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Cole and Porter Bring Stanley Cup Home To Michigan

By USA Hockey Communications, 08/14/16, 5:00PM EDT

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USA Hockey's National Team Development Program alumni, and current Pittsburgh Penguin teammates, Ian Cole (2005-07) and Kevin Porter (2002-04) made the most of their day with the Cup by inviting their entire hometowns to get involved.

  • Photo by Rena Laverty
  • Photo by Rena Laverty
  • Photo by Rena Laverty
  • Photo Courtesy of C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital
  • Photo Courtesy of C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital
  • Photo Courtesy of C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital

A homecoming is always an exciting, but when the Stanley Cup is involved, it becomes a town-wide event. 

USA Hockey's National Team Development Program alumni, and current Pittsburgh Penguin teammates, Ian Cole (2005-07) and Kevin Porter (2002-04) made the most of their day with the Cup by inviting their entire hometowns to get involved. 

Friday, Cole toured with the Cup around his hometown of Ann Arbor. He ended the day with a large public viewing party at the former home of the NTDP, the Ann Arbor Ice Cube. Read a full recap of Cole’s day with the Cup at NHL.com. You can also see video from his trip to the C.S. Mott Children's Hospital at the University of Michigan above.

On Sunday, it was Porter’s turn with the Cup, and he brought it to his hometown and the new home of the NTDP, Plymouth. 

Porter was met by hundreds in Kellogg Park from 10 a.m.-12 p.m. as he posed for photographs, spoke to the crowd, and laughed with hometown fans. 

“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.”

The eight-year NHL veteran credited the NTDP for helping launch his career and putting him in a position to succeed at the next level. 

"The NTDP was the first stepping stone for me playing college hockey. I developed not only as a player there but also as a person."

The success of the NTDP as a whole also isn’t lost as him, as he remarked on the the NTDP’s new home at USA Hockey Arena. 

"I've skated over there a few times now. It is great because its now right in my backyard."

Cole and Porter and their teammates, Phil Kessel (2003-2005) and Bryan Rust (2008-10), comprise the largest contingency of NTDP alumni group to win the Stanley Cup in a season. They are four of nine NTDP alums to ever claim the Cup. 

ABOUT THE NTDP: In 1996, USA Hockey launched a new initiative called the National Team Development Program, originally based in Ann Arbor, Michigan. In March of 2015 the USA Hockey Foundation purchased Compuware Arena (now USA Hockey Arena) in Plymouth, Michigan, which became the new home of the NTDP in 2015-16. The goal of this full-time development program is to prepare student-athletes under the age of 18 for participation on U.S. National Teams and success in their future hockey careers. Its efforts focus not only on high-caliber participation on the ice, but creating well-rounded individuals off the ice. The NTDP opens their 20th anniversary season on Friday, September 23rd with a United States Hockey League matchup with the Muskegon Lumberjacks. Puck drops at 7 p.m. and tickets are available here.

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Stanley Cup Comes to Mott Children's Hospital

Ann Arbor native Ian Cole of the Pittsburgh Penguins only has one day with the Stanley Cup. In that short 24 hours, he decided to bring it to Mott for all our Little Victors to see and touch. Hail Ian and all our little hockey fans.

Posted by C.S. Mott Children's Hospital on Friday, August 12, 2016

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