Hoch, a Melbourne native, said he has played, coached and worked in analytics in hockey here. He has seen the Coyotes and Kings play in Los Angeles, and he has seen the Cup at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto.
"You never would imagine the day you'd see it in this country, let alone in your own city," he said. "It's just a very, very cool moment, and I think it's going to be special for everyone here in Melbourne and across the country to see hockey on a national stage.
"We're really looking forward to showcasing hockey not only to our fans, but also to the rest of the world that there is a strong hockey contingent here in Melbourne."
Phil Pritchard and Howie Borrow of the Hockey Hall of Fame are escorting the Cup in Melbourne. Pritchard said there was an enthusiastic reception for the Cup at ESPN. At O'Brien Icehouse, a small group spent time with it in a private setting.
Andrew Shelton got to see the Cup at O'Brien Icehouse, which he helped bring into being in 2010. Shelton, a Melbourne native, once lived in New York and Toronto. His son, Nick, started playing hockey in New York, kept playing in Toronto and continued to play when the family returned home.
"Just an absolute delight," Shelton said. "I've got to say, it was part of the dream when we were putting this together that we would one day be able to get the NHL out here.
"I hope it will just create a wider awareness about this game and how good it is, how exciting it is. We see from experience in this building, when people who have never seen hockey before see the game, they love it. That's what I just hope might come out of this."
