logo
This Canadian city is planning its sixth Stanley Cup parade since 2007. It has no NHL team

This Canadian city is planning its sixth Stanley Cup parade since 2007. It has no NHL team

Yahooa day ago
No Canadian NHL team has won a Stanley Cup in 32 years, meaning no Canadian NHL city has hosted a Stanley Cup parade for its hometown team in more than three decades.
But one Canadian city, too small to host an NHL team, is in early discussions for what could be its remarkable sixth Stanley Cup parade since 2007.
Halifax has produced some of the most exciting — and successful — hockey players of our time. And with them has come a tradition of bringing the Cup to their NHL-less hometown for parades that can draw tens of thousands of people.
Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby brought the coveted National Hockey League trophy back to his hometown of Cole Harbour, a suburb of Halifax, and toured it around the city, in 2009. He then repeated it in 2016, and again in 2017.
'All three of his parades were unbelievable,' Phil Pritchard, the 'Keeper of the Cup' and legendary Hockey Hall of Fame curator, said in a recent interview.
'Most guys don't really have parades and things like that. They have little town celebrations or community things. But Halifax went all-in.'
An estimated 25,000 people attended Crosby's first hometown parade in 2009, with fans reportedly lining up 10 deep in some places to cheer on their hockey hero.
A similar parade route for Crosby in 2016 drew about 30,000 people. And when Sid the Kid was the marshal for the city's 2017 Natal Day parade, that number reportedly doubled.
'What I found amazing about it was the people who came out in support, not just to watch the parade, but volunteered, that helped with security, that just helped out,' Pritchard said.
Thousands of people also showed up for Nathan MacKinnon's 2022 parade in Halifax when he won the Stanley Cup with the Colorado Avalanche, which Pritchard dubbed 'equally as amazing' as the Crosby celebrations.
'Not to take anything away from Sidney or Nathan, but maybe it's the people of Halifax – they're hockey crazy,' Pritchard said. 'And they've got two of the best players in the world playing, so maybe it all falls in together.'
Pritchard's quick to point out that Joe DiPenta was the first hockey player to bring the Stanley Cup back to his hometown of Cole Harbour in 2007, as a member of the Anaheim Ducks. But his celebrations and parade were 'a lot smaller,' Pritchard said.
Official Stanley Cup parades have been going on for more than a century. The first one the Hockey Hall of Fame could confirm marched down Winnipeg's Main Street after the Winnipeg Victorias won the Cup in 1896, three years after it was first awarded.
For the past 30 years, players on Cup-winning teams each get at least a day with the storied trophy, to do with it as they please.
This year's Cup champion, the Florida Panthers, has 100 days with the Stanley Cup, from the night they won it, June 17, until the NHL's opening night in early October.
One of the breakout stars of this year's Panthers is Halifax's Brad Marchand. He won the Cup in 2011 with the Boston Bruins, but chose to celebrate with smaller events at Halifax City Hall and a visit to the local children's hospital.
'He didn't have a parade,' Pritchard said. 'Not a lot of them do actual parades. The community has to get that going and Halifax has been great at it.'
The 37-year-old right winger, who hails from the Halifax suburb of Hammonds Plains, deserves a parade, according to Jason Wilson, who teaches a course about hockey in Canadian history at the University of Guelph.
'Marchand has proven himself to hockey fans everywhere. He has even convinced long-suffering Leafs fans like myself that he's the real deal,' said Wilson, co-author of Lord Stanley: The Man Behind the Cup.
'His commitment to focusing on the game and shredding — though perhaps not altogether — his sometimes-bizarre non-hockey play on the ice, is a declaration of maturity. When you consider the Four Nations Cup and this past Stanley Cup playoffs, I think there's an argument to be made that he has to be included among the top five most impactful players of 2025. An impact that surely has the good people of Hammonds Plains, N.S., planning a parade route for their ice warrior.'
Marchand scored six goals in five games for the Panthers during the 2025 Stanley Cup Final, including game-winning goals in both of their road wins, to help Florida take their second straight championship against the Edmonton Oilers.
'Brad doesn't have a date picked yet' for his personal day with the Stanley Cup, Pritchard said.
That begs the question: should Halifax throw Marchand a parade?
'It takes more than one guy to have the parade,' Pritchard said, 'the community's got to get behind it.'
Halifax Mayor Andy Fillmore sounds keen on hosting a Marchand parade.
'Brad Marchand is a hometown legend and now a two-time Stanley Cup champion and Halifax couldn't be prouder,' Fillmore said in an email.
'As mayor of Halifax, I'd love to welcome Brad home to celebrate this incredible win, with the Cup, of course. We're in early discussions at the city about how to help make that happen. It's entirely up to him, but if he's game, we'd be thrilled to host him here in Halifax this summer.'
Free donairs for 1,500 Haligonians thanks to Brad Marchand's goal for the Florida Panthers
Ageless Marchand continues Stanley Cup sizzle
Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark nationalpost.com and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Maple Leafs Predicted to Land 7-Time All-Star
Maple Leafs Predicted to Land 7-Time All-Star

Yahoo

time12 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Maple Leafs Predicted to Land 7-Time All-Star

Maple Leafs Predicted to Land 7-Time All-Star originally appeared on Athlon Sports. As the Toronto Maple Leafs continue their offseason, one of the main goals is to improve the defensive unit. Toronto wants to truly contend for a Stanley Cup next season, and one of the ways to make that happen is to upgrade the blueline. Advertisement Defense let the Maple Leafs down in the postseason this year, with the players not being able to help generate enough offense. But the front office has been active in trying to search for some upgrades across the NHL. One name that could be interesting for the Maple Leafs is veteran Erik Karlsson of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Pittsburgh has been rumored to be dangling Karlsson in different trade talks, and now he is being linked to Toronto. NHL writer James Murphy of linked the two sides together. 'There's more than just hearsay when it comes to the Leafs and Erik Karlsson right now,' a league source told Murphy. Advertisement 'There's probably going to be salary retained, but the thought that there's some kind of bad blood between Dubas and the Leafs still that would prevent something like this is crazy. This is a business, and if there's enough interest from both teams and they figure out the cap hit and money, then that's all that matters," Murphy wrote. Karlsson could get another chance to go after a title with the Maple Leafs, while Pittsburgh could net some future assets. The Maple Leafs do make sense as a landing spot for Karlsson, especially given where he is in his career. The veteran likely doesn't have many years left to play, so making the most of his time with a contending team makes sense. Last season with the Penguins, Karlsson put up 11 goals and 42 assists. Karlsson could help improve the Maple Leafs' defense on both sides of the ice. This could be a solid move for Toronto to consider, and there seems to be some smoke around it. This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 14, 2025, where it first appeared.

Penguins to open NHL season vs. Mike Sullivan, Rangers
Penguins to open NHL season vs. Mike Sullivan, Rangers

Yahoo

time23 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Penguins to open NHL season vs. Mike Sullivan, Rangers

This article originally appeared on The next Pittsburgh Penguins season is officially on the horizon. Monday, the NHL announced that the Penguins will play the season opener against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden on Oct. 7. The game is scheduled for 8 p.m. Advertisement Of course, the NHL is not only leaning into the longstanding rivalry between the Penguins and Rangers, but also the coach swap that happened over the summer. After nine-plus seasons and two Stanley Cups, Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas fired coach Mike Sullivan, though it was termed a mutual parting of the ways. Click here to read more from Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW

With Nedeljkovic Traded, Penguins Are Starting To Solve Goaltender Logjam
With Nedeljkovic Traded, Penguins Are Starting To Solve Goaltender Logjam

Yahoo

timean hour ago

  • Yahoo

With Nedeljkovic Traded, Penguins Are Starting To Solve Goaltender Logjam

An Early Look At WHLers To Watch For The 2026 NHL Entry Draft With the 2025 off-season officially here, it is time to look ahead to some of the must-watch names for the 2026 NHL Entry Draft. Like in 2025, the WHL is expected to play a significant role in the draft, as players from across the league will hear their name called next June. With this in mind, here is a very early look at the top five WHL prospects for the 2026 NHL Entry Draft. 1:04 Now Playing Paused Ad Playing

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store