On Tuesday, Florida Panthers forward Jesper Boqvist took hockey’s most coveted trophy to the town where he grew up: Hedemora, Sweden.
A crowd gathered in the lush summer setting of Sveaparken Park, but had to wait for the visit as the Stanley Cup got held up by Swedish customs and arrived an hour and a half later than scheduled.
Despite the delay, the people of Hedemora patiently waited for their hometown hero. Children in attendance were treated to ice cream and candy while they waited. A Boqvist-signed hockey stick was also raffled off among the kids.
When Boqvist finally arrived from Arlanda Airport, carrying the trophy in his arms, the skies opened up and rain poured down on the spectators who refused to let the weather dampen the celebration.
“It’s such an incredible experience to be back home in Hedemora and to see so many people here,” said Boqvist from the stage. “I’m kind of speechless that so many showed up. It’s something very special that I’ll remember for the rest of my life. It was a shame it got delayed in customs, but it is what it is. There’s not much you can do about it.”
