The Time I Spent the Night with the Stanley Cup (Colorado Avalanche - 1996 Stanley Cup Champions)

Stanley Cup (Craig Wolanins's name at bottom left)

In 1996, I was living in Greensboro, North Carolina and was not much of a hockey fan.   But some of my friends were big time fans. They supported the local East Coast Hockey League (ECHL) team, the Greensboro Monarchs, and attended most all the games.  One of the guys was even a former player, Chris Wolanin (who was on the Monarch roster from 1991-1994).  Chris' brother, Craig Wolanin was, at the time, a 12 year NHL veteran who had played with the New Jersey Devils and the Quebec Nordiques. In 1996, the Nordiques left Quebec City, moved to Denver and became the Colorado Avalanche. 

The Avalanche had won the Western Conference that year and then defeated the Florida Panthers in a four game sweep to win their first Stanley Cup. The Avalanche's Joe Sakic earned the Conn Smythe Trophy as MVP of the 1996 Playoffs.

But that is where the story actually begins for me.. 


As some of you may know, when a team wins the coveted Stanley Cup, team members are allowed to keep the Cup in their possession for a while before passing it on to the next teammate.  Well, Craig  Wolanin still had an apartment outside Detroit and Wolanin's mother still resided in Auburn Hills. So when it came time for Craig's turn to take care of the Cup, he of course, invited his brother Chris to come home and enjoy the festivities.  Chris asked three other friends and myself if we wanted to make the road trip. Of course, we all jumped on it.  Just to be able to be at a Stanley Cup party would be every hockey fan's dream.  


So we took off early that Friday morning and arrived in Auburn Hills just before dark. We spent that night at Ms. Wolanin's house, preparing for the big party that Craig was throwing the next day.  Craig had rented a local community center for his Stanley Cup party and the party was a blast. Craig and his buddies had filled the Cup with beer and everyone got the opportunity to sip some brew from the revered Stanley Cup.




 If that wasn't already cool enough, much to my surprise after the party, Craig loaded us up in his van, Stanley Cup in tow, and dropped us off at his apartment.  He had stocked the fridge and liqour cabinet with all kinds adult beverages and told us to have at it, just make sure and take care of the Cup.


I wish I had some crazy tale about losing the Stanley Cup or dropping it in the swimming pool or something like that, but I am not gonna lie.  We had our share of drinks, took lots of pictures, and called everyone we knew to brag to them about "babysitting" the Stanley Cup. 

Proof? Well of course I don't have any pictures anymore but I understand there was one in existence a while back.  As I was told, the boys had it framed and it resided on the wall at our favorite hangout in Greensboro, J. P. Looney's.  But I heard a story a short time ago that one of my crazy ex-girlfriends had requested to see the picture and, when she got her hands on it, took the picture out of the frame tore me out of the photo.  I don't know if that photo is still up at Looney's but if you get by there, check it out and let me know.  

By the way, I am still not much of a hockey fan. Don't hate on me, though. I will say after Wednesday night's triple overtime thriller between the Blackhawks and Bruins, I am a bigger fan than I was when the week began.  Maybe I will watch the rest of what should be a very exciting series.  After all, they are playing for one of the most prized trophies in all of sports.

And maybe, just maybe, I will tell people about the time I spent the night with the Stanley Cup!