Stanley Cup heads to Montreal, guest of honor at famous restaurant

MONTREAL -- The Stanley Cup had a surprise dinner reservation.

Celebrity chef Chuck Hughes hosted the iconic trophy for an intimate one-on-one dinner at Garde Manger on rue Saint-Francois Xavier on Monday, the one day of the week when the restaurant is normally closed for business.
"[The Stanley Cup] has a presence," Hughes said. "Just looking at the names and the teams and the people that have won it, to see that the 2004-05 lockout there's a gap there, there's so much history. And I just recently learned that they engrave it just up the street here and it's been engraved there forever basically."
And it will return to the neighborhood this summer for new names to be engraved at the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, which begin May 2.

Hughes, a hardcore hockey fan, has hosted a Who's Who of celebrities including Canada's Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, and countless Montreal Canadiens and other NHL stars such as Hall of Fame defenseman Ray Bourque and the chef's own neighbor, David Perron of the St. Louis Blues.
Actor Robert Englund, who portrayed Freddy Krueger in the Nightmare on Elm Street movies, and skateboarding legend Tony Hawk were some of the most legendary guests to visit, according to restaurant staff.
Then along came Stanley.
"We're in our 17th year and this little kitchen is where we started," Hughes said. "I worked here basically every night, worked and partied a bit back then. It's funny the opportunity that I've had in my life because of this place. The Cup is here because of this place, it's not me. Basically, I'm the catalyst, if you will, but this place has brought me so many places in my life and now the Stanley Cup is in my restaurant because of the food we make."

A rabid Montreal Canadiens fan, Hughes had some fun for his and the restaurant's social media content, sitting across from the Cup and welcoming it back to the city, offering wine selections while noting that 1986 and 1993 were particularly good years for the local vintage. He suggested that the venerable trophy might want to look for a place to stay here to celebrate its 130th anniversary in 2023.
Hughes had one of his two children on hand, with 5-year-old Henry sporting a Canadiens jersey for photos with the Cup.
"He was really impressed and he probably doesn't quite understand the importance and what it means really, but as he grows older and he sees it he's going to freak," Hughes said.
The Cup drew the attention of a few people walking along the cobblestone street in front of the restaurant when it was brought outdoors for photos, some people drawn by the majestic trophy, others drawn by the sight of the popular chef. Each was happy to have a picture taken as a memento of their random good fortune.
"It was such an amazing thing to see people light up and get so excited," Hughes said. "'That can't be the real one,' and, 'Oh my God, can I have a picture.' And the Cup's there and there were people like, 'Oh Chuck, I'm a big fan of your show.' In my restaurant, people will see me and tell me they're a fan of the show, but I don't get recognized at large. But when I'm in front of the restaurant wearing my cooking uniform it's like me seeing the Cup.
"So for me to take a picture with somebody it's like a highlight for my day as well. That's what I do for a living. So when somebody is excited and wants to take a picture in front of my restaurant it makes me so happy."

And when he's not in the kitchen, Hughes loves playing hockey to the point that he's on the ice five or six times every week.
"People go to the gym, people do yoga, people do all kinds of stuff, I play hockey," Hughes said. "That's my hour and a half every day where my phone is shut off. I'm literally concentrating on scoring as many goals as I can. As a 45-year-old man, it's still the thing that gets me excited the most. So, for me, it's part of my daily routine. It keeps me sane, it keeps me happy, it's my gym but it just happens to be hockey."