Keith brings Cup back to Penticton

For the second time in 36 months, Duncan Keith brought the Stanley Cup back to Penticton, B.C.

The Chicago Blackhawks defenseman shared part of his day with the Cup with the community, just as he did during the summer of 2010 after he and his teammates ended a 49-year championship drought.

He spent part of his day smiling his way through hundreds of photos with local fans.

"It's not hurting -- I can't feel it," he told local media with a laugh after hosting a community event at Gyro Park, where he put the Stanley Cup on display and spent nearly an hour posing for pictures with the public on what was officially proclaimed Duncan Keith Day.

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Penticton is Vancouver Canucks country, and Keith smiled as he thanked "all the Blackhawks fans in British Columbia" who turned out on a sun-splashed Saturday.

"I'm proud to bring the Stanley Cup back to Penticton, to have my family here and be able to share this with all you guys," said Keith, who had two goals and 13 points in 22 games this past spring as the Blackhawks won the Cup.

"Obviously, anybody who goes on to win a championship knows how good it feels. Winning the Stanley Cup is the best feeling in the world. Obviously I had a lot of help along the way -- without the help of my family, my mom and dad in particular, my brother and sister, I wouldn't be up here today. I'm very thankful for their support and everything they've done for me."

Keith played two seasons with the Penticton Minor Hockey Association and three seasons of Junior A hockey with the Penticton Panthers before moving on to Michigan State, the American Hockey League and the Blackhawks.

"I think it's important to give back," he said. "Obviously there's a lot of people who helped me along the way in this town, in this city, and it's nice for the young kids to get a chance to see [the Cup] and talk to them a little bit."

Following the event at Gyro Park, Keith and the Cup headed off to a party with family and friends. He's returning to Chicago on Monday to begin skating prior to the official opening of Chicago's training camp on Sept. 12.