The public will have several opportunities on Aug. 17 to get a look at the Stanley Cup.
The iconic hockey trophy will be at Mountain View Ice Arena in Vancouver between 3:30 and 5 p.m. on that Wednesday as part of Vancouver resident Tom McVie’s 12 hours with the Cup.
McVie is a scout for the Stanley Cup champion Boston Bruins. His 12 hours with the Cup runs from noon to
Public viewing opportunities (times approximate):
• Noon to 1:30 p.m. at Pioneer Courthouse Square in downtown Portland. Hosted by the Portland Winterhawks. Fans can begin lining up at 11:30 a.m.
Public viewing opportunities (times approximate):
• Noon to 1:30 p.m. at Pioneer Courthouse Square in downtown Portland. Hosted by the Portland Winterhawks. Fans can begin lining up at 11:30 a.m.
• 3:30 to 5 p.m. at Mountain View Ice Arena, 14313 S.E. Mill Plain, in Vancouver.
• 5:30 to 7 p.m., Sinnott's Li'l Cooperstown Pub, 5851 N.E. Halsey St. in Portland.
• 3:30 to 5 p.m. at Mountain View Ice Arena, 14313 S.E. Mill Plain, in Vancouver.
• 5:30 to 7 p.m., Sinnott’s Li’l Cooperstown Pub, 5851 N.E. Halsey St. in Portland.
midnight on Aug. 17.
“I live in Vancouver, and I want to make sure the people of Vancouver get to see it,” McVie said.
McVie’s time with the Stanley Cup will begin in Pioneer Courthouse Square in downtown Portland, where the Portland Winterhawks will host a special event between noon and 1:30 p.m.
From there, McVie plans to take the Cup to a friend’s carpet store in northeast Portland before arriving at Mountain View Ice Arena. McVie later plans to take the Cup to a Portland sports tavern where he and many of his Portland Buckaroos teammates congregated in the 1960s. He will spend the last few hours of his day with the Cup with family.
Bob Knoerl, general manager at Mountain View Ice Arena, is thrilled that McVie chose to bring the cup to his rink for 90 minutes.
“I’m at a loss for words, and that doesn’t happen often,” Knoerl said. “Tom has really, really been nice to us and supportive of the arena.”
Arlene McVie, Tom’s wife, coached skating at Mountain View Arena. She died from cancer in 2003.
“I know Arlene is going crazy in heaven, she’s so happy for Tom,” Knoerl said.
Knoerl said he is finalizing details for the Cup’s visit. He said he probably will ask people who want to have their photo taken with the Cup to make a donation to support youth hockey programs at the rink.
A Vancouver resident for two decades, the 76-year-old McVie has worked for the Bruins for 17 seasons, the last 11 as a scout. He has spent 55 years in professional hockey as a player, coach and scout. This is his first Stanley Cup championship.
The Stanley Cup dates to 1893, and has been awarded to the National Hockey League champion since 1926. The 1994 New York Rangers started a tradition of giving each player and staff member the opportunity to spend a day with the Cup.
Despite working in a variety of jobs and cities, McVie has kept a home in the Vancouver-Portland area since he played for the Portland Buckaroos in the old Western Hockey League between 1961 and 1966.
On June 15, the Bruins won Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals by beating the Canucks in Vancouver, B.C. On the day of the game, McVie said he took a bike ride around Stanley Park (like the Cup, named for Frederick Stanley, the Governor General of Canada who in 1892 donated the trophy for a Canadian amateur hockey tournament). McVie walked to the arena to burn off nervous energy prior to Game 7.
McVie watched the game from a suite with Bruins players and management. He said he didn’t get too excited when Boston took an early lead. And he didn’t know how to react when the game ended.
“I just froze,” McVie said. “It really was surreal.”
On Aug. 17, McVie will bring to America’s Vancouver the most famous trophy in professional sports. For real.
