The Stanley Cup arrived in Newfoundland today in the company of Detroit Red Wings' forward Danny Cleary, the province's first son to hoist the cup over his head in victory.
The province is expected to celebrate in true Newfoundland style with several days of festivities that will hearken back to the Stanley Cup final, when the province erupted in celebration.
Cleary, who arrived in St. John's Monday morning, was greeted by hundreds of revellers at the city's airport as U2's "Beautiful Day" played in the background.
"Being a Newfoundlander is something I'm really proud of and being the first to bring the Stanley Cup home is an honour for me," Cleary told the crowd. "Everyone can enjoy it."
Cleary took the prized trophy to the Janeway Children's Hospital in the afternoon.
"I wanted to bring it here because I love children," he told the admiring youngsters.
But the biggest celebration is expected to be on Canada Day when Cleary takes the Cup to his home town of Harbour Grace.
Newfoundlanders are expected to make the trek from all over to attend the celebration on Tuesday -- wearing red and white in honour of Canada Day and the Red Wings' win.
"The more the merrier really," Cleary told CTV's Canada AM by phone. "It's all about celebrating with the province, with friends, with people I've never seen before in my life and their kids. Bring the kids, it's all about the kids. It's going to be a great day."
"There are a lot of Newfoundlanders abroad, a lot of Newfoundlanders in Alberta, British Columbia, and I think they're very proud the Stanley Cup has been won for the province and it will be here," he added.
"It's Canada Day so a lot of people are coming home to visit family, so it's a good time."
Premier Danny Williams said anticipation has been building since the victory, and he expects tens of thousands of people to attend the party on Tuesday.
"There's a tremendous amount of hype," Williams told Canada AM from St. John's.
"People are very, very excited -- people of all ages from young children to people like myself, to be quite honest with you -- I'm an old Detroit fan. The place is alive there's a cup fever here."
Cleary and the cup will be part of a motorcade Tuesday in Harbour Grace. Meetings have been planned with minor hockey players and there will be a massive event at a local soccer field.
Some organizers predict as many as 30,000 people could attend the event.
Detroit won the Stanley Cup over the Pittsburgh Penguins in six games.
Cleary said the win -- which represented a lifetime of hard work -- was everything he dreamed it would be.
"It's kind of tough to put into words what it was like to lift (the cup) over my head," Cleary said.
"To be honest I was thinking 'don't drop it, this thing is a little bit heavy,' but once that moment is going you draw back to all the hard work and all the sacrifice and preparation you put into winning a Stanley Cup. And then you go back to the early years, maybe some rough times, family. So many thoughts go through your mind."
