‘Keeper of the Cup’ Reveals the Drinks, Meals and Infants That Have Been within the Stanley Cup

It’s the trophy identified internationally, and it has been just about in all places on the map too.

The Stanley Cup has climbed the Nice Wall of China. It has paid a go to to Afghanistan to fulfill troops and has stopped by over 30 totally different nations.

A feat even for us mere mortals, the NHL championship trophy admittedly couldn’t make it with out the assistance of its 4 keepers, tasked with ensuring the cup will get to and from places safely whereas being adored by followers. 

“It’s a great companion,” Howie Borrow tells PEOPLE. As a Keeper of the Cup, Barrow spends roughly 150 days annually with the trophy. “It goes to mattress after I inform it to and lets me wash it every day to take off the fingerprints and the lipstick marks.”

Borrow first grew to become acquainted with the cup when he began as a volunteer on the Hockey Corridor of Fame in 2004. “I simply needed to speak hockey with different followers,” he says. After proving his dedication over 5 years, Borrow was promoted to Keeper of the Cup in 2009. “It has been an actual privilege and honor to have the ability to journey with what’s thought-about the world’s best skilled sports activities trophy and most revered,” Borrow says. “All over the place it goes, there are joyful faces.”

In his 15 years with the cup, here’s what Borrow has discovered. 

The place is the good place you’ve gotten traveled with the cup?

In September, my boss and I had been capable of go to Australia with the Stanley Cup. The LA Kings and Arizona Coyotes had been enjoying some exhibition video games, and it was the primary time ever that the cup has been south of the equator. It is a privilege to go and go to a few of these locations that I by no means in all probability would’ve gone by myself, however as a result of the cup brings me there, it is fairly cool to see these locations.

What’s the strangest meals or drink that has been within the cup?

I imply, the gamers drink absolutely anything you possibly can think about. I’ve seen margaritas drunk out of it. Lesson discovered, although: they used salt across the rim to make it an official margarita, however the salt turned the silver black, so we won’t do this anymore. So far as meals, you identify it, it’s been in there. Cereal, ice cream, pierogis, hen wings, spaghetti, goulash, something bizarre. There’s been $15,000 price of caviar put within the bowl.

Something attention-grabbing that has been positioned within the bowl outdoors of meals or drinks?

Infants! Gamers have christened their infants within the bowl. I used to be witness to 2: Jack Johnson’s child a few years in the past and Dennis Seidenberg. I’ve additionally been witness to the youngest child within the bowl, that occurred twice for me. The file at one level stood at six hours outdated. However in Chicago in 2010, one of many workforce’s executives bought his child within the bowl at 97 minutes. We thought, ‘That’s by no means going to be overwhelmed,’ however then in 2019, we had a child within the bowl at 20 minutes outdated. 

Have there been any main mishaps with the trophy?

The cup is dealt with so much by the gamers — they may take it {golfing}, take it fishing, they’ll put their catch inside – and sometimes there are just a few mishaps. It will get bumped round right here and there, so we attempt to preserve it in nice form. Nevertheless it’s 132 years outdated now, bits and elements of it, and it is on the highway 300 days a 12 months. It is certain to occur. However for probably the most half, we attempt to encourage the gamers to do not forget that it is not only a trophy, it is a historic artifact and we wish to preserve it round for an additional hundred years or extra.

How does the cup keep so shiny at 132 years outdated?

It is simply cleaning soap and water daily. We even have a silversmith and an engraver that does all of the work and retains it trying pretty much as good as it may possibly. A few days in the past, it was silver polished, so it is all prepared for presentation. That often will get completed possibly twice a 12 months.

Who’re a number of the celebrities you’ve gotten met whereas touring with the cup? 

I’ve met Vince Vaughn, the Jonas Brothers and Adam Sandler. I used to be thrilled to fulfill Don Mattingly and get a photograph with him. We bought to go backstage at a Rush live performance and hang around with Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson, which being from Toronto, was superb. David Beckham — he picked up the cup as a result of bystanders had been telling him to, after which me attempting to do my job, I needed to go over and clarify to him that he isn’t allowed to try this, as a result of solely members of the successful workforce can decide it up. Nevertheless it’s simply all a part of the second and pleasure.

What a part of a workforce successful the cup by no means will get outdated?

The parades. My very first one in 2010 was in Chicago, and over 2 million individuals had been on the Magnificent Mile. I had by no means witnessed a parade that giant and it was actually superb. The followers are tremendous excited, the gamers are too. It is simply one thing that the town itself or the gamers, the group, one thing they’ve all been striving for. Everyone’s at all times simply so joyful. 

What’s your recommendation for individuals who hope to be future Keepers of the Cup?

If you wish to do one thing, set your desires and go for it.  In case you love the sport, you wish to work on the Hockey Corridor of Fame, get some expertise, are available in, work part-time hours and get your identify on the market. It is not a job that comes round fairly often, so simply be persistent and affected person.

Trying again in your time as Keeper to this point, are you glad you selected to do it?

The cup is thrilling, but it surely’s a troublesome job. We hear that on a regular basis, ‘Oh my God, you’ve bought the best job on this planet.’ Properly, the opposite day I wakened at 2 a.m. so I might fly right here to get stuff completed. However I believe it’s price it. I have been doing it a very long time now. I nonetheless love the job. I want I used to be youthful so I might preserve going, however I’ll go so long as I can till somebody kicks me out.

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