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Golden Knights forward Brett Howden hoists the Stanley Cup over his head during his day with the trophy in Manitoba, Canada, on July 23, 2023.
Tuesday, Aug. 8, 2023 | 2 a.m.
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It’s not uncommon for a player to spend their day with the Stanley Cup at a golf course.
But it’s different when said golf course played a pivotal role in your childhood. That’s how Golden Knights forward Brett Howden spent his day with the 35-pound silver trophy.
Howden celebrated with friends, family and fans at Pine Ridge Golf Club in Sunnyside, Manitoba on July 23 with the Stanley Cup making its rounds as the Golden Knights continued celebrating their championship throughout the summer.
Pine Ridge holds a special place in Howden’s heart. He worked in the back shop for four years from when he was 12 years old and has been a member ever since. Howden played three holes, with the Stanley Cup flanked behind him on every drive, and rain pouring hard.
“I felt like I grew up there,” Howden said. “It’s a special place to me.”
It was a busy time for Howden the moment he got back home.
The Golden Knights spent a week together in the days after clinching the Cup on June 13 against the Florida Panthers before going their separate ways for the offseason.
When Howden, his wife Meike and son Charlie returned to Manitoba, they attended a few weddings within a few weeks, and then had to plan his day with the Cup. Fortunately, Howden’s sisters Danaka and Jayda are event planners and alleviated the stress.
The highlight, though, came with the fun activity of eating food from the top bowl of the Cup. Howden’s dad Sheldon prepared chicken wings, something he likes to do once or twice during the summer. The flavor of choice was roasted ranch, Howden’s favorite, which is homemade ranch mixed with roasted chili flakes.
In a flash, Howden said, the day was done. It’s not even a full 24 hours with the Stanley Cup before it goes on to its next stop.
“My favorite thing was being with my family, my in-laws and my friends, the people who were a big part in my life and helped me get to where I am today,” Howden said. “Just having them all there.”
For what was a day of celebration, Howden was already in a great mood. Four days prior, the Golden Knights signed Howden to a two-year deal with an average annual value of $1.9 million.
Howden, a first-round pick from 2017, has revived his career in Vegas after a lackluster three seasons with the New York Rangers. Howden had 10 points during the playoffs skating on the third line with Chandler Stephenson and Mark Stone.
“Vegas is a really special place to us. We feel like Vegas is home to us because there’s a lot of special things that have happened in our lives in Vegas,” Howden said. “For us to be there for two more years is so incredible. We’re beyond thankful to be there.”
Roy’s day in Quebec
Nicolas Roy was the first to have a day with the Stanley Cup, which meant he was the first of his Vegas teammates to see the Golden Knights’ engraving on the Cup.
Vegas is the first team to ever have their place on the trophy so early into the offseason, and Roy got to be the first to see the updated look.
“I kept (it) maybe an hour to myself and my girlfriend. For the whole hour, we were looking at all the names. Gretzky, a lot of names,” Roy said. “It’s special to hold it and see your name on it. That hour was awesome.”
The native of Amos, Quebec, a town with about 15,000 people, spent his day — also a rain-filled endeavor — celebrating with a parade down the streets of his hometown and taking pictures with as many people as he could lined up along the route.
In addition to joining friends and family for a dinner and a trip to a local bar afterwards, Roy was gifted a stitched Golden Knights necklace from fans at the parade.
“We weren’t sure how many people would be there, but the whole time there was a lot of people in the streets,” Roy said. “The rain came, pouring a lot. It was fun.”
