Greater Sudbury’s Kyle Davidson had the Stanley Cup high above his head Monday night after the Chicago Blackhawks defeated the Boston Bruins in Game 6 of the National Hockey League finals.
It was the briefest of moments. He let out a shout of joy and then passed it on to another person. It was a moment that will last forever.
He will never, ever forget it. Especially since he made it a point to lift the Stanley Cup a second time just to make sure what he was feeling was real.
“It was absolutely the most craziest thing to happen to me,” he said. “It didn’t seem real. Oh man, I got on the ice and one of the guys handed the cup to me.
“I lifted it up, and in the heat of the moment, I passed it on to another person. It happened so quickly I didn’t take it in. I was fortunate to lift it again and I got to soak in what I was experiencing and what was happening — and what was happening was really amazing.”
Davidson is the co-ordinator of hockey operations for the Blackhawks. He was born in Ottawa, but moved to the Nickel City with his family when he was three.
Davidson is a graduate of Lasalle Secondary School and earned his post-secondary degree from Laurentian University in the sports administration program in 2010.
After graduating from Laurentian, Davidson landed an internship with the Blackhawks’ AHL affiliate, the Rockford IceHogs. A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity came up with the big league team when a job in hockey operations came available with Chicago. Davidson landed the job and started out in November 2010.
By the spring of 2011, Davidson was working full-time with the Blackhawks, doing video and stats duties. Soon after, he landed his current role when other management figures left the franchise.
Davidson’s duties include helping the team manage the salary cap, contract research to determine market value for players and helping to write NHL contracts and send them to the league office.
“It’s an interesting job and it keeps me busy,” the 24-year-old said.
There were two people Davidson wanted to share his experience of winning a Stanley Cup: his parents.
As soon as he held the trophy in the air, Davidson was frantically calling the two people who have had the greatest influence on him and who were also with him every step of the way during Chicago’s run to the Stanley Cup championship.
And for good reason. Garry Davidson and Cathy Volpini helped develop their son’s passion and love for the game of hockey from a young age. He wanted them to be a big part of it all.
“My dad was a hockey player. My mom and I talked on the phone after every game,” Davidson said. “We always watched the Stanley Cup finals together when I was growing up. To call them and tell them I just lifted the Stanley Cup over my head was the coolest part for me.
“My mom got emotional … I could feel it through the phone. It was something I will never forget.”
Davidson grew up playing hockey, but admits he wasn’t going to make it far as a player. In high school, Davidson concentrated on volunteering his time to help out the Lasalle hockey team as well as the local junior A hockey team.
While at university, Davidson volunteered at Sudbury Wolves Major Junior hockey games.
This is a young man who loves the game itself, so much so, he never had a favourite NHL team growing up. He really enjoyed cheering for a lot of players. He still counts the Sudbury Wolves as his favourite hockey team. Everything started in Sudbury for Davidson.
His road to becoming a member of a Stanley Cup-winning franchise was always humbling and never easy. Davidson has worked hard to get where he is. He knew what he wanted to do and he charged after his dream and never gave up.
The big victory is still sinking in.
“It was a dream come true to win the Stanley Cup. It was surreal,” he said. “I knew early on playing hockey wasn’t going to be realistic for me … but I hoped to work in the NHL one day.
“It happened a lot faster than I thought it would. I landed in a good situation in Chicago. Growing up a huge hockey fan, it made winning that much more special.”
Davidson will most vividly remember the after-game celebrations in the Blackhawks locker room. It was sheer pandemonium.
It wasn’t the only unique thing Davidson got to experience that night. Davidson had a private moment with Blackhawks hockey operations senior advisor and legendary NHL coach, Scotty Bowman, and have his photograph taken with him and the cup.
“It was his 13th Cup win and my first,” Davidson said. “We discussed his different experiences and his first win and how he felt.
“He told me the feeling never changes, even after winning 13 cups. It was great to share that time with him. It was awesome.”
In 2004, another Lasalle Secondary and Laurentian University sports administration program graduate, Ryan Belec, won the Stanley Cup as a member of the Tampa bay Lightning management staff.
