He missed out on a chance to say thanks in 2020 due to COVID-19.
Stacy Roest made up for it Wednesday, Aug. 3.
Roest was joined in the North Okanagan by Hockey Hall of Fame employees Howie Borrow and Mario Della-Savia, who just happened to bring a piece of hardware with them for the day.
Known unofficially as the ‘keepers of the Cup,’ Borrow and Della-Savia arrived with the Stanley Cup in tow, giving Roest his day with the National Hockey League’s championship trophy, as per tradition (in non-pandemic times).
Roest is the assistant general manager of the back-to-back champion Tampa Bay Lightning. As per tradition, the NHL’s championship team’s front office staff, players, coaches and scouts get a full day with the legendary trophy, a marvel of beauty to behold in person.
Roest hosted a private function for a few hours Wednesday morning at Training House in Vernon’s Kal Tire Place North Arena with co-owners Rhonda Catt and Carla Rayner. The visit with the Cup gave Roest a chance to thank the ladies and their clients.
Roest runs Training House’s on-ice development program and plays a huge role with the company throughout the summer months.
“To bring it here, for family and friends, people you’ve grown up with, and living out here the past 20 years, getting to share it with people like that is just fantastic,” said Roest on a short break from posing for pictures with the Cup, and with his massive 2020 championship ring.
Roest also asked to have a charity involved with the event and chose the Cardiac Care Unit at Vernon Jubilee Hospital. Individuals at the function could make a donation. The charity was chosen in honour of Catt’s late husband, Peter, who died suddenly in November 2015.
“I’ve got a long history with Stacy, I used to train him back in his playing days,” said Catt. “He plays a big role in our facility.”
Rayner was more than excited to have arguably the world’s greatest sports trophy in her building.
“I feel like we’ve been working so hard to build this facility to get it to a point where we can really celebrate it,” she said. “With Stacy’s support, we’ve just brought this up to a whole other level. It’s so awesome.”
For Borrow, Wednesday was his 25th straight day of working on the road, and he will work a 26th consecutive day Thursday before getting a break until Aug. 10.
“It’s our responsibility to follow a schedule, to get it to the players, coaches and staff that are part of the championship team,” said the affable Borrow of travelling with the Stanley Cup. “We make sure the Cup is being looked after properly within the rules and our job is to take it back every night and clean it, and prepare for our travel again the next day.”
Among the people on hand to enjoy a view of the Cup was Lumby Grade 12 student Zach Young.
“It’s so much more amazing in person,” said Young, joined by his parents, Cole and Tara, and younger brother Colton. “You see it on TV all the time and it’s nothing like it actually is in person.”
Roest planned to take Stanley out on his boat for the afternoon before hosting a get-together for family and friends during the evening.
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Cole Young (from left), Tara Young and Michelle McCrea enjoy a moment with the Stanley Cup at Training House in Vernon’s Kal Tire Place North arena Wednesday, Aug. 3. The Cup was in the building courtesy of Training House supporter Stacy Roest of Coldstream, the assistant general manager of the NHL champion Tampa Bay Lightning. Roest gets a day with the Cup and hosted a private function at the facility Wednesday morning. (Roger Knox - Morning Star)
Noah Frick of Coldstream, 13, admires the 2020 Stanley Cup championship ring belonging to Coldstream’s Stacy Roest of the Tampa Bay Lightning at Vernon’s Training House in Kal Tire Place North arena Wednesday, Aug. 3. Roest, his ring and the Stanley Cup were on hand for a private function at the facility, Roest’s way of saying thanks to owners Rhonda Catt and Carla Rayner and Training House clients for their encouragement and support. Roest is the Lightning’s assistant general manager and gets a full day with Cup. (Roger Knox - Morning Star)
