Each of the Los Angeles Kings will get the Stanley Cup for a day or 2 during the summer. Anze Kopitar, who is the first NHL player from the country of Slovenia (population 2 million), had some very special places that he decided to bring the Cup. The first stop for the Cup was Anze’s hometown of Hrusica, where he left as a teenager to play hockey in Sweden and pursue his dream of becoming an NHL player. Alot of hockey fans never really understand the sacrifices that many of these players, and their families, make in order to pursue their hockey ambitions. Kopitar probably never would have become the dominate player he was without leaving home as a teenager and moving to a more competitive hockey league. Now it is fitting that he is able to bring the Stanley Cup back to his family home in Hrusica and have the trophy displayed, according to Anze,  “right about at center ice where my backyard rink was as a kid!”

Check out this Yahoo article that also has a video of Kopitar’s day with the Stanley Cup.

Dr. Chad Moreau is the President of HockeyOT.com, an online training site dedicated to improving the fitness level of hockey players of all levels. He was the former Strength & Conditioning/Nutrition Consultant for the Edmonton Oilers (NHL) and the Long Beach Ice Dogs (ECHL). For more information please visit hockeyot.com.