Kelly Chase kisses the Stanley Cup after bringing it inside the Community Hall in Porcupine Plain. (Mat Barrett/northeastNOW Staff)

By Mat Barrett

Lord Stanley in Porcupine Plain

“Proud to be the Blues,”: Kelly Chase brings Stanley Cup to Porcupine Plain

Oct 25, 2019 | 9:01 AM

The Stanley Cup was spotted in Porcupine Plain on Thursday, Oct. 24 as part of a fundraiser in town.

Former National Hockey League (NHL) player, and Porcupine Plain native Kelly Chase brought Lord Stanley to the Community Hall as part of a fundraiser for the town. Some of the funds go towards Porcupine Plain Minor Hockey, as well as the rink named ‘Chase Place’, after the aforementioned Chase.

Through parts of 11 seasons in the NHL mainly during the 1990s, Chase never won a Stanley Cup, but in 2019, as a member of the St. Louis Blues, he was part of their championship team as a broadcaster and some help in sales and marketing. Chase said as a kid, you dream of winning the trophy, and he said now it’s like a dream come true.

“I certainly waited a long time to be a part of it, and I wish I could have brought it here as a player for them to enjoy,” Chase told northeastNOW. “But I guess now it just means there’s a broader spectrum of kids that get to see it and take a look at it, and touch it and get a picture of it, and hopefully aspire to win it.”

He said that even though he didn’t win it as a player, he was able to win one eventually and it feels like “10,000 pounds off your back.”

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When it comes to the fundraising, Chase said keeping the rink in good shape is so important because it’s part of our culture.

“That’s just what Saskatchewan is,” Chase said. “That’s how we identify with Canadian hockey and what it’s about is the grassroots part of it.”

The rink is in need of a new boiler which is set to cost about $20,000. President of minor hockey in Porcupine Plain, Brianne Cole said it’s on its last legs, and there have even been some recent patch ups done on it. She added that the rink is integral to the area.

“Everybody in this town spends at least half the year there,” Cole said. “So, we live there.”

Meanwhile, Cole said having some of the funds going to the minor hockey program really helps them out.

“We rely mostly on fundraising,” she said. “We try to keep our costs low to the parents, registration fees and stuff, so we do a lot of fundraising to cover almost everything.”

With Novice hockey moving to half-ice this season, organizations including Porcupine Plain need some new boards to allow for the half-ice games. Those cost about $10,000 according to Cole, something that fundraisers like this help with.

Cole also thanked all the volunteers who help with the event that was put together in less than two weeks. She said they’re lucky to have the cup there and that they are “proud to be the Blues.”

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mat.barrett@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @matbarrett6