Whitecloud brings Stanley Cup home

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 23/08/2023 (986 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

SIOUX VALLEY DAKOTA NATION — An announcement that the “Stanley Cup is in the Valley” was all that was needed to get the crowd buzzing at the Sioux Valley Dakota Nation powwow grounds on Wednesday afternoon.

The anticipation reached a fever pitch a few minutes later as Vegas Golden Knights defenceman Zach Whitecloud arrived on a horse-pulled carriage and received a hero’s welcome.

The 26-year-old took several laps around the arbour with hockey’s biggest prize and allowed fans to get an up-close look at the trophy he got to hoist on June 13.

“I don’t have a lot of words,” Whitecloud said during a short speech to the audience during the hour-long ceremony.

“I just want to thank everyone. A lot of people have travelled a far distance to be here to show their support for myself, my family and our community.

“Thanks again for taking the time to come out and celebrate a dream that I’ve had since I was a little kid.”

Whitecloud’s day with the cup was a whirlwind like it is for many players.

He was at Tundra Oil & Gas Place in Virden, where he played for two seasons with the Manitoba Junior Hockey League’s Oil Capitals, and later brought hockey’s holy grail to a private gathering that was attended by his friends from high school in the evening.

The big event though was in Sioux Valley Dakota Nation, where a giant sign has been put up that lets drivers know that they are entering the home of a Stanley Cup champion.

“There’s a real sense of community pride at the moment,” Sioux Valley Dakota Nation chief Jennifer Bone said.

“This has brought everyone here together in a good way and we’re all celebrating, having fun and enjoying ourselves.”

Zach’s dad, Tim, said the event brought things full circle for the Whitecloud family as they reflected on the journey to get to this point.

“He played in all the small towns around Sioux Valley growing up and he first started playing with 12 of his relatives and cousins way back when,” Tim Whitecloud said.

“It’s pretty amazing to think that he was able to bring the Stanley Cup home. You anticipate what the day is going to be like, but it all goes by so fast.”

Shortly after the Stanley Cup was rewarded, many were wondering when the Stanley Cup would come to Sioux Valley.

Bone said it took a few weeks of planning to get things sorted out, but everything came into place once a date was finalized.

“Everyone involved did an outstanding job of planning and coordinating the visit of the cup,” Bone added.

The support the community has given Whitecloud has been there throughout his hockey career, which included a two-year stint with the NCAA’s Bemidji State Beavers before he signed a contract with the Golden Knights in 2018.

Golden Knights gear has been present in Sioux Valley ever since and community viewing parties became the norm during this year’s Stanley Cup final against the Florida Panthers.

“Everyone here is a Vegas fan and that support just kept increasing during the final,” Bone said. “It’s really had an impact on the whole community.”

Whitecloud’s journey is also a source of inspiration for local athletes like Theo Pratt, who won a silver medal with Manitoba’s under-19 soccer team at the North American Indigenous Games in Halifax last month.

“Zach’s a really big role model for all of us,” Pratt said. “The support that he gets from everyone here has just gotten bigger and bigger over the years.

“To see the Stanley Cup today and have everyone here enjoying it has been awesome. It’s a big moment for the community, and especially us younger people, to be able to have something like this happen here.”

As Whitecloud departed the grounds and continued his day with the Stanley Cup, those in attendance quickly followed suit as they went back to their regular routines.

However, there’s a hope that an event like this will happen again in the future, especially as the Golden Knights remain one of the top teams in the National Hockey League.

“We’re all looking forward to next season already,” Bone said with a smile.

» lpunkari@brandonsun.com

» Twitter: @lpunkari