Carolina Hurricanes forward Eric Robinson spent his day with the Stanley Cup with friends, family, and one of the most important figures in his hockey journey, Guy Gaudreau.
Carolina Hurricanes left winger Eric “Robby” Robinson's hockey journey came full circle Thursday at Hollydell Ice Arena in South Jersey.
That journey started at Hollydell, where Robinson, coincidentally enough, played for the Hurricanes and learned to skate and play hockey under coach Guy Gaudreau.
It reached perhaps his most rewarding level Thursday as he returned to his roots and brought back the Stanley Cup to share with fans, friends, relatives, former teammates, Coach Guy and members of the Gaudreau family.
The speedy 6-foot-2, 220-pound Robinson was an important cog as the Hurricanes won their first Stanley Cup in 20 years, becoming the first player from the seven-county South Jersey area to get his named engraved on the most famous trophy in sports.
Several hundred people gathered at Hollydell – the line to get inside wrapped around the building – to get a glimpse of the Cup and a photo with the native of Bellmawr, New Jersey.
“I think it’s important to give back to the community and for me, that kind of meant taking it somewhere that means something to me,” Robinson, 31, said after taking photos with fans for about two hours.
“This is where it all started. I have 15 very close buddies here who (grew up) skating in this rink. A lot of memories here. So for kids to see someone who played here and then to win it, I think it’s important.”
It gives the youngsters hope, he said, that one day they can reach the NHL and hoist the Cup.
Emotional Moments For Robinson And Gaudreau Families
Before people lined up to get their photo taken with Robinson and the Cup, the Carolina forward was filled with emotion as he and his former minor hockey teammates – they call themselves the 'Hollydell Boys' and have remained incredibly close throughout the years – got together and took photos around the trophy.
Robinson also had a personal moment with Guy Gaudreau, the coach who pointed his career in the right direction and the father of Eric’s inseparable friends, Johnny and Matty Gaudreau. The brothers died nearly two years ago after being struck by a suspected drunk driver.
Handing Guy the Cup was a bittersweet moment for Robinson, who said the interaction came with “a lot of mixed emotions.”
Not having the Gaudreau brothers present was the bitter part. The sweet part was being reunited with Guy, the Hollydell Boys, and their families.
Bud Robinson, father of Carolina Hurricanes forward Eric Robinson, at Hollydell Ice Arena in Sewell, New Jersey (Photo Credit: Sam Carchidi - The Hockey News)Johnny, Matty, along with Robinson and his brother Buddy, spent countless hours together on and off the ice.
They were in each other's weddings and were high school teammates at Gloucester Catholic High School. Growing up, they had long talks and enjoyed each other's company while sitting around bonfires in the Gaudreau family’s backyard.
“I mentioned my friend group, and (Guy) taught us all how to skate,” Robinson said. Being there with his friends and former coach “was definitely an emotional moment, but really cool to share that with Coach Guy.”
Both Robinson brothers eventually reunited with Johnny Gaudreau at the NHL level. Buddy spent time with him during his days as a member of the Calgary Flames, and Eric later joined forces on the Columbus Blue Jackets.
“It’s such a hard trophy to win because you have to go through four rounds of hell,” said Gaudreau, adding that seeing the Cup in person brought back memories of the dynasties built by the Montreal Canadiens, New York Islanders, and Edmonton Oilers that he watched over the years.
Robinson The Late Bloomer
Gaudreau called Robinson a “very late bloomer” who kept improving.
“When Eric came back after his junior year at Princeton, John and Matty said to me: 'Dad, he’s got to be the fastest big guy I’ve ever seen.'
“Eric had all the tools to be who he is now," Gaudreau added. "But at that time, I don’t know if he loved it as much as he does now. He just kept getting better and better."
Robinson is just the seventh player from New Jersey to win the Cup.
“My brother was on one of the first teams at Gloucester Catholic and kind of got that started,” said Robinson, crediting Guy for making the Rams a powerhouse. “It kind of became a thing where local kids wanted to play hockey. A lot of good memories there, and to bring the Cup back here is obviously very special."
“We always said that hockey was a structured environment for the kids to have a good time and meet new friends,” said Eric’s father, Bud Robinson, as he took a brief break from directing fans in line to greet his son. “For this to happen is …”
Indescribable seemed to be the word he wanted to use.
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