Wednesday was “a dream come true” for Stanley Cup champion Jamie Kompon.
Kompon, who was born in Nipigon, Ont., is an assistant coach with the Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers, and he introduced hockey’s most prestigious trophy to Thunder Bay.
“It means rather a lot,” Kompon mentioned on CBC’s Superior Morning. “It is not essentially about me — it is about group, it is about my household, it is about associates which have helped me alongside the way in which, and simply to share this second with everybody.
“That is my third time [winning the Cup] and and I’ve by no means introduced it again to Thunder Bay,” he mentioned. “That was all the time a dream, to carry it again to Thunder Bay, and issues simply by no means labored out.
After you have had a style of it, of successful, you by no means wanna lose that style.- Jamie Kompon, Florida Panthers assistant coach
“Quickly as they requested the place you wish to carry it, there was no hesitation between my spouse and I — We had been bringing it residence.”
Kompon was an assistant coach when he additionally received the Stanley Cup in 2012 with the Los Angeles Kings and in 2013 with Chicago.
“It is a dream come true for everyone,” Kompon mentioned. “I did not suppose I might get this excited once more, however any time you win like that on an enormous stage and with an ideal group of individuals, it is phenomenal.”
Hockey followers had the prospect to see the Cup in particular person at a particular picture occasion on Wednesday from 3 to five p.m. ET at Port Arthur Stadium.
WATCH | Panthers’ Jamie Kompon on bringing the Stanley Cup to Thunder Bay:
The Stanley Cup returns to Thunder Bay with assistant coach of the Florida Panthers
Nipigon-born Jamie Kompon is the assistant coach with the 2024 Stanley Cup Champions, the Florida Panthers. He stopped in to speak with the CBC’s Olivia Levesque about what it is wish to carry the cup again to northwestern Ontario.
Amongst these taking within the {hardware} was Alejandro, a Grade 6 Thunder Bay scholar.
Alejandro mentioned attending to see and contact the Cup was an unbelievable expertise.
“It is loopy as a result of it is such a particular factor due to how a lot historical past it has and all the pieces,” he mentioned.
Nevertheless, he is holding out hope that the Toronto Maple Leafs will take the trophy residence this coming season.
Hopes for a repeat championship season
As for the subsequent NHL season, Kompon mentioned he is bought excessive hopes for the Panthers.
“I can not foresee the longer term,” he mentioned. “However after you have had a style of it, of successful, you by no means wanna lose that style. So I do know our guys will come again hungry as a result of proper after we received, they had been saying that nobody’s actually skilled it till you expertise it. You do not actually perceive till you undergo it and understand how arduous it’s and what our gamers placed on the road day by day.
“To undergo what our gamers went by way of during the last two years and to come back out on on prime, I believe we’ll be decided this 12 months to try to repeat.”
