Stanley Cup comes to Hamilton

(Update)

Glanbrook native Mark Bernard never “played” in the NHL, but he’s basking in the glow of Chicago`s second Stanley Cup victory in the last 4 years.

Bernard, a former goalie, is an executive with the Blackhawks organization, and Monday was his turn to take the cup home.

Natalie Marconi has more in this report.

After he let his own kids eat Timbits out of the Stanley Cup at home Monday morning, Mark Bernard brought it down to Kenesky sports.

It’s where he bought his goalie pads, from the time he played with the Hamilton Steelhawks, and even earlier.

“Well I kind of grew up in this building too. I remember my dad bringing me here to get goalie equipment throughout the 80’s and 70’s.”

Then, it was off to the Glanbrook Arena.

“My first year of hockey was the first year the arena opened, back in 74-75.”

Bernard played professional hockey for 13 years, both in North America and in Europe, and won back-to-back championships in the East Coast Hockey League in 1991 and ’92 with the Hampton Roads Admirals.

He also coached for five years before moving up to hockey administration, and in 2008 he was named the Most Outstanding Executive in the AHL with the Norfolk Admirals.

With Norfolk, and now the Rockford Icehogs, Bernard saw the development of players like Corey Crawford who, after five years in the AHL, wasn’t sure if he was ever going to make it in the National League.

“But he stayed with it and worked hard, great work ethic. He’s put his critics quiet for right now. He’s at the Olympic orientation camp right now, well deserved and I really hope he gets a chance in that program.”

Bernard says his own success has also been built on persistence.

“The only people that can tell you you can’t do something is yourself. That’s the message I hope these kids take out of this. Anything is possible, dream big.”

Natalie Marconi, CHCH sports.