By ARIELLA MONTI and MIKE RUSSO
And about 100 such fans showed up at the Bellmore arena on July 17 to welcome the Stanley Cup, carried in by National Hockey League star and Long Island native Rob Scuderi, who is coming off a championship season with the Pittsburgh Penguins. As a member of that squad, Scuderi — like the rest of his teammates — had 24 hours to spend with the Cup.
“It’s where I grew up and where I developed,” Scuderi said of his Island roots. “I wanted to share it with the community.”
The 30-year-old defenseman is the first Long Island-born player to win a Stanley Cup. He played in a recreational league at Newbridge Ice Arena for about four years during his time on the Island, and was told if he wanted to make it big in hockey, he would have to leave the area.
Scuderi was an unsung hero for the Penguins in the 2009 playoffs, playing in the shadow of his all-star teammates Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, but came up big for the team in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals against the defending champion Detroit Red Wings. That night, June 9, he took on goaltender responsibilities for his out-of-position netminder Marc-Andre Fleury, kicking aside two shots in front of an empty net during the final seconds of the game. Answering a fan's comments on that play, Scuderi modestly stated: “I’m just glad we beat them."
Fans young and old showed up for the two-hour event, some die-hard Penguins fans and others just wanting to catch a glimpse of the Cup.
“I cleared a lot of my schedule to do this,” said lifelong hockey player Tim O’Meara of Oceanside after taking a picture with the Cup. “It’s the most unique trophy in sports. It means so much.”
“It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” said Connor Green, a 9-year-old defenseman from Wantagh who plays for the Ice Cats, one of the arena's house leagues.
Taylor McDonough, a 15-year-old figure skater from Nesconset who has been skating at Newbridge for eight years, donned a Penguins jersey as she accompanied her brother, Zach, 12, for a picture and autograph. “It was really cool because I never saw the Stanley Cup,” said Zach.
“It was something you always dream about when you’re a little kid,” 13-year-old Nicholas Rudzewick said of the Cup. Rudzewick, of North Bellmore, plays defense for the Bull Dogs, another Newbridge house league.
When asked how she felt seeing the Stanley Cup, an excited 7-year-old Brooke Hubert from Oceanside yelled “Cool!” and mentioned that her uncle, Mark Parrish plays for the Dallas Stars. A hockey player herself, she plays offense for the Ice Cats.
Though he is a lifelong New York Rangers fan, arena co-owner Rick Gardner said he was happy to see the Cup on Long Island. Said Gardner: “It’s a great thing for Rob to think about us.”
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