The Marjory Stoneman Douglas varsity hockey team are going to compete for a national championship, and on Monday the team got an incredible surprise — thanks to the NHL.
The Marjory Stoneman Douglas hockey team was surprised with a visit from the Stanley Cup
Bravo, NHL.
James Dator has been covering a wide range of sports for SB Nation for over a decade, with a special focus on the NFL.
The team thought they were just getting the opportunity to practice on the Florida Panthers’ ice before making the trip to Minnesota, but the NHL surprised the players with the Stanley Cup, which was brought on the ice for the players to pose for photos with, and hoist in the air.
Marjory Stoneman Douglas competed in the state championships just 11 days after the mass shooting on Valentine’s Day claimed the lives of 14 students and three faculty members. The 17 players returned to the school after winning the state title, and realized they had the same number of players as the lives lost in the shooting. They placed their medals on the memorial of each victim at the school.
“That just showed we won for them,” Joey Zenobi told the Miami Herald.
They’re playing for something bigger than themselves, and it was wonderful to see what it meant to the players to have a chance to enjoy a distraction from practicing.
“Their jaws dropped,” said Howie Borrow, one of the five Keepers of the Cup who works with the NHL Hall of Fame. “There was kind of a bit of disbelief. Really a thrilling moment for them to see it.”
Bravo, NHL.
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