Kevin Porter brings the Stanley Cup to downtown Plymouth
By @MichaelCaples –
PLYMOUTH – If you drove through downtown Plymouth Sunday morning, you may have seen a substantial line leading from the stage at Kellogg Park.
You may have also seen Lord Stanley’s Cup glistening in the sunlight.
Sunday was Kevin Porter’s day to spend with hockey’s ultimate prize, and he insisted on sharing it with the people of his hometown.
Porter grew up in Plymouth before his family moved to Northville during his teenage years; Kellogg Park offered the perfect place for the former USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program and University of Michigan star to welcome fans for photos, handshakes and autographs.
“It’s awesome,” said Porter, who lives in Plymouth when he’s able to be home. “To bring the Stanley Cup back home is pretty cool, and obviously it’s been a pretty good turnout so far, so it’s a pretty special day.
“My family’s excited, I’m excited – it’s pretty cool.”
The Kellogg Park event was the first of many visits for Porter during his day with the Cup – from Plymouth, he would be on his way to Ann Arbor for stops at Yost Ice Arena and the Jolly Pumpkin. Visiting his hometown, however, was a must.
“This is where I live,” Porter said. “These are my neighbors. These are people that I’m going to see for the rest of my life, every day. I just thought it would be pretty special for people who maybe won’t get to see it – I don’t get to see it that often. If you’re not in the hockey world, it’s pretty special to come see something like this.”
Michael Porter, one of Kevin’s older brothers, said it was special to share the day with the people of Plymouth.
“It’s pretty awesome,” Michael Porter said. “Right away he said he wanted to bring it back to the city of Plymouth, and Westborn [Market] has been awesome to help out with the event. It’s just really cool to see a big turnout and a lot of friends and family here, just enjoying this moment together.”
This spring’s Stanley Cup championship is just the latest in an impressive list of accomplishments for the hometown hero. Porter served as captain of a Michigan squad that reached the Frozen Four in his senior season of 2007-08 – the same season that saw him win the Hobey Baker Award for the best player in college hockey. He led Michigan to two CCHA titles and was the CCHA Player of the Year in 2008, as well.
A fourth-round pick of the (then) Phoenix Coyotes, Porter has competed in 247 NHL games, holding 29 goals and 29 assists to his name. He played in 41 games with the Penguins during their run to the Stanley Cup before an ankle injury sidelined him in March.
Porter’s father, John, said Sunday was a “very special” day for his family.
“[Kevin]’s the third of four boys who all played, and he just had great years at Michigan and this is the icing on the cake. It’s very special, and he’s a good kid. It’s a great day, and we’re all having a great time with it.”
The head of the Porter household wasn’t surprised by his son’s willingness to share his day with the Cup with the public, either. The Kellogg Park visit served as a fundraiser for one of his cousins battling cancer, and the Jolly Pumpkin event raised money for Athletes Connected – a UM program dedicated to helping student-athlete mental health.
“It’s the way he is,” John Porter said. “He’s good about that. He’s also doing something in Ann Arbor for a charity associated with Michigan athletics; he’s a thoughtful kid in that way. I’m very proud of him.”
Thoughtful off the ice, and talented on it, yet Porter said he knows he’s one of the lucky ones for having a chance to hoist Lord Stanley’s Cup at the end of the Penguins’ playoff run.
“That was pretty special,” Porter said. “Not everyone gets to do that. There are a lot of guys who played a lot longer than I have, and a lot better players, that haven’t lifted it. To be able to hoist it over my head was awesome – you just dream of that growing up as a kid playing hockey.”