New Guys During Cup Celebration

[Chunkylover 26]

Guys like Justin Abdelkader and Jimmy Howard played only a handful of games between them last season. Should they have been skating the Cup around during the celebration?

I know there is kind of the taboo about touching it before you've won it, do you think they should have gotten to carry it around? I know no one on the ice at that time is going to say, "Whoa there young fella," but someone like Abdelkader has a statistical zero chance of getting his name on it.

Don't hate me because it's summer posting season.

[Spinner 6]

Guys like Justin Abdelkader and Jimmy Howard played only a handful of games between them last season. Should they have been skating the Cup around during the celebration?

I know there is kind of the taboo about touching it before you've won it, do you think they should have gotten to carry it around? I know no one on the ice at that time is going to say, "Whoa there young fella," but someone like Abdelkader has a statistical zero chance of getting his name on it.

Don't hate me because it's summer posting season.

I think as a player, if your name is not on it, you don't get to touch it. I, myself should be the only exception, yes, they should let me touch the cup.

[Chunkylover 26]

I think as a player, if your name is not on it, you don't get to touch it. I, myself should be the only exception, yes, they should let me touch the cup.

Well yeah, naturally you and I should be able to touch it, get champion rings, and have our names listed before Nick Lidstrom.

[Guest Dump-N-Thump]

i understand why they shouldn't and why they should.

On ice, i dont reckon they should, But after the on-ice celebrations are done, i say sure why not.

[NeverForgetMac25 483]

Technically, they are all there helping the team prepare in the playoffs, thus why they skate the cup. If it were me though, I know I wouldn't touch it. It'd be fun to be a part of it and see the guys first hand like that, but if I didn't meet the minimum requirements for getting my name on the Cup, I most certainly wouldn't touch it (or lift it for that matter).

However, to each is own.

[lfd250 1]

Tough call. I would think that the team would want them there so they know how hard they have to work for it. Touching, who knows some players might have touched it when they were little saying some day I'm going to win this.

[StormJH1 231]

Technically, they are all there helping the team prepare in the playoffs, thus why they skate the cup. If it were me though, I know I wouldn't touch it. It'd be fun to be a part of it and see the guys first hand like that, but if I didn't meet the minimum requirements for getting my name on the Cup, I most certainly wouldn't touch it (or lift it for that matter).

However, to each is own.

I understand your rationale for not wanting to touch it if you didn't "earn" it. But my way of looking at it is that if you've put yourself in a position where you're on the ice with the Detroit Red Wings and one of them offers you the opportunity to hoist the Stanley Cup, I think you do it. Vladimir Konstantinov didn't earn the "minimum requirements" to have his name on the cup in 1997-98, but the Red Wings wanted him to touch it and be a part of the ceremony.

Obviously, Justin Abelkader is nowhere near as important as Konstantinov was, but I think lots of people get to hold or touch the Cup all year anyway, so if you can be one of them, go ahead!

[Konnan511 1,736]

Technically, they are all there helping the team prepare in the playoffs, thus why they skate the cup. If it were me though, I know I wouldn't touch it. It'd be fun to be a part of it and see the guys first hand like that, but if I didn't meet the minimum requirements for getting my name on the Cup, I most certainly wouldn't touch it (or lift it for that matter).

However, to each is own.

So Meech shouldn't have been able to

[Cicada 4]

the fact that they were with the team throughout the playoff run should mean something.

it's not as if they were locked away from the team...

they were part of the team, hence they get to lift the cup. Simple in my book.

[NeverForgetMac25 483]

I understand your rationale for not wanting to touch it if you didn't "earn" it. But my way of looking at it is that if you've put yourself in a position where you're on the ice with the Detroit Red Wings and one of them offers you the opportunity to hoist the Stanley Cup, I think you do it. Vladimir Konstantinov didn't earn the "minimum requirements" to have his name on the cup in 1997-98, but the Red Wings wanted him to touch it and be a part of the ceremony.

Obviously, Justin Abelkader is nowhere near as important as Konstantinov was, but I think lots of people get to hold or touch the Cup all year anyway, so if you can be one of them, go ahead!

Apples to oranges....as you noted in the following sentence.

So Meech shouldn't have been able to

I never said that. My exact wording was "if I didn't meet the minimum requirements for getting my name on the Cup, I most certainly wouldn't touch it (or lift it for that matter)." What Meech (or any other player for that matter) chooses to do is their prerogative.

Meech is in an interesting situation because he was very close to meeting the minimum requirements of regular season games. Again, what he feels is right is up to him.

[Guest Crymson]

They were all part of the team during the season. Why be a dick and tell them they can't skate with it?

[NeverForgetMac25 483]

They were all part of the team during the season. Why be a dick and tell them they can't skate with it?

Agreed. They're on the team one way or another. Who is anyone to tell them whether their justified to touch it given the situation. I think the best answer is that everyone on the roster has the right to touch/lift it, but its up to each individual as to how they want to handle the situation.

[wingnut40 176]

Agreed. They're on the team one way or another. Who is anyone to tell them whether their justified to touch it given the situation. I think the best answer is that everyone on the roster has the right to touch/lift it, but its up to each individual as to how they want to handle the situation.

I was gonna say somthing just like that, but you beat me to it. So instead I'll quote you and say "Well put!!".

[BlakChamber 8]

Guys like Justin Abdelkader and Jimmy Howard played only a handful of games between them last season. Should they have been skating the Cup around during the celebration?

I know there is kind of the taboo about touching it before you've won it, do you think they should have gotten to carry it around? I know no one on the ice at that time is going to say, "Whoa there young fella," but someone like Abdelkader has a statistical zero chance of getting his name on it.

Don't hate me because it's summer posting season.

I don't think players like Howard and Abdelkader should even be allowed to look at it. If they're in the same room as the Cup, they must avert their gaze.

[Chunkylover 26]

I don't think players like Howard and Abdelkader should even be allowed to look at it. If they're in the same room as the Cup, they must avert their gaze.

Well, here's hoping Howard has the opportunity to earn the right to gaze at the Cup next summer!

[seeinred 1,488]

It's pretty simple, if a "real" Red Wing skates the Cup over to you, you don't say no.

[SouthernWingsFan 854]

What's a "real" Red Wing? What's a "fake" one?

Hypothetically of course if I was still on a Stanley Cup winning roster, I don't care if I played just 6 games for the team and no playoffs, or 60 games plus a majority of the playoffs. I busted my tail to play just those 6 games, I busted my tail at practices to help the main guys who play more win a Cup, you're damned straight I'm gonna touch/raise the Cup.

This year even if I saw the Cup being a fan of the Red Wings, I'd be touching/raising it as well.

[LidsFan 68]

They are a part of the team, so of course they should be able to raise the Cup and skate around with it. This experience should inspire them to become better players, so that one day their names will be on the Cup.

[Zion 93]

^

Game. Set. Match.

/thread

[superdeluxe 0]

They are helping the team during practice, they should be able to touch it.

[55fan 5,133]

As I understand it, the Black Aces are considered Cup Champions with all the rights and privaliges (riding in the parade, team pic) for the Championship Summer whether they are on the Cup or not; but not considered Cup Champions when being considered for the HOF or other official stuff, in which case one needs to have one's name engraved on it.

So, those of you who don't feel a person should touch the Cup unless they've earned it: What do you think of the players' families or cases where they take the Cup to a hospital or some place for a visit with someone who is fighting something far more grueling than a sports championship? In a way, I think these people have earned it, and kids get a free pass until they're in Juniors. That's my opinion, anyway.

[Chunkylover 26]

So, those of you who don't feel a person should touch the Cup unless they've earned it: What do you think of the players' families or cases where they take the Cup to a hospital or some place for a visit with someone who is fighting something far more grueling than a sports championship? In a way, I think these people have earned it, and kids get a free pass until they're in Juniors. That's my opinion, anyway.

It's not that I don't think they should or that I'm angry that they did. I meant to address the superstition and Esprit d'Corps that is associated with the Cup. No hockey player touches it unless they've earned it.

My objective with starting this thread was to discuss whether we thought the new guys earned it. I agree with the poster that said if Chris Chelios or Henrik Zetterberg hands you the Cup, you take it. Also no one can deny that both Mark Hartigan and Derek Meech played important parts during the long season even though they may not have met the minimum requirements and require a team petition. Howard and Abdelkader were there in the regular season, too.

I just wanted to see where people came down on the subject of the legend and lore of the Stanley Cup.

[IrishWing19 6]

They are helping the team during practice, they should be able to touch it.

Yep, they play a valuable roll subbing in on lines when players are too injured or tired to practice, they're game ready at all times, its not their fault that they don't make the 20-man roster on game day. They don't get their names on the cup but they should have the right to celebrate playing an important roll in a cup win.

[CanadaBoy 151]

Yep, they play a valuable roll subbing in on lines when players are too injured or tired to practice, they're game ready at all times, its not their fault that they don't make the 20-man roster on game day. They don't get their names on the cup but they should have the right to celebrate playing an important roll in a cup win.

Well put

[OsGOD 3]

I think its fine... They played in 1 more NHL game than most people asking whether or not they should have touched it.