Local

August 18, 2021

Back-To-Back Champion to Bring Stanley Cup Back to Peterborough

August 18, 2021/ David Tuan Bui

After winning back-to-back Stanley Cup Championships in his first two seasons with the Tampa Bay Lightning, Peterborough’s Mitchell Stephens will bring the prestigious trophy to Peterborough next Wednesday.

Stephens winning his second consecutive Stanley Cup at the Amalie Arena in Tampa Bay, FL. Photo Courtesy of Mitchell Stephens.

“It’s going to be amazing to see my family and my friends celebrating it with me,” said Stephens. “My parents weren’t able to come down to either event. It’s going to be an amazing feeling for my dad to hold the Stanley Cup.”

Stephens will ride in a boat starting at the Peterborough Lift Lock at 5:30 p.m. He will descend the historic landmark with hockey’s most coveted trophy. The public is encouraged to spectate at the canal with parking and designated viewing areas on Ashburnham Drive to watch the water parade. Additional parking is available at the Lift Lock Visitor Centre on Hunter Street.

The boat will make its way through the Trent Severn Waterway to Little Lake and finish at the Fred Anderson Stage in Del Crary Park at roughly 6:30 p.m.

A route map of the Stanley Cup water parade starting at the Lift Lock and going down the Trent Severn Waterway. File Photo.

The 24-year old was unable to bring the cup home after his first win due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Each winning member is allowed one day with the trophy where players typically bring it back to their respective hometowns. He had the cup for the day in Tampa Bay but understood why he could not bring it back to Peterborough.

“We understood it was challenging circumstances last year with COVID,” explained Stephens. “But to win it again and have the chance to celebrate in our hometowns like a normal year definitely made it sweeter.”

Stephens winning his first Stanley Cup championship in Edmonton in his rookie year during the 2019-20 NHL season. Photo Courtesy of Mitchell Stephens.

Stephens had played minor hockey in Peterborough for years before he played for the Toronto Marlboros of the Greater Toronto Hockey League from 2011-2013 in the U15 and U16 age groups.

From 2014-2017, the hometown champion has played in two World Juniors and two World Junior U18 Championships winning a gold, silver and bronze medal.

Stephens as a member of the Peterborough Petes before playing minor Peewee hockey in Toronto. Photo Courtesy of Mitchell Stephens.

In 2013, he was drafted eighth overall by the Saginaw Spirit in the Ontario Hockey League Priority Selection draft where he played for four years.

He was drafted 33rd overall in the second round by the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2015 and was sent to play with the Syracuse Crunch, the team’s American Hockey League farm team.

Stephens has scored a total of eight goals in his four World Junior appearences. Photo Courtesy of Mitchell Stephens.

Stephens scored his first goal on Dec. 28, 2019, against Montréal Canadiens’ Carey Price— who Tampa Bay beat in Stephens’s second cup win — after his rebound shot bounced off Artturi Lehkonen.

Entering his third NHL season, Stephens was traded to the Detroit Red Wings for a sixth-round pick in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft on July 30.

“The Lift Lock is a staple of Peterborough. It’s been recognizable. For me to do that, to bring the community together and celebrate one of the greatest trophies in sports,” reflected Stephens. “It’s an exciting opportunity for me to show the young athletes in Peterborough that I grew up playing minor hockey and I achieved this. The most important thing is to share it with my friends and family to the people who supported me during the highs and lows and show my gratitude.“

A reminder to everyone attending that all COVID-19 protocols are in effect, exercise caution and to maintain social distancing while viewing the event.

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