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Tuesday, October 20, 2009
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'Holy Grail' coming to lakes area
Sports Editor If Chuck "Gringo" Grillo wanted he could just take Lord Stanley's Cup and go home.
But the owner of Minnesota Hockey Camps in Nisswa is going to get more satisfaction by sharing it with the public.
As a scout for the 2009 Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins, Grillo will get one day with the "Holy Grail" of sports trophies Friday and he wants as many lakes area residents as possible to get a chance to experience a moment with it.
In addition to spending time with Grillo and his family at MHC, the chalice will make three stops in which the public may take photos of the Cup or have their photo taken with it:
At Shep's on 6th in downtown Brainerd, the Cup will be placed in an alcohol-free room where families are welcome.
It also will be at Ye Olde Pickle Factory in Nisswa and at Zorbaz on Gull Lake. At Zorbaz, there will be a $5 cover charge and proceeds will go to help Don Klein, a Grillo family friend, in his fight against cancer.
The tour
What: Gringo's Banditos Cup Tour
When: Friday
Itinerary: The Cup will stop at:
Shep's on 6th, 3 p.m.
Brainerd Area Civic Center for photo with Brainerd Amateur Hockey Association players, 6:20 p.m.
Ye Olde Pickle Factory in Nisswa, 7 p.m.
Zorbaz on Gull Lake, 8:30 p.m.
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This season, the 70-year-old Grillo is entering his 29th year under contract with an NHL organization, his ninth with the Penguins. In an e-mail, he expounded about the Penguins and his experience with the Cup.
Q. How many players from last year's team did you help sign?
A. "We had eight draft picks on last year's team. We had one other (2002 pick Ryan Whitney) traded for Chris Kunitz and Eric Tangradi. Chris had immediate impact on Sidney Crosby's line. Big things are expected in the future from Eric."
Q. What does winning the Stanley Cup mean to you?
A. "This puts a person in with a special group of people, friends and colleagues linked together for life. The Stanley Cup is no doubt the most difficult to win and the most storied trophy in all of sports. When they refer to it as 'The Holy Grail' I can relate to that comparison after spending time with the Cup in Montreal during the draft.
"It is just as gratifying to see young men out of a draft win a Cup as it would be to coach or play for the Cup.
"I will always refer to our drafted players as "The Stable". They are Sidney Crosby, Evgeny Malkin, Marc-Andre Fleury, Jordan Staal, Maxime Talbot, Tyler Kennedy, Kristopher Letang, Alex Goligoski. Brooks Orpik is part of that stable but he was there prior to me getting there.
"The Cup resembles a playground setting with a pecking order. The lineups are full of established players whose career achievements and shortcomings are well-documented. If you don't like the pecking order, the setting is there to change it. Rules are reduced to guidelines and players get paid to outwork and outperform their opponent with no regard for who they are or what they've accomplished. Players accept the challenge and set out to prove they are better than the next guy.
"The Cup mirrors life. Aren't we all paid to outwork and outperform our opponent in life? Great win for a group of guys, who have no quit in them and appear to be relishing the playground setting where there is no room for the timid or weak-minded player.
"Makes you want to bring back the old playground setting where kids grew up learning how to survive on their own in the toughest situations. More than one picked up their stick, skates, bat, and glove and went home. Something tells me the Pittsburgh players have some playground experience and are interesting in altering the "pecking order" for years to come.
This playground, like all playgrounds, has defined and shaped the lives of individuals, teams, organizations, communities, countries and the world. Not one player got mad or embarrassed enough to pick up their stick and skates and go home. They accepted the results, shook hands with those they could find, and are headed to the next chapter of their lives."
Q. What's it going to be like to share the Cup's appearance with family and friends?
A. I will know when I see how it impacts those around me. The real joy of having the Cup comes from others being able to experience the Cup. I will get a bigger thrill seeing others reacting than anything I do with it. I want those close to me, and all of the people in the Brainerd lakes area, to have the opportunity to take a picture with the Cup. That is my goal.
"Being a part of a Stanley Cup winner is a very humbling experience. You immediately think of all the reasons you had this opportunity when the buzzer goes off. Your whole life passes right in front of you.
"Included in those thoughts are all those I've been fortunate to meet, teammates, compete against and work with over the years. This includes all of the athletes and parents we've met through our camp as well as those we worked with, mentored and taught while in the teaching profession and in the NHL.
"Without key people in my life, I have no chance of having a successful teaching and coaching career and I certainly would never have been able to get to the point where I was able to carve out a 29-year career in the NHL and be the owner of a special hockey camp for athletes.
"Good teammates recognize that special moments are not about the person. The Cup experience is more about the people you can impact, or those who simply enjoy the Cup, than the person who has it.
"I find that the championship ring is the same. Seeing the joy on the faces of those having an experience with this worldly treasure will be a highlight of the day for me.
"When the results are in, my wish is the Cup touches the hearts of as many people as possible and the memories are forever."
Q. Will your name be engraved on the Cup?
A. No. I missed out on that dream, but got two out of three with the ring and the Cup. If you hit .666 in baseball you have a chance to become a cult hero."
MIKE BIALKA may be reached at mike.bialka@brainerddispatch.com or at 855-5861.
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