The celebration seemed to go on forever. The teams shook hands–“Great stick!” big MacNeil acknowledged with a good-hearted smile. The Governor General made her way down onto the ice for the presentation, and the ice filled with television cameras and radio and newspaper reporters asking for interviews, and photographers snapping shots of the Screech Owls as if they’d just won the Stanley Cup.

Which, of course, they had.

The first presentation, however, was to the Most Valuable Player. The public address system roared out the name–“SAMMM-ANTHA BENNNNN-ETTTTT!”–and Sam, standing down the line by Jenny Staples, threw off her helmet and shook her head as if she hadn’t heard right.

But if Sam was surprised, no one else was. The crowd roared its approval and the Governor General handed her a beautiful little Inuit carving. Sam hugged the Governor General. Travis, hitting his stick on the ice, could only wonder if you were allowed to do that.

But the Governor General didn’t seem to mind. She hugged Sam back. Then a large figure on skates stepped out of the Owls line and skated down to tap Sam’s shinpads.

It was Nish, glowing like a goal light.

A moment later, a man wearing a dark blue suit and the whitest gloves Travis had ever seen came out from the Zamboni chute carrying the original Stanley Cup. It was so much smaller than the one Travis was familiar with from TV, but he knew that this one, the small one, was the real one. The same one that Lord Stanley had paid $48.67 for more than a century ago. Today, it was priceless.

The Owls and Rebels lined up and the Governor General presented the Rebels with silver medals, which she placed around their necks. The Owls raised their sticks in salute and cheered the home-town team.

Travis turned to Sarah. “Find Joe,” he said. “And fast.”

Sarah skated away.

The Governor General then picked up the original Stanley Cup. She looked around for the team captain.

“Go, Trav!” Nish called, hammering his stick.

“Yeah, Travis!” Sam shouted.

Travis noticed Sam and Nish were now standing side by side. Something seemed to have changed between them.

But he wasn’t looking for Sam or Nish. He had to find Joe Hall.

The Governor General was walking towards Travis with the Stanley Cup in her hands. The Rebels were pounding their sticks on the ice in salute. The entire Corel Centre was on its feet, cheering.

Travis looked around, nearly frantic.

There was Sarah! And she had Joe Hall with her.

Joe Hall, white as the ice, was leaning heavily on Sarah. He looked terrible.

Travis turned first to Joe Hall. He handed him back his stick. The sparkle was missing, but Joe Hall managed a thin, quick smile.

“You won the Stanley Cup for me,” he said.

Then the Governor General presented the Stanley Cup to Travis. With trembling arms he took the trophy, thanked her, and raised it over his head to thunderous cheers.

Travis knew that everyone expected him to hand the Cup next to his assistant captain, Sarah. But Sarah stepped aside, and Travis, smiling, did what both of them knew needed to be done. He handed the original Stanley Cup to Joe Hall.

Joe Hall reached for it. He was crying. Sobbing openly, huge tears welled up in his eyes and rolled down his cheeks, splashing into the Stanley Cup.

“Thanks, Joe,” Travis said. “And congratulations.”

Sarah reached up and kissed Joe Hall. Still sobbing, he handed the trophy to Sarah. Sarah lifted it, then handed it off to Derek, then Nish.

Nish pushed past several of the Owls to make sure Sam got it next. She raised the cup and did a little dance, much to the delight of the crowd.