Phil Pritchard and the Stanley Cup have traveled the world the last 21 years.
Pritchard, one of four keepers of the cup, was in Grand Haven on Tuesday as Dan Bylsma, the head coach of the Pittsburgh Penguins, enjoyed his day with the hallowed trophy.Last week, Pritchard and his 35-pound traveling companion were in Nova Scotia with Penguin captain Sydney Crosby. Then it was in Chicago, Regina, Saskatchewan, back to Chicago then to Grand Haven early Tuesday morning. The cup made it as far as Holland late Monday night before Pritchard stopped for a couple hours of sleep.
Then it was up early Tuesday morning for the short trip to Grand Haven and another long and busy day.
After a full day of activities in Grand Haven, Bylsma was making the trip north to Thompsonville, where owns a log cabin. After some early-morning fishing, the cup was being driven to Detroit then flown to Boston.
Pritchard said the Stanley Cup championship team is allotted 100 days during off-season to pass around the cup. Travel arrangements are made through the team and the Hockey Hall of Fame. That 100 days includes the team's parade, days with sponsors and a day or so with each player and member of the team's staff.
"It's a good 100 days and something they do every year," said Pritchard.
After this currently eastern trip, the cup will head west, said Pritchard.
"I'm just along the for the ride," said Pritchard, who rattled off many of the countries he and the cup have visited including Japan, Italy, Siberia, Finland, Slovakia and even Afghanistan.
"There are 65 countries that play hockey and they all want their chance to play in the NHL," said Pritchard, who is a vice president curator of the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto.
Pritchard has seen it all, done it all and heard it all on his tours with the cup.
"If it (the cup) could talk, it would be a best seller," said Pritchard. "But I'm glad it can't or I'd be out of a job."
Pritchard has been offered the chance to hoist the cup and drink from it, but refuses. He reserves that right to players who work hard and are fortunate enough to be on the team that wins the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Pritchard is assigned 24-hour duty in taking care of the cup. He went fishing with the Bylsma fishing party early Tuesday morning, wasn't far away while the public got up close to the cup and traveled to the cabin late Tuesday night.
"It was the first time I'd been salmon fishing with the cup," said Pritchard.
Several people recognized Pritchard and asked for photographs, but only if he would don the white gloves he uses when he handles the cup.