The newest piece of international hockey hardware made a pit stop in Victoria on Tuesday night – and a group of young local players got a close-up look at history.
Just five months after Connor McDavid’s overtime winner lifted Canada past the United States in the inaugural 4 Nations Face-Off final, the championship trophy arrived at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre for a special appearance.
The visit capped off the 2025 NHL Street season, run locally by the Victoria City Police Athletic Association (VCPAA).
Before making its way downtown, the trophy also stopped in Oak Bay to pay tribute to one of the city’s proudest hockey legacies.
Now in its third year, NHL Street is a national ball hockey initiative designed to make the game more accessible and fun for kids.
In Victoria, it’s held Tuesday nights inside the SOFMC – home of the WHL’s Victoria Royals – where hundreds of kids swap blades for sneakers and take to the concrete.
For the season finale, VicPD Const. Mandeep Sohi wanted to do something memorable.
He worked with the VCPAA and Hockey Hall of Fame curator Phil Pritchard to coordinate the trophy’s five-hour flight from Toronto to Victoria.
“We really wanted to do something special,” said Sohi. “I was able to connect with Phil and make a plan for this to come together. We’re so happy we could give the kids something cool like this to end the year.”
For 11-year-old Elliott Roache, it was more than just cool – it was unforgettable.
“My favourite part was the Connor McDavid game-winning goal,” he said, grinning as he stood near the Cup. "I was so excited to see the trophy in person."
His dad, dave, who asked for his name to be uncapitalized, called the visit a rare and memorable experience.
“When I saw that it was coming, I thought that’s really neat. I figured there’d be a huge crowd, but we were so excited that we could walk right up to it,” roache said.
He recalled watching the 4 Nations final at Shawnigan Lake’s Charlie Purdey Arena, where Elliott’s spring hockey teammates had just finished playing and stayed to watch the game.
“When McDavid scored, six or eight 10-year-olds just exploded. It brought me right back to the (2010) golden goal,” he said. “It was like a golden goal 2.0 – passing of the torch. The cheers echoed through the rink. We went home and watched it again on replay.”
As sneakers squeaked and cameras clicked, the magic of that unforgettable McDavid moment sparked new dreams right here in Victoria – a perfect way to close the NHL Street season.
