The Stanley Cup was back in its home province of Ontario this week.
That’s where Florida Panthers forward Jonah Gadjovich had his special day with the Cup.
Gadjovich brough the historic trophy to his hometown of Whitby where he shared it with plenty of happy and appreciative hockey fans.
One of the first stops was the Iroquois Park Sports Centre.
“I grew up playing here, since I was like 6 years old,” Gadjovich said. “All these rinks, the ice complex, there’s a gym up there I used to train at, so this place is just special to me.”
It was there that Gadjovich, along with his wife Allison and their twins Lion and Adalee, brought the Stanley Cup onto the facility’s roller hockey rink where dozens upon dozens of people waited for their chance to grab a picture with Gadjo and the Cup.
There was a healthy mix of Whitby Wildcats jerseys and Florida Panthers jerseys being worn by the kids who came out to support their local hero.
Considering it’s the place where Gadjovich played the majority of his youth hockey, making lifelong friendships in the process, it made perfect sense that he felt the need to bring the Stanley Cup there on his day with the trophy.
“I played for Whitby my whole minor hockey career,” he said. “We had awesome teams, and some of my best friends to this day are kids that I grew up playing with since I was so small. It just feels special to bring it back here.”
You can check out footage of Gadjovich and the Cup in Whitby in the video below:
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Photo caption: Panthers forward Jonah Gadjovich brings the Stanley Cup to the Iroquois Park Sports Centre in Whitby, ON. (Florida Panthers)