Eric Staal and Cam Ward bring the Stanley Cup to the Apple Store in New York City.

The visit was the second of three promotional stops for the day. Earlier, Staal, Ward and the Cup dropped by the studios of VH1. The day concluded with a photo shoot for FHM magazine.

"Being this busy is a good thing," said Ward, who accepted handshakes and congratulations with all the humility of an NHL rookie. "But personally, winning the Cup hasn't changed me in any way. I'm still the same guy was I was before, and always will be."

"I haven't slept much since we won this thing," said Staal. "But it's worth it, no question. It's an unbelievable trophy and it's been an unbelievable experience."

During the meet and great, Staal and Ward displayed their celebrity playlists on a couple of laptops. Their musical choices are available to download at the iTunes Music Store in the United States.

"My playlist is all country for those that want to check out mine," said Staal.

With Hall of Fame Cup keeper Mike Bolt nearby, fans flocked to the famous trophy for photographs and a perusal of the hundreds of names engraved on it. A few visitors from Toronto just happened to have a Canadian flag with them, making for a special backdrop for their photos. "We're from Toronto, where the Cup should be," said one of the travelers.

As luck would have it, the Schumacher family from Durham, North Carolina, just happened to be in New York when two of their newest sports heros were displaying the Cup. Imagine their surprise when Staal and Ward, wearing their jerseys, entered the store with the silverware.

"We were walking by Central Park and decided to visit the store," said Carl. "We watched all the playoff games on television."

Eleven-year-old Ally Schumacher went one step further, watching Game 6 on the big screen with other fans at the RBC Center. Carolina lost that game, but we all know there was a happy ending a few nights later. An aspiring soccer goalie, Ally got to speak to Ward and they "talked about all those great saves he made," she said.

"This is such a coveted trophy, and to see it in person...I never would have thought I'd see it in my life," said Doug Warner, a recent transplant from San Francisco. "I'm a casual fan, but I do know that the players get to keep the Cup with them."

Speaking of which, both Ward and Staal will get their personal opportunities to celebrate with the Cup sometime in August. "I'll bring it back home to Sherwood Park (a suburb of Edmonton) and share it with family and friends and enjoy it to the fullest," said Ward.

"It'll be a dream to go back home with the Cup," said Staal, who hails from Thunder Bay, Ontario. "There are a lot of people who helped me who deserve this as much as I do."

But on this day, the Cup seemed to belong to the public, many of whom were reduced to little kids, examining the trophy from all angles and even shyly reaching out for a quick touch. This phenomenon is nothing new to Bolt. "It even happens to the players," said the Cup's official escort, wearing his signature white gloves. "Guys will look for the names of their favorite players. Rod Brind'Amour immediately looked for Guy Lafleur. That's the best thing, seeing their reactions. Then they realize their names will be there too.

"After they win it most of them say, 'I can't believe the Stanley Cup is right there.'"

That was a sentiment shared by many surprised fans during a sunny summer day in New York City.