WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Tradition and superstitions are at every turn of the NHL postseason.
Players are growing their beards and rats tossed on the ice.
Since 1988, a man wearing white gloves stands next to the Stanley Cup trophy, a staple of every celebration.
The man is known as the Keeper of the Stanley Cup, because you see Philip Pritchard at every Stanley Cup Final.
Like most NHL fans, he dreamed of hoisting the Stanley Cup trophy.
"I started playing road hockey and ice hockey like every other kid in Canada," said Pritchard. "Obviously, I wanted to play in the National Hockey League and win a Stanley Cup."
While Pritchard loved the sport, he knew he wouldn't make it to the NHL.
"I wanted to stay in hockey. I started focusing on the behind-the-scenes stuff and ended up going to college for a sports management program," he said.
He completed several internships for Canadian Hockey League, which landed him a job with the Hockey Hall of Fame.
"All of a sudden, next thing you know, I'm out there traveling with the Stanley Cup promoting the game," said Pritchard.
The next thing you know, Pritchard became the official Keeper of the Stanley Cup.
You'll never guess how he got the job of watching the trophy.
"Day four on the job, our boss asked if anyone wanted to go, and no one said anything. So I sheepishly put up my hand, and I've been doing it ever since," said Pritchard.
In his 36 years on the job, he's seen players drop the Cup, take drinks from the Cup and share the Cup with family and friends.
Among the most memorable moments was the Chicago Blackhawks Championship in 2010.
"I think two million people came down for that one," Pritchard said. "I remember going around the corner with Towes and Patrick Kane. None of us had any idea how many people would be there."
We asked Pritchard where he would rank the Florida Panthers running out into the ocean with the trophy.
"It's amazing. They're celebrating with everybody. They don't want to leave anyone out," said Pritchard. "Not every place in the NHL has an ocean on it. The Florida Panthers do, and it's a part of their community."
The Keeper of the Cup said that while he missed us in person this time, he'll invite WPTV out to see the Cup in a few weeks. We will hold him to that promise.
