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Rachel Perry interviews Lightning players Brad Richards and Chris Dingman at the VH1 Top 20 Countdown in New York City.
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Journal 8: Stanley takes
the Big Apple by storm
By Kevin Shea
Special to NHL.com
July 6, 2004
Lightning forward Chris Dingman and his wife, Chelsea, were already on board a plane in Tampa that would fly them to nitty-gritty New York City. Brad Richards arrived with the Stanley Cup shortly afterward. While checking in, another passenger at the check-in counter next to him did a double take. "Are you on the Tampa Bay Lightning?" the passenger asked while the employee behind the ticket counter was informing Richards that the large container he was traveling with was overweight and would need special handling.
The fellow passenger then said: "Wait a minute. You're Brad Richards! You look so much bigger on TV!" It was then that the attendant at the counter realized that Richards' heavy container held a pretty special cargo, and she waived the Stanley Cup and its case through without additional charge or handling. The flight to Newark went quickly, and Richards and Dingman checked into their hotel. Richards was concerned that his shirt was wrinkled and gave it an additional pressing before he left for an appearance VH1's Top 20 Countdown at the Blue Fin restaurant in Times Square. Host VJ Rachel Perry, whom Richards remembered watching from her days on MUCH Music in Canada, interviewed Dingman and Richards as they sat beside the Stanley Cup. After lunch, the Lightning champs arrived for an interview on MTV's Total Request Live. While they waited for the producer to bring them to the show, the Lightning players noticed a photo booth. There were photos that had been taken there with Christina Aguillera, Tara Reid and Jessica Simpson, so Richards and Dingman decided they had better get their photos taken in the booth with the Stanley Cup. Of course, no photo booth pictures are ever taken normally, so the Lightning stars made the goofiest faces conceivable. The MTV studio was filled with young adults excited about seeing Richards, Dingman and the Stanley Cup. They cheered wildly through the entire segment while videos by Blink 182, Hilary Duff, Britney Spears and Avril Lavigne were requested and played. After MTV, Richards began a long flight to his home in Prince Edward Island while the Dingman's hung out in New York City. They had the evening free and the Stanley Cup -- it made for a great night! As the thunder boomed and lightning flashed around them, Dingman and his wife dropped into Robert Emmetts, a fabulous restaurant overlooking Eighth Avenue. Then, it was off to Tribeca and a meal at Nobu, Robert DeNiro's incredible new-style Japanese restaurant on Hudson Street. While they enjoyed dinner seated next to the Stanley Cup, another table sent over a bottle of champagne. At a nearby table sat a dozen girls communally celebrating their twenty-first birthdays. You could see they wanted to come over to see the Stanley Cup, but were hesitant to take that step. Finally, they got up their nerve and approached Dingman about seeing the Cup. Dingman was only too pleased to hold the Cup up for scrutiny. "What a birthday," blurted one excited reveler. "Nobu, sake and the Stanley Cup, all in one night!" The Dingmans then took the Stanley Cup to Hogs & Heifers Saloon. The bar is famous for having assembled more bras than a Victoria's Secret catalogue. Big ones, smalls ones, celebrity bras -- you name it, you'll find it hanging over the bar there. The bartenders implored the bar to drink up and have a good time, then bounded onto the bar and did a line dance for the patrons. And, as always, the Stanley Cup was at the center of the activity.  | |
Mike Alstott had quite a thrill posing with Lord Stanley's Cup at the St. Pete Times Forum.
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The next morning, the Stanley Cup left New York and returned to Tampa. Once there, the Cup visited the St. Pete Times Forum where Sean Henry, the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the Lightning entertained a group of friends and colleagues. Among that group was Mike Alstott, the star fullback of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Buccaneers' No. 40 was very excited to get his picture taken with the Stanley Cup. The Stanley Cup stayed at the Forum for a huge event that evening. It was the Tim McGraw concert, one of the early dates on his sold-out 'Out Loud Tour.' While wife Faith Hill was off with the kids, Tim wandered over in his trademark black t-shirt and hat. "Well, I reckon we don't have much hockey in Louisiana, but this is definitely cool," smiled McGraw, currently on tour supporting his new single and video, 'Live Like You Were Dying.' The Warren Brothers opened the show, and when they came off the stage, they could barely believe that the Stanley Cup was there. "Is this really it," they asked, as they marveled at all the incredible names engraved into the surface of the trophy. About thirty minutes before the end of Tim McGraw's terrific set, the Stanley Cup was taken to the side of the stage. Then, the Warren Brothers took the Cup out onto the stage, hoisting the gleaming trophy behind Tim McGraw as he performed, which elicited the loudest applause of the evening. As the crowd erupted into a roar, McGraw wheeled around and saw the reason for the cheers, then grinned. Next, the Stanley Cup Journal returns to spend time with assistant coach Craig Ramsay, before taking off for NASA.
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