VIDEO: Florida Panthers forward Sam Reinhart brings Stanley Cup home to West Vancouver

EXTENDED: Stanley Cup visits West Vancouver Florida Panthers forward Sam Reinhart brings Stanley Cup to West Vancouver

The first team Florida Panthers forward Sam Reinhart played for as a young boy was the Hollyburn Huskies. So it was fitting that after winning the Stanley Cup in June, the West Vancouver native would bring the iconic trophy home to Hollyburn Country club, where it all started.

The club held an event Sunday morning where hundreds of members heard from Reinhart, and posed for photos with the 28 year old and the cup.

“It was great to see Sam grow up as a kid just loving hockey, playing hard, competing. So to have one of our own now a Stanley Cup champion and to see how many people came out to celebrate with Sam on his day, words can’t explain it,” said Hollyburn Huskies director of hockey Adam Hayduk.

“It is really special to us as a program, but also for the young kids here as well.”

“This is just obviously a huge inspiration to all of us. Sam, it’s hard to believe he started off at the same level as we did,” said former Husky Jonathan Ruus, who came to Hollyburn to meet Reinhart and see the cup.

“It’s an electric feeling for sure,” said former Husky Max Bergeron. “To see someone who comes from the same beginning, the same place do something like that, it’s something really special to have him share it with us.”

The son of former Vancouver Canuck Paul Reinhart, Sam scored the Stanley Cup winning goal in Game 7 against the Edmonton Oilers. All members of the winning team get a day with the Stanley Cup, and Reinhart told the crowd there was never a doubt he would bring it back to Hollyburn.

“You know, it’s the culture that we have here. It’s something special to be a Hollyburn Husky,” said Hayduk. “It’s great when the players win the Stanley Cup, the first thing they want to do is bring it back where hockey started for them. It’s really special.”

Reinhart is the first former Husky to hoist the Stanley Cup. “Sam worked very hard, and loves the game,” said Hayduk. “You know, dreams do come true.”