Dustin Brown was mic'd up for the presentation of the Stanley Cup on Friday night.
Did you ever think that you would hear a macho, brawny Tasmanian Devil like Brown tell another man that he loved him?
Listen to what Brown said to former Sabre D Robyn Regehr.
Thanks, Kings Vision
*Lump in throat*.
Wow, talk about a profound respect and admiration for a teammate. Say what you want about Brown, he may be a prick to opponents on the ice but he loves his teammates. No wonder the Kings have won two of the past three Stanley Cup championships.
Robyn Regehr. Stanley Cup champion. I love the sound of that phrase.
It took 15 seasons to complete the journey. Regehr had to invest blood, sweat, and tears over the course of his 1,090 career NHL games. He has more than invested his 10,000 hours. Today, he is a champion.
In 2004, Regehr and his Calgary Flames lost in the Cup Finals to the Tampa Lightning in heartbreaking fashion. There must have been times that he felt like he would never get the opportunity to compete for hockey's Holy Grail ever again. That all changed when his old coach and confidante Darryl Sutter expressed an interest in adding Regehr to his special collection of hockey players in LA.
Regehr told Pierre LeBrun of ESPN that he could barely tie his skates because of his injury that sidelined him for the Rangers and Blackhawks series. Regehr was injured in the Anaheim series and he only was able to play in eight games for the Stanley Cup winners. Matters not now. Regehr's leadership was felt in the room despite the fact that he was not an active participant in the Stanley Cup Finals and the Western Conference Finals.
On Friday night, after the Kings had won the Cup in double overtime, Regehr was blown away when Kings captain Dustin Brown sought him out and made him the first man to hoist the Cup. Talk about respect and admiration. Brown could have easily given the Cup to Conn Smythe winner Justin Williams, Drew Doughty, Anze Kopitar, Jeff Carter, Jarrett Stoll, or another Kings core player. Not Brown. He selected the unsung hero in the Kings' room. Without hesitation, Regehr was the first man to embrace the majesty that is Lord Stanley's Cup. What an emotional moment that will forever be frozen in time for Regehr and his family.
"It was amazing," said Regehr. "I had a little bit of an idea. Matt (Greene) and some of the other veteran guys were talking about it before, and [maybe they] just said [to Brown], ‘If you wanted to give it to Marian first,’ but I guess they thought I was older than him, so I have a little more seniority. It’s an amazing feeling. It’s taken me 15 years. I got within a goal about 10 years ago. Just to get back here again was just awesome.
"I'm just excited about the winning," said Regehr. "I didn't really know how it would feel,… he said. "I had a hard time tying my skates, I was so excited to come out here."
Once a Buffalo Sabre, always a Buffalo Sabre. Regehr green lighted a trade from the Sabres to the Kings in 2013. Now, the rest is history. "It's a huge part of it because that's what it's all about," said Regehr. "It’s about being involved with a championship-winning team. Now I can check that box. Talking to the guys that had done it before -- it’s something they’ll remember and cherish forever. Now I’ll have the feelings and memories forever."
Regehr's hockey legacy is now intact. Sutter couldn't be happier for Regehr and the KIngs.
"By Brownie doing that, it tells you how they feel about each other," Sutter said of his cohesive, brotherly team.
I've seen Regehr's impact on a locker room first hand in Buffalo. The room is a better place when Regehr is in it. He makes guys braver, more courageous , and he holds them accountable for their actions. He's a calming influence who can take a teammate aside after getting ripped by a coach for making a mistake and innately make the guy feel better about himself. Regehr is a moral compass. Never did he duck a tough question after a loss. He always stood in the pocket and delivered heartfelt answers. Vets like Pominville, Ott, Vanek, and Miller loved Regehr for his leadership and his grace under pressure. On the D side of the room, "Reggie" was the boss that Myers, Ehrhoff, Weber, Leopold, McNabb, Brennan, Pysyk, and the kids looked to for guidance and experience. Weber once told me that it gave him chills to look next to him and see Regehr sitting in the dressing stall directly next to his.
Regehr is like Krazy Glue. He holds a room together through good times and bad times.
Last August, I had a nice chat with Regehr at Bud Bakewell rink in Buffalo. He was in town for a couple of days packing his Buffalo home that he had sold earlier that summer. He told me that he loved his time in Buffalo and that he felt truly appreciated both on and off the rink. He told me that he loved playing for Darryl Sutter in Calgary and that he was thrilled to be reunited with his mentor for a second go round in the City of Angels.
I'm extremely happy for his longevity and his success.
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GIF: Drew Doughty gets himself a big kiss from Justin Williams http://t.co/ouwM1CB6hO
— Pete Blackburn (@PeteBlackburn) June 14, 2014
Alec Martinez closed the show on the longest postseason in franchise history with the longest game they had ever played.
Thanks, CBC
Tyler Toffoli's well executed far pad shot created the rebound that Martinez banged behind Henrik Lundqvist for the 2OTGWG.
Martinez scored 14:43 into the second overtime, and the Kings won the Stanley Cup for the second time in three years with a 3-2 victory over the New York Rangers in Game 5 on Friday night.
The Rangers led 2-1 in a tight game until Marian Gaborik scored a tying PPG with 12:04 left in regulation for the never-say-die Kings, who rallied from yet another deficit before finishing off the Rangers in the longest game in franchise history and the third overtime game at Staples Center in this series.
"Fortunately, the rebound came to me and I was able to put it in," Martinez told the Canadian Press . "The New York Rangers are a hell of a hockey team. We knew it was going to be a tough series." Jon Quick made 28 saves and Conn Smythe Trophy winner Justin Williams scored an early goal as LA added its second title to its 2012 championship.
Lundqvist stopped 48 shots in another standout performance for the Eastern Conference champions.
Thanks, CBC
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Thanks to @B0undless (Tim Thompson) for another stellar season producing the HNIC opening montages.
The show must go on.
Next stop: The NHL Entry Draft on June 27 in Philly.
Stick and stay with me for my NHL Draft predictions and insights.