Capitals equipment manager takes Stanley Cup to Capital Gazette
Trophy spends time at newspaper's temporary office five days after shooting
NHL.com @NHLdotcom
Washington Capitals equipment manager Craig Leydig had gotten off the phone with a Capital Gazette reporter less than an hour before tragedy struck at the Annapolis, Maryland newspaper June 28.
So when he got his day with the Stanley Cup on Tuesday, he knew just where to take it.
Leydig, who has been with the Capitals for 29 seasons, brought the Cup to the Capital Gazette staff at their temporary offices, five days after a gunman killed five of their colleagues in their newsroom.
"My heart goes out to the families of those who were lost and to all the employees of Capital Gazette that have to find a way to move on from this terrible tragedy," Leydig told the newspaper.
The stop was an emotional one for Leydig and the Capital Gazette staff members, one telling him that this was the first time any of them had smiled in a long time.
"It was clearly a big morale boost for everyone, particularly the hockey fans in the newsroom," Capital Gazette editor Rick Hutzell said. "The number of selfies that came out of this was huge and will be treasured forever."
Along with his stop at the newspaper, Leydig took the Stanley Cup to the U.S. Naval Academy and the City of Annapolis Office of Emergency Management.
Leydig spent the afternoon with the Stanley Cup on the water at the Annapolis City Dock, where fans were invited to touch the trophy and take pictures with it.