Stanley Cup coming to Russia - Officials
MOSCOW. July 2. KAZINFORM The NHL's Stanley Cup is to visit the Russian cities of Chelyabinsk and Voskresensk this week, officials said Monday, Kazinform has learned from RIA Novosti.
An NHL tradition allows each player in the Stanley Cup-winning team to retain the giant trophy for a day, and the Los Angeles Kings' defenseman Slava Voynov and center Andrei Loktionov have chosen to take it to their homeland.
On Wednesday morning, Voynov is to exhibit the Cup at the Siberian home arena of his first hockey team, Traktor Chelyabinsk, the KHL team said.
Later that day, the Cup will fly west to Loktionov's home town of Voskresensk near Moscow and go on display at a municipal building, the city government told R-Sport.
It will then spend the next day at promotional events before heading to Slovenia to be reunited with center Anze Kopitar.
Voynov and Loktionov, both 22, played together at the Kings' AHL affiliate the Manchester Monarchs before breaking into the Kings roster.
Voynov has played 59 NHL games and Loktionov 54, all of them for the Kings.