Then the Cup headed about 60 miles east to an automobile dealership in Hawkesbury owned by Martin's longtime friend Jacques Laplante. Following a scheduled 90-minute public stop there, Martin doubled back 15 miles to the village of Alfred, hailed as the french fries capital of Canada, to a restaurant for a cocktail reception and, finally, a quiet dinner and celebration with friends and family. Included in the final stop were Martin's brother, Ronald; his sisters, Denise and Pierrette; and his daughters, Angela and Nathalee.
(It was in Alfred, at an arena on the grounds of an agricultural college, where Martin launched his hockey school in 1981.)
Della Savia was to spend the night Tuesday near the Ottawa airport, flying back to Toronto with the Cup on Wednesday. The Hall of Fame's Howie Borrow is scheduled take the trophy to Pittsburgh for the day of celebration of Mike Bales, the former Penguins goaltending coach who was hired by the Carolina Hurricanes for the same job in June.
"I wanted to do things a little differently this year," Martin said. "The priority would have been for the kids at the hockey school but because of timing, I'm very happy to bring it to CHEO and to Roger Neilson House, having worked for years with Roger and knowing how much he was involved with the hospital.
"With Ottawa being my home base, the area where I grew up, it's kind of nice to bring it back. Jacques is a close friend of mine and has been for a long time, so it's a nice opportunity to give back to him by bringing the Cup to one of his dealerships for a while, and then have a private party, nice to be with family and friends in a smaller gathering to enjoy some time with the Cup."