When the Pittsburgh Penguins completed their six-game victory against the San Jose Sharks in the 2016 Stanley Cup Final, the first player captain Sidney Crosby handed the Cup to didn't even play in the clincher. Trevor Daley, who missed the Final because of a broken ankle, was given the honor because Crosby knew the defenseman's mother, Trudy, had cancer and had always dreamed of seeing her son win the Cup. She died nine days later at age 51.
"One of my mom's last images of me being on the ice," said Daley, who became the seventh black player to have his name inscribed on the Cup. "It's something I'll never forget."
Daley was healthy the next season and was able to skate with the Cup after the Penguins defeated the Nashville Predators to complete a six-game victory in the Final. This time, his day with the Cup included a trip to his mom's grave.
"It was only right to go and see her first," Daley said.
Daley's path the NHL including dealing with a racial slur while he was captain of Sault Ste. Marie of the Ontario Hockey League during the 2002-03 season. Then-general manager John Vanbiesbrouck used a slur to describe Daley to another player. Daley left the team for three days and returned after Vanbiesbrouck resigned.
"It's a mistake and consequences have to be paid by me," Vanbiesbrouck said at the time. "I've embarrassed everybody and my family by this one comment."
On May 26, 2018, the day he was named USA Hockey's executive director for hockey operations, Vanbiesbrouck again apologized for the comment.
"There's not a lot of days that go by that I don't feel remorse for that," he added. "I'm extremely sorry for it. It's not who I am, it doesn't define me as a person and I have no prejudices in me, and it will never happen again."
Selected by the Dallas Stars in the second round (No. 43) of the 2002 NHL Draft Daley made his NHL debut with the Stars in 2003-04 and became an NHL regular in 2005-06. In 2014-15, he had NHL career highs in goals (16), assists (22) and points (38). He was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks on July 10, 2015, then was sent to the Penguins on Dec. 14, 2015, in time to become a two-time Stanley Cup champion. He signed a three-year contract with the Detroit Red Wings on July 1, 2017.
