A local hero spent his Tuesday morning sharing hockey’s Holy Grail with the community in which he grew up. Jordan Martinook brought the Stanley Cup to the Leduc Recreation Centre to share it with the hundreds who lined up to see him and the trophy the National Hockey League veteran won in June as a member of the Carolina Hurricanes. The 34-year-old forward said the gathering was his way of thanking the people in his home city of 40,000 just south of Edmonton. “I grew up playing here,” Martinook told reporters. “I’ve worked out at this gym. I ran around this track. This is pretty cool.” People started to queue at the centre at 9 a.m. for access to the fieldhouse, where Martinook brought in the Cup that he won with the Hurricanes, beating the Vegas Golden Knights in six games. The City of Leduc also presented him with an outstanding achievement award. “It’s the most incredible trophy, and I wanted to share it with my hometown,” Martinook said. “This is where I grew up, and it’s important to share it with people.” The Hurricanes alternate captain played his minor hockey in Leduc, including for both the U15 and U18 AAA Leduc Oil Kings, before he starred for the Drayton Valley Thunder of the Alberta Junior Hockey League and the Vancouver Giants of the Western Hockey League. Martinook was drafted by the NHL’s Phoenix Coyotes in 2012 and joined the Hurricanes six years later. In 11 NHL seasons, he has scored 102 goals and 262 points in 797 games played, while adding 10 goals and 38 points in 95 career playoff games all played with Carolina. With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Curtis Goodrum
