Wow, what a treat. Ruth and I experienced the great privilege of being in the company of the Stanley Cup last night at the country club of Imperial Golf Estates. It turns out the owner of the 2006 Stanley Cup Champion Carolina Hurricanes, Thomas Thewes, has a winter home in Naples here at Imperial G.E. and made arrangements for the community to see the Cup.
Mr. Thewes is a co-owner of three hockey teams. In addition to the Hurricanes, he also has an interest in the Plymouth Whalers and the Florida Everblades who play their games at the Germain Arena here in Estero. Thewes is the co-founder of Compuware, a global software provider.
Each player and front-office member gets 24 hours with the Stanley Cup to do whatever that person pleases. Some players have taken the Cup fishing, tied it to a golf cart or taken it back to their hometown. The Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto provide escorts that accompany the Stanley Cup wherever it goes. The Cup has seen many miles of travel from across the United States and Canada, overseas and trips to the White House. The Hockey Hall of Fame and the National Hockey League work closely with airlines, border personnel, local police departments, security companies, the team, the player, his family and sometimes an agent in order to make Stanley Cup dreams come true.
When talking to a member of the Cup’s official escort team, Ruth learned that the Stanley Cup is 114 years old. We were honored to be in it’s company.
