The drama of the Stanley Cup celebration always is about who carries the Cup second, rather than who hoists it first.
The captain always lifts it first, and then he chooses the order of succession. The second carrier is usually a special honor given to a veteran or a player with special circumstance.
Wednesday the honor went to Marian Hossa, who finally won his first Stanley Cup after falling short with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2008 and the Detroit Red Wings in 2009, even though both of those teams reached the Stanley Cup Final.
"I think the right guy got it (after captain Jonathan Toews) after being so close two years in a row," Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville said. "I thought he was a huge factor in the game."
Hossa didn't have a point in the clinching game, but he had five shots on goal and was highly visible throughout the contest.
"I thought he was a monster out there," Quenneville said. "Had the puck, and you couldn't get it off him."
Toews said he mentioned to Hossa in the morning that the Cup might be coming to him second. Toews said he consulted with Chicago alternate captains Patrick Sharp and Duncan Keith, who both agreed with Toews' choice.
Hossa had signed a 12-year deal with the Blackhawks as a free agent last summer, believing they had a chance to win it all.
"I think he showed that he wanted to make sure he was winning the Cup here tonight," Quenneville said. "Not too many guys are going to go to the finals three years in a row. He played 12 rounds (over three years), and his approach in the last couple of days was just excellent. I think the guys fed off that preparation that he had."
No one was happier on the ice celebrating than Hossa, who said simply, "Finally, I did it."
He is Slovakian, and he said, "I'm sure everybody is there celebrating. There's going to be a huge party."
Quenneville said the choice of Hossa for the special honor of carrying the Cup after Toews was apropos.
"It's special for him," Toews said. "I can't imagine being a part of three long seasons like that and to win one finally. It's amazing for all of us, but it's especially amazing for him."
Hossa's reaction to carrying the trophy: "It feels pretty heavy. I put it on my shoulder."
