Staal brings Stanley Cup to pediatric hospital in hometown of Thunder Bay

The name might be Staal, but he wasn't about to make the kids in his hometown wait to see The Greatest Trophy in All of Sports.

Jordan Staal, the Carolina Hurricanes captain and 2026 Conn Smythe Trophy winner as most valuable player of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, brought the Stanley Cup home to Thunder Bay, Ontario this weekend during his time with the trophy.

Staal made a stop at the Thunder Bay Pediatric Unit and Pediatric Oncology Group of Ontario (POGO) Clinic, allowing kids get a close-up view of the famous trophy.

Photos were shared on social media by the keeper of the Cup, Hockey Hall of Fame VP Phil Pritchard. The room at Thunder Bay and POGO was decorated with some homemade art of Hurricanes logos and a large drawing of Staal himself holding the Cup, just behind the real thing.

The stop was just the start of the big day in Thunder Bay. Later, Staal brought the Cup to a Mr. Sub (a popular Canadian fast food chain) and the local school, drawing a large crowd of fans.

Staal was named the Conn Smythe winner after he had 12 points (eight goals, four assists) in 19 postseason games. His outstanding two-way play and his trademark face-off dominance helped Carolina to a remarkable 16-3 postseason record.

That Conn Smythe Trophy joined the Cup on Staal's adventures in his hometown.

It was the second Cup win of Staal's career. He was also a member of the 2008-09 champion Pittsburgh Penguins.