Stanley Cup Final features local hockey icons
Regardless of which National Hockey League team ends up winning the Stanley Cup in 2024, someone with deep-rooted ties to Essex County is going to have his name engraved on Lord Stanley's Cup for the first time in his celebrated career.
As of press time, the Florida Panthers held a 3-1 lead in games over the Edmonton Oilers in the best-of-seven series to determine this year's NHL champion. The Panthers are coached by former Windsor Compuware Spitfires defenceman and assistant coach, Paul Maurice, and among Maurice's go-to guys on the Panthers' blueline is Belle River native Aaron Ekblad.
The Oilers feature former Spitfire player and two-time Memorial Cup winner, centre Adam Henrique but also have former Spits centre Keith Gretzky as the team's assistant general manager and former Spits owner and general manager, Warren Rychel, as a pro hockey scout. Additionally, former Spits goaltender coach, Rick Pracey, is the Director of Amateur Scouting for the Oilers. In addition to Henrique, all could have their name added to the Stanley Cup should Edmonton make a history-making comeback and to win the Stanley Cup in seven games.
Rychel, a native of Tecumseh, did win a Stanley Cup as a player with the Colorado Avalanche in 1996. None of the other aforementioned has to date.
Every Stanley Cup-winning team is allowed to put up to 52 names on the cup including players, coaches, management and other team staff.
The 28-year-old Ekblad, who was born in Windsor but grew up in Belle River, has been a stalwart defenceman for the Panthers for ten seasons after being selected first overall by the club in the 2014 National Hockey League Entry Draft. Prior to joining Florida, he played three seasons in the OHL with the Barrie Colts, who selected him first overall in the 2011 OHL Priority Selection. Ekblad was granted exceptional status by Hockey Canada so he could play in the OHL at age fifteen.
While Maurice is a native of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, he does have significant ties to Essex County. After being selected in the second round of the 1985 Ontario Hockey League Priority Selection by the Windsor Compuware Spitfires, Maurice, a defenceman, patrolled the blueline for the Spitfires for parts of four seasons before retiring in the middle of the 1987-88 OHL season to launch his coaching career as an assistant to head coach Tom Webster.
After going on to serve as the head coach of both the Detroit Compuware Ambassadors and Detroit Jr. Red Wings in the OHL, Maurice has worked as the head bench boss for the NHL's Hartford Whalers, Carolina Hurricanes, Toronto Maple Leafs and Winnipeg Jets before joining the Panthers in time for the 2022-2023 NHL season.
The 57-year-old Maurice frequently returns to Essex County during the off-season as his wife, Michelle, is from the Windsor area.
Henrique, a 34-year-old native of Burford, Ontario, played four seasons with the Spitfires, starting with the 2-45- campaign and won back-to-back Memorial Cups with the Spits during the 2008-2009 and 2009-2010 seasons before making the jump to the NHL with the New Jersey Devils. He has also played with the Anaheim Ducks, who traded him to Edmonton earlier this year.
Henrique returned to his old stomping grounds at the WFCU Centre last May to play in Jonesy's Game, a charity event that raised awareness of and funds for the battle against ALS.
No matter which team that ends up winning the 2024 National Hockey League championship, in addition to having a local hockey icon's name engraved on the Stanley Cup for the first time, look for Lord Stanley's trophy to make an appearance or two in Essex County at some point this summer.
John Humphrey , Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Tilbury Times Reporter, Tilbury Times Reporter
