A piece of hockey history returned to the region.
The Stanley Cup was in Thunder Bay on Wednesday, with three-time Stanley Cup Champion Jamie Kompon.
Kompon won the cup this past season as an assistant coach with the Florida Panthers.
“It really is surreal, you know, Thunder Bay has had such an influence on my whole life and my career, and this is where I started and I always wanted to remember that,” said Kompon. ” To share it with where I grew up, and to share it with family and friends, is the most important thing.”
“They supported me, they’re part of it. It’s like I said, it’s not about me. It’s about us and I want everyone to enjoy it.”
Kompon brought the cup to the Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame, making his first trip there since being inducted as a builder last year.
“It is absolutely wonderful and the fact that we can share it with our neighboring communities and their families,” said Mayor Ken Boshcoff. “It’s a very emotional occasion and people should be extraordinarily proud of Jamie’s accomplishment.”
A public event was held at Port Arthur Stadium giving residents a chance to come and see the cup.
Kompon who was born in Nipigon and raised in Thunder Bay, previously won the cup in 2012 with the Los Angeles King and in 2013 with the Chicago Blackhawks serving as an assistant coach on both teams.
This is his first time bringing the cup to northwestern Ontario.