Artturi Lehkonen and the Colorado Avalanche players were thrilled after being crowned National Hockey League (NHL) champions.
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The author of the winning goal in Game 6 had a thought for his former Montreal Canadiens teammates, including Shea Weber and Brendan Gallagher, after the game.
“We had something special last year, but we missed our shot,” he said at the microphone of TVA Sports journalist Renaud Lavoie. They are great friends of mine. I hope they will experience this one day.
“It’s an incredible feeling. To be honest, I don’t even know what to think. The last two seasons have been long, after losing here [à Tampa] last year. It’s surreal. It’s hard not to be proud.”
Avs head coach Jared Bednar became the first driver to win the ECHL, American Hockey League and NHL championship.
“It’s hard to believe,” he said. I don’t realize it yet. I’m so proud of our guys and their resilience. You can see it in their faces: they’ve all given since the start of the season.”
Roberval native Samuel Girard hasn’t played since the second round, but still lifted the Stanley Cup for the first time in his career.
“[J’ai] no words, listen. When you get older, that’s the trophy you want to win. I’m glad my family is here. The City of Roberval, get ready for this summer!”
Recall that the Avalanche beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1 in the sixth game of the final to get their hands on their first title since 2001 and the third in their history.