I recently caught up with Phil Pritchard and he was telling me what the first thing Sidney Crosby wanted to do with the Stanley Cup on his day with the Cup. You may know Phil from the credit card commercial where he is stuck in the airport with the Stanley Cup. You may have seen him polishing the Stanley Cup with his famous white gloves right before they present the Cup to the Stanley Cup Champion, you may have even met Phil in person while he was traveling with the Cup or met him at the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Phil and I talked about salmon fishing with Penguins coach Dan Bylsma, Phil’s official job at the Hall of Fame, whether or not the real Stanley Cup is on display at the Hockey Hall of Fame, his white gloves, the commercials he does and of course Sidney and the Stanley Cup.
Coffee Talk with Art Vandelay
Art Vandelay: Coffee do you drink? What kind?
Phil Pritchard: “I am of English decent and did not grow up in a environment of it. Growing up I always heard how it becomes so addicting. So I have stayed away. I will say that it smells awesome!”
Art Vandelay: Most people think of you as just being the guy that travels with the cup. Tell our readers what else you do.
Phil Pritchard: “I am also a curator at the Hall. My job consists of looking after all the artifacts, displaying them, collecting hockey history, as well as preserving it.”
Art Vandelay: Challenges your job presents?
Phil Pritchard: “My work is great. I will say with hockey being played in 65 countries all over the world, it is hard staying on top of hockey history.”
Art Vandelay: What is the best part of your job?
Phil Pritchard: “Dealing in hockey, and the especially the people. They are so passionate.”
Art Vandelay: The Penguins won the cup in 09. Are there any stories you can share with us?
Phil Pritchard: “Coach Dan Byslma is a big outdoorsman. Dan and myself went salmon fishing on Lake Michigan with the Stanley Cup and the Prince of Wales trophy. Needless to say we caught 600 pounds of salmon.” AV- Did Dan let you take some salmon? PP-”Yes!” PP- “A lot do not know this but the first thing Sidney Crosby wanted to do with the cup was READ MORE »
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Jason Woolley had a front row seat to two of the weirder things that went on in the 90′s and sandwiched right in between he spent part of a season with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Jason came to Pittsburgh along with Stu Barnes in a trade that sent Chris Wells to the Florida Panthers one year after Jason helped eliminate the Penguins from the playoffs in the year of the “rat”. 
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