BIDDEFORD, Maine (NEWS CENTER) — Ever since Pittsburgh won the Stanley Cup in June, Mainers have been dreaming about seeing it come to Vacationland in the hands of the first Maine-born player to win it: Biddeford native and Penguins defenseman Brian Dumoulin.
Those dreams came true Tuesday, and plenty of excited fans came out to celebrate history with one of their own.
Hockey fans in Maine have been waiting patiently for a player from Maine to win the Stanley Cup, so spending a few hours outside waiting for that champion's arrival was nothing.
One festivities attendee said they had waited for about four hours to be there for the Cup — worth it to see the coveted Lord Stanley in the hands of a man from Biddeford.
"It's such a great thing for Biddeford, and for Maine and for youth hockey. You take a look around at all the kids and stuff," said another attendee. "It gets them excited to meet a hometown hero, someone who has been there and done all the hard work."
Now that the work is done, Brian Dumoulin gets to celebrate with his hometown and bring the cup back to the place where his hockey career started.
"I mean, this is a memorable place for me. I played high school hockey here, I played growing up here, so for me to bring the Cup back to Biddeford Ice Arena, it's an easy thing to do," Dumoulin said.
Coming out to see it was an easy choice for the huge crowds of Mainers who lined the streets for the parade and celebrated Brian's arrival.
"Oh, it's just so overwhemling … we're so overwhelmed by the support from all the people of Biddeford, and elsewhere, who came today, Maine is so proud."
Brian hopes the kids who see the Stanley Cup will be inspired to earn it, and to bring it home more often.
"I saw it when I was 12-years-old up in Toronto, and as soon as I saw it, it was bright, it was shiny, and I thought, I want to win that thing," Dumoulin said. "I wanted to hoist it over my head."
"Fortunately, I am able to right now, and I hope those little kids want to do the same thing."