Brad Thiessen was one of six Pittsburgh Penguins – the team's Black Aces – who were hurriedly getting dressed in the visitors locker room at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit on Friday night during game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals.
It was the third period of the deciding game of the NHL's championship series and Thiessen was with his teammates not dressed for the contest. A few days earlier, team management had told them that if Pittsburgh was in position to win the Stanley Cup, they could get their equipment on and celebrate with the team on the ice. The Penguins led 2-0 when they went down to the locker room.
“We were getting our gear on and (Detroit) scored so we slowed down a little bit,” he said with a laugh.
The Penguins hung on for the 2-1 victory and soon Thiessen and the rest of the Pittsburgh players – those who travelled and practised with the team but did not suit up in the games – were on the ice celebrating.
“It was unbelievable,” said Thiessen, a goaltender in the Penguins organization. “I am sitting here at home and I still can't believe it.”
After three days or celebrating in Pittsburgh, including Monday's parade which attracted an estimated 375,000 fans, Thiessen flew home late Monday night to see his family in Aldergrove. He brings back with him some unbelievable memories, considering he has only been a professional hockey player for all of three months.
“I was on the ice with the Stanley Cup,” he marvelled. “We didn't want to get in the way of the guys celebrating, so we were just kind of hanging back.” But when Penguins captain Sidney Crosby asked Thiessen if he had held the Cup yet and he said no, the superstar – who is actually 17 months younger than the 23-year-old Thiessen – handed him the Stanley Cup.
“It was pretty cool,” Thiessen said, estimating the Cup weighed about 35 pounds. “But when you are that happy, it doesn't feel heavy.”
Monday's parade was another experience Thiessen will not forget anytime soon. He rode in a vehicle with fellow goaltenders Mathieu Garon, John Curry and defenceman Rob Scuderi. Garon and Scuderi played in the series, while Curry and Thiessen were with the team in case of emergency and to get a feel of the experience.
“Riding through the streets, people were hanging off parking garages and office windows, it was amazing to see,” he said. “It was so cool.”
Thiessen joined the Penguins organization after signing as a free agent in April. He spent three seasons at Northeastern University, re-writing the school's record book for goaltenders. This past year, he was named the Hockey East conference player of the year and was one of three finalists for the Hobey Baker Award, presented to the top U.S. collegiate player. Prior to going to the Boston university, where he studied journalism, Thiessen played in the B.C. Hockey League with the Merritt Centennials and the Prince George Spruce Kings.
After spending the first few weeks of his pro career with the Penguins' AHL affiliate in Wilkes-Barres, Thiessen joined Pittsburgh at the start of their second round series against the Washington Capitals. He was called up to provide another body in goal for practice, which would allow starter Marc-Andre Fleury a chance to rest and recuperate. It has been an invaluable learning experience for Thiessen.
“Just being able to see what it takes, especially for the playoffs, the grind to win the Stanley Cup,” he said about what he has learned. “They put everything on the line.”
He also saw first-hand how the players acted off the ice, how serious they took the game and the amount of rest and treatment they received.
“It was a great experience for me to see, especially not knowing what pro hockey was before, now going back next year (and) having a good idea what it takes to be a pro hockey player.”
Thiessen plans to take a couple of weeks to rest before beginning his off-season preparation for his first full season as a pro. He is scheduled to go back to Pittsburgh the middle of next month for a rookie orientation camp. Thiessen is likely to begin the season in AHL.
While unsure, and unlikely, to get either a Stanley Cup ring or the customary one day with the famed mug this off-season, Thiessen did grab one memento from the Cup finals, getting all of his teammates to sign his game jersey from Friday.
