched and dinged as well. So it does happen. But the players all respect what it is — they’ve spent their lifetime winning this, and they know this 24 hours is pretty special for them.
Jagow: Well I have to say, you have a pretty good job there, Phil.
Pritchard: Is it unique. I guess if it could talk, it would be a bestseller — and if it could talk, we might not have a job, so.
Jagow: Thank you, Phil, get some sleep, I know it’s been a long night.
Pritchard: Haha. The whole trip’s just starting.
Jagow: All right, Phil Pritchard, the keeper of the Stanley Cup. Thanks for joining us.
Pritchard: Hey, no problem, it was a pleasure talking to you.
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