Pritchard said that every request for use of the Stanley Cup gets signed off on by the league, so its place in the parade has the blessing of the biggest powers in the sport. 'It gets taken to a lot of events and parades,' he said. But Pritchard, the cup's full-time caretaker, confirmed it was the first time the sport's biggest icon would appear at a gay-themed event.
Last year, the Conn Smythe Trophy - awarded to the playoff MVP - appeared in Toronto's Pride Parade as part of a tourism promotion. Now, in a terrific column on the significance of the event, AP sports columnist Jim Litke says this has never happened before. When the news came this week that the Stanley Cup trophy would be a part of this weekend's Chicago gay pride parade, I assumed it was a first but not totally sure.
