Lower Kootenay Band’s Nasukin Jason Louie, along with Ethan, Carter and Rhonda Basil, met with hockey champion Bowen Byram during his trip through Cranbrook with the Stanley Cup.
On Tuesday, Aug. 16, a crowd of nearly 600 people were gathered at Western Financial Place to patiently await the arrival of Byram.
He won the honour with the Colorado Avalanche on June 26, when the team defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final.
Byram brought the trophy to his hometown to celebrate with friends and family, while also attending a meet-and-greet with the general public.
The Avalanche defenceman says it’s a “great feeling” to bring the cup home — this being the ninth occasion the cup has visited. Byram is Cranbrook’s fifth Stanley Cup winner, joining the company of past winners Scott and Rob Niedermayer, Brad Lukowych, and Jon Klemm.
“To bring the cup back home is a really special experience and I’m very grateful that I got to have it this early on in my career,” Byram said. “You never know, maybe I’ll be lucky enough to do it a couple more times.”
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To congratulate Byram on his win, Nasukin Louie and the Basils gifted Byram and his family a stay at Ainsworth Hot Springs (owned by Lower Kootenay Band).
“This opportunity came up and I wanted to give one of our youth the chance to be with the cup,” said Nasukin Louie. “We don’t have too many kids playing hockey these days, and I am hoping this will boost Ethan’s interest to stay in the sport.”
For the occasion, Nasukin Louie wore one of the Creston Valley Thunder Cats special jerseys and his medallion to present the gift to Byram, which included two rooms for two nights stay with all meals covered.
“We are proud to help celebrate Bowen’s win in a unique and meaningful way,” said Nasukin Louie. “We hope he and his family will enjoy a mini-getaway to relax in the good medicine of nupika wu’u, enjoy gourmet food in the Ktunaxa Grill, and rest and reconnect with the natural world.”
- With files from Corey Bullock