Ladd overwhelmed by turnout

In the middle of an ice rink, Andrew Ladd lifts the Stanley Cup over his head as a crowd of people clap and cheer.

But this isn't game six of the playoffs, this is the Planet Ice arena off 105th Avenue in Maple Ridge -- the rink nicknamed after local legend Cam Neely -- and the people cheering him are his former neighbours and teammates.

Ladd has come home and he's brought the cup with him.

On Sunday, a whopping 2,200 people arrived at Planet Ice to see Maple Ridge's golden boy and take a picture of the greatest prize in hockey. He won his first Stanley Cup in 2006 with the Carolina Hurricanes, and he brought it home to huge crowds in Memorial Park.

Now, having just come off his win with the Chicago Blackhawks, Ladd hoists the silver trophy with the ease of a man comfortable with its heft.

"You know what to expect the second time," he said of winning the Stanley Cup. His previous experience in Carolina taught him how to react -- to spend a little more time on the ice, soaking things up -- and prepared his family for the attention he would get. Or so he thought.

"We honestly couldn't go anywhere in Chicago with the cup," recalls Ladd. While Carolina had celebrated the win, they had nothing on the frenzy in Chicago.

"We'd shut down streets and cars and restaurants. It was crazy," he said. While no streets were shut down in Maple Ridge, Stanley Cup fever had definitely caught on strong, as people waited hours in line to get Ladd's autograph.

One of his reasons for continuing to bring the cup to Maple Ridge, he said, is to recognize and inspire the players in the Ridge Meadows minor hockey league -- the league he played in growing up.

As well, he wanted to thank the coaches who helped him become the hockey star he is today. "RM minor hockey has had some great coaches. For them to volunteer their time to help kids...and me out is special. And that's part of bringing it back here and saying thanks to them."

Having brought the cup to Children's Hospital, Alouette Lake and now Maple Ridge, Ladd looks toward a new chapter with the Atlanta Thrashers. Traded due to the salary cap problems of the Blackhawks, Ladd feels it's a chance for him to take on a bigger role both offensively and defensively. "I've played for a lot of deep teams and I haven't really been able to show what I can do. I think I can bring a lot more to the table," he said.

[for the Maple Ridge/Pitt Meadows Times, July 20, 2010]


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