Home menuBan.gif
Hockey Hall of Fame: Side Navigation Bar
General Info Homepage News Promos & Contests Printable PDF Info Page Plan Your Visit Address, Phone & Fax Admission Rates Hours Of Operation Directions Corporate Information Sponsors Staff Directory Our History HHOF Insider
Group Sales Homepage Minor Hockey Nights Birthday Packages Bus Parking & Drop-Off Online Booking Form
Facility Rentals Homepage Capacity Information Added Value Rental Rates Official Suppliers Request Forms
Exhibit Rentals Homepage Outreach Packages Mobile Exhibit Rentals Other Associated Costs Technical Details Outreach Program History
Exhibits Tour Homepage Entrance Foyer Displays NHL Zone Canadiens Dressing Room Via Rail Stanley Cup Dynasties Hartland Molson Theatre Panasonic Hometown Hockey NHLPA Be A Player Zone TSN/RDS Broadcast Zone 2K Sports NHL2K Zone Pepsi Game Time Upper Deck Collectors' Corner Esso Theatre World of Hockey Global Game Encounter Verizon Great Hall & NHL Trophies Spirit of Hockey Retail Store Exterior Sculptures HHOF Hockey Resource Centre
Face-Off InterPlay Homepage Audio/Video Vault Records & Rankings World of Hockey Calendar This Day in Hockey History Did You Know? Hockey Humour Blades of Steel Fan Feedback
Resource Centre Homepage Collection Donations Services FAQs Links
Education Program Homepage Junior Downloadable Program (4-6) Intermediate Downloadable Program (7-8)  Senior Downloadable Program (9-12) Sample Program Online Program Education Committee Evaluate Us Map & Directions FAQs
Honoured Members Homepage Player Inductees Builder Inductees Referee/Linesman Inductees Broadcasters (Media Honourees) Writers (Media Honourees)
Induction Showcase Homepage Induction 2010 Past Inductions (1996-2009) Year-By-Year Roll Call Induction Speeches Induction Photo Gallery Induction Facts & Figures Selection Committee Election Procedures
Stanley Cup Journal Homepage 2009 Journal 2008 Journal 2007 Journal 2006 Journal 2005 Journal 2004 Journal 2003 Journal
Silverware Homepage Stanley Cup Tribute 3-D Stanley Cup NHL Trophies & Winner Profiles Non-NHL Trophies & Histories Historic Trophies & Histories
Time Capsule Homepage The 1960's The 1970's NHL Dynasties Women's Hockey Pro Classics Olympic Winter Games
Legends Spotlight Homepage 2008-09 Season 2007-08 Season 2006-07 Season 2005-06 Season 2004-05 Season 2003-04 Season 2002-03 Season 2001-02 Season
Photo Gallery Homepage Thematic Galleries Photographer Galleries Newest Edition
Game Time Trivia Homepage Register How to Play Log-In Prizing Rankings Rules
NHL Player Search Homepage Alphabetical By Position By Team By Place of Birth 300+ Career Goal Club 400+ Career Assist Club 750+ Career Point Club 1000+ Games Played Club 25+ Career Shutout Club 200+ Career Win Club One Game Wonders
General Info
Group Sales
Facility Rentals
Exhibit Rentals
Exhibits Tour
Face-Off Interplay
Resource Centre
Education Program
Images On Ice
HHOF Shop
Legends of Hockey.net
Honoured Members
Induction Showcase
Stanley Cup Journal
Silverware
Time Capsule
Legends of Spotlight
Photo Gallery
Game Time Trivia
NHL Player Search

Bill taking the Cup for a ride to the nearby Pro Hoops Academy where his oldest girls were attending a basketball camp. (Mike Bolt/HHOF)
Some players never win a Stanley Cup championship. Others, like Raymond Bourque and Lanny McDonald, are forced to wait until the end of their careers to enjoy the rewards of such a victory. For Bill Guerin, it was a long, agonizing 14-year wait between the Stanley Cup championship he won with the New Jersey Devils in 1994-95 and his contributions to the Pittsburgh Penguins' victory in 2009.

In between Stanley Cup celebrations were stops in Edmonton, Boston, Dallas, St. Louis, San Jose and Long Island. The much-travelled, highly valuable Guerin was in the right place at the right time. Call it synchronicity. Call it fate. Bill's overtime goal in Game Two of the Flyers' series, his second of the game, was a pivotal moment in the 'March of the Penguins.'

Bill stopped by the Stop & Shop to pick up a few items for his Stanley Cup party. (Mike Bolt/HHOF)
Bill, wife Kara and their children Grace, Kayla, Lexi and Liam, spend their summers in Oyster Bay on Long Island, and that is where the Guerins met up with the Stanley Cup on Friday, August 13. When it arrived, Liam immediately wanted to find his Dad's name engraved on the beautiful trophy, and within moments, was running his fingers over the spot, a space between Bruce Driver and Bobby Holik on that 1994-95 Devils' squad.

Bill packed the Cup in his car and took it to the nearby Pro Hoops Academy, where the oldest girls, Grace and Kayla, were attending a basketball camp. The Stanley Cup was then placed in a shopping cart as Bill picked up a few necessities at the Stop & Shop grocery store. The double-takes from shoppers were incredible — he swore that a few even challenged Linda Blair from her role in 'The Exorcist'!

Bill and his family sharing a moment with the Cup in Oyster Bay on Long Island. (Mike Bolt/HHOF)
The Institute of 3E (exercise, education and empowerment) in Huntington, New York is where Guerin trains for the National Hockey League season, and at 4:00PM, he stopped by to show instructors and clients alike the fruits of his work at the unique training facility.

Multi-tasking as a huge sundae dish is becoming a regular use for the Stanley Cup, and the Guerins made certain that they visited Gooseberry Grove for that purpose. Now, there have been some very fine sundaes made in the Stanley Cup, but none that could top this one. You name the flavour you favour, it was there. And no matter what topping you prefer, this sundae had it. Not surprisingly, it didn't last very long as the kids devoured the ice-cold creation.

Bill took the Cup to Richie's Barber Shop in Messina Market for a shave. (Mike Bolt/HHOF)
Visits to two firehalls preceded a stop on the beach to get a few pictures taken, then back to the house for the night.

Day Two started with a terrific breakfast at Oyster Bay's Harborside Deli. Bill ran into a wedding party and invited the groom, his best man and the groomsmen to have their pictures taken with the Stanley Cup. The groom insisted he would never forget Saturday, August 14, 2009 because of the Stanley Cup. Let's hope, for his sake, that he remembers the date for another reason, too!

Guerin took the Cup to Messina Market, then decided to visit Richie's Barber Shop. Now, the Stanley Cup has been involved in some close shaves (remember Brett Hull's goal in 1999?) but has never had as close a shave as this. Lathered up, shaved and finished with hot towels, neither the Cup nor Bill had anything resembling a playoff beard on August 14. In fact, their cheeks were as smooth as the babies' bums that occasionally are seated in the bowl of the Cup!

Bill and his family sharing a moment with the Stanley Cup along the beach in Oyster Bay on Long Island. (Mike Bolt/HHOF)
Back to the house, Bill and the family had more pictures taken. From 2:00 until 4:00, the Stanley Cup was a special guest at a kids' party held at the Shipwreck Tavern. The Guerin kids were joined by Matt Cooke and his family, Miroslav Satan and his kids and Doug Weight and his family at the unique restaurant where Captain 'Briney' Bay has many of his ocean treasures on display, along with creatures of the deep — sharks, moray eels and other exotic fish — as well as the restaurant's mascot, Davey Jones the parrot. Try as they might, they couldn't get Davey Jones to say, "Polly wants the Cup!"

While clothes shopping in Huntington, people continually stopped Bill to congratulate him and the Penguins on their accomplishment. Back at the house, the Guerins got ready for their Stanley Cup party. A limousine took them to Prime, a phenomenal restaurant on Huntington Harbor, where guests from California, Nashville and Edmonton joined the celebration. Bill's sister flew in from Brazil to celebrate with her brother! "Parabéns," she shouted when she saw Bill with the Stanley Cup.

Former teammates with the Islanders Bill Guerin and Doug Weight get their picture taken with the Cup at the Shipwreck Tavern. (Mike Bolt/HHOF)
Bill Guerin's celebration concluded with one final stop. A spur of the moment decision saw Bill walk the Stanley Cup into a local bar, and as you might imagine, the place exploded with excitement.

It had been a long wait between victories, but that made this celebration that much sweeter for Bill Guerin and the Stanley Cup.

* * *

Friday will be here before you know it, and when it arrives, the Stanley Cup Journal will visit Hal Gill and Mark Eaton. Mark your calendars!

* * *

Kevin Shea is the Editor of Publications and Online Features for the Hockey Hall of Fame. www.kevinsheahockey.com



All Photographs are property of the Hockey Hall of Fame or Getty Images and may not be reproduced without prior written consent. For more information regarding use of our photographs please contact us.

2009 Champs Locker Room Tee 2009 Champs Locker Room Hat Pittsburgh Pengins Premier Jersey Penguins History Boxset 2009 Champs Locker Room Tee Enter the home for 2009 Championship Gear Click to enter

Select a Topic

Copyright Notice | Privacy Policy | Terms of Service
© Copyright 1997 - 2010, Hockey Hall of Fame and Museum

We want to hear from you. Send us your comments
Produced by The Learning Edge Corporation.