Blake 'emotional' celebrating Stanley Cup championship with dad

LAS VEGAS -- Jason Blake almost started to tear up. Jackson Blake did.

It was that kind of night for father and son.

Jason, the former NHL player, watched from the stands with his family as Jackson, the Carolina Hurricanes' second-year forward, had a goal and an assist in the 3-0 Stanley Cup-clinching win against the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 6 of the Final at T-Mobile Arena on Sunday.

"It's unbelievable," Jason told NHL.com in an interview on the ice following Carolina's Stanley Cup processional. "I'm going to breakdown and cry. It's probably the best feeling I've ever had."

Jason never got close to winning the Stanley Cup as a player. He reached the Stanley Cup Playoffs six times in his 12 full NHL seasons but never played more than seven games in any single postseason. He appeared in 30 playoff games in his career.

Jackson, in two NHL seasons, has already played in 34 playoff games, in seven total rounds, and won the Stanley Cup. He led the Hurricanes with 20 points (seven goals, 13 assists) in 19 games this postseason.

"I was very fortunate to play in this league for as long as I did," Jason said. "I'm blessed every day, but to see my son do what he did, win a Stanley Cup at his age, at 22, this organization, man, it's the best. The culture, the head coaching, everything about it is the best. They accepted him last year and it's been nothing but the best experience of my life and his life. Now I get to kind of live vicariously through him and celebrate this with him because I never got to this point. It's awesome."

Jackson, in between Games 1 and 2 of the Stanley Cup Final, talked about how special it would be to win the Stanley Cup so that he could enjoy it together with his dad.

After winning it, he looked up in the stands and saw his old man.

"I saw him up there," he said. "Oh, man, it's emotional. He did so much for me. For us to do it together, right now, it's unbelievable."

Jackson recalled the times when he was out "on the sport court" with his dad pretending to be in the moment he was in Sunday.

"Scoring a goal in this atmosphere and doing something like this, for it to become reality and actually win, it's really special," Jackson said.

Jason was also thinking about those days and the times he was on the ice with Jackson, working together, father and son, hockey dad and hockey player.

"To see what he did tonight, for me it's a dream come true," Jason said. "To win the Stanley Cup, to have a goal and an assist in the clinching game, it's unreal and I couldn't be more proud of him."

Carolina coach Rod Brind'Amour, who used to play against Jason in the NHL, said he gave Jackson's dad a hug on the ice after the game.

Brind'Amour knows the feeling. His son, Skyler, is currently playing for the Chicago Wolves, Carolina's American Hockey League affiliate, in the Calder Cup Final.

"You can't be any more proud," Brind'Amour said. "Watching his kid play, win a Stanley Cup and play like that, be that kind of player, like it's got to be just thrilling. I saw him out there, gave him a big hug because obviously he had a lot to do with raising that kid. He's an amazing player but he also fits our group. He's just such a good kid. It's a blessing for me. I've got an easy job. When you've got people like that, talent like that, not that tough."