The Stanley Cup has made its away around Denver this week following the Colorado Avalanche’s win on Sunday night. Players have taken it around town as they began their summer of celebration with things really picking up with Thursday’s championship parade.
There was one accidental stop during the Cup’s travels this week as the Hockey Hall of Fame Cup keepers were looking for Gabriel Landeksog’s house. They had actually delivered the trophy to the residence of Dmitri Rudenko and his husband Kit Karbler, who live in a similar area to Landeskog and whose address is one number off.
“The person opens the trunk and I saw the case and I recognized it, because I watched the final [Stanley Cup] games,” Rudenko told NBC affiliate KUSA of Denver. “Jokingly said, ‘Is that the Stanley Cup?’ And he says, ‘Yes!’”
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Said Phil Pritchard of the Hockey Hall of Fame to KDVR: “We stopped there, we couldn’t really see the number of the house, so I said we’ll just go up and knock, what’s the worst thing, they say, ‘Hi, who are you guys?’ Sure enough, I knock, ‘Hi, who are you guys?’”
After informing the Cup keepers they had arrive day the wrong home, Rudenko and Karbler were allowed to spend a few minutes with the trophy.
“They were gentlemen, completely. They were eager to share the experience of the Cup,” Karbler said. “I had no idea that I would find it so fascinating, myself.”
When their few minutes were up, Karbler and Rudenko gave the Cup keepers directions to their original destination and said good-bye following a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
“We made sure it arrived safe,” Rudenko joked.
“It made our day, and it’s something that we’ll be able to talk about and laugh about for a long time,” Karbler said.
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Sean Leahy is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @Sean_Leahy.