7 days ago
NHL highlights are now in The Athletic's app. Why this is the perfect time
There's a point shortly after the commissioner hands the Stanley Cup to the winning captain, and the best trophy in sports is passed around, when they open the gates to expand the participants on the ice. First, it's family and friends and others in the winning organization who want to be a part of the celebration. Then, it's the media, trying to interview players and coaches before hustling to a jammed room to file stories.
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I went through my iPhone camera roll to figure out the last time I joined the ice as a media member during a Cup celebration and discovered it's been nearly 10 years. At the time, it definitely didn't feel like a perk. Interviewing players in that moment was a necessity, with deadlines to hit and TV appearances to make. It was stressful. I still have anxiety dreams about getting lost in the stairwell on the way to do the reporting.
But flipping through pictures of the Pittsburgh Penguins celebrating their 2016 Stanley Cup championship made me realize just how much I miss that moment. I've never experienced anything like it since.
The pure elation in the faces of players and their families as they celebrate a championship is unforgettable. There were Troy and Trina Crosby, with their arms around their son Sidney as he won his second title. There was Eric Fehr, who'd scored three playoff goals en route to his first championship, crouched at the waist as a young girl waving two championship flags ran toward him. There was Matt Murray, the breakout star goalie, on one knee celebrating with a bunch of kids in Marc-Andre Fleury jerseys.
And in that moment, as they're all on the top of the world, it feels as if this is how it'll be forever for those players and their families. But hang around hockey long enough and that proves incorrect time and time and time again.
Crosby has one more championship since that 2016 victory. He's missed the playoffs completely the last three years. Murray didn't end up being the star we thought he'd be. He's played in one playoff game since 2020.
Winning the Stanley Cup is hard. It's excruciating. It's not good enough to be the best player of your generation, as Connor McDavid knows all too well while searching for his first win as the Edmonton Oilers return to the Stanley Cup Final this season. And if you're lucky enough to be a Florida Panthers fan and you're settling in for a third consecutive Stanley Cup Final appearance, just know you'd better enjoy it. As inevitable as everything might feel right now, it can end in a blink.
It's what makes every game — every shift — so captivating. There's so much on the line. If you're a casual sports fan, this is the time to tune in to hockey. If you're a die-hard hockey fan, well, you know what you're in for.
It's all why I'm so excited about our newest addition for subscribers to The Athletic. We now have the ability to share NHL highlights in our app and in our stories. For years, we've had the best hockey coverage on the planet. Now, along with Pierre LeBrun, Michael Russo, Chris Johnston, Daniel Nugent-Bowman and the crew bringing you closer to the Stanley Cup Final with their writing, we get to show you the action as soon as the games are done.
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I've seen how transformative it can be, as I've followed the NBA playoffs and the start of the WNBA season, to open up The Athletic app each morning and get caught up on those games in a smart, concise way. Or by watching our NBA writers dive in through our spotlight series and break down a specific development to help us understand the NBA playoffs a little better.
Now, if you're a hockey fan, imagine Shayna Goldman doing the same thing, as she mines the details of an NHL shift to make us all smarter. That's where this is headed.
So, to all our subscribers, my advice would be to watch as much of these Stanley Cup Final games as you can. It's the best time of the year. But if you miss any of it, we've got you covered. Just open the app. Every key moment will be there, right up until McDavid or Aleksander Barkov raises the Stanley Cup in pure ecstasy.
(Illustration: Dan Goldfarb / The Athletic. Photos: iStock)
