great day for a parade

Today was the LA Kings Stanley Cup Victory Parade, an event I never thought I'd ever live to see ;) It was great to see all the players so relaxed and having so much fun after working so hard for the last two months. It was also great to see that really pretty shiny Cup in their hands :)

Here are a few pics from the day:
(The majority are on my Facebook page. If we're friends, go check them out there)

My "money shot" -- Dustin Brown lifts The Stanley Cup, while Anze Kopitar and Jonathan Quick hug it out. Awww.

I was taking pics of Mike Richards, Drew Doughty, Dustin Penner and Jeff Carter and didn't even notice Luuuuuc Robitaille standing right behind them until now :)

President of Business Operations Luuuuuc Robitaille addresses the team and fans 

Team photo with the hardware :)

Today was a celebration for every player who's ever worn a Kings jersey, and all the fans who cheered for them over the last 45 years. It was also for all the personnel who've worked within the Kings organization over the years to mold the team that won that Cup on Monday.

That's why this photo -- taken at the 9-11 Memorial by Kings fan Dave Krasne in New York, and posted today on Twitter with the message, "As a Kings fan in NYC, I couldn't let Mark Bavis or Ace Bailey miss the festivities" -- is so poignant.

Mark Bavis and Garnet "Ace" Bailey were LA Kings scouts who perished on one of the planes that hit the World Trade Center on 9-11. (The Kings mascot "Bailey" is named after Ace.) There is a rumor that the team is petitioning the NHL to put Mark and Ace's names on the Cup. I hope they succeed.