SAN ANTONIO - – Perhaps the most impressive championship trophy in sports, the Stanley Cup made a stop in the Alamo City, Saturday. For San Antonio hockey fans, it was almost like Christmas morning.
"Its lord freaking Stanley's Cup," said Joseph Houser, who was one of the first in line to have his picture taken with the iconic piece of hardware. Houser is a fan of the defending Stanley Cup Champion Washington Capitals, making the experience even more special. "Its a once in a lifetime chance. I can't touch it, nobody can touch it unless you win the Stanley Cup, so being next to it is great enough," Houser said.
It wasn't just the trophy that fans came to see. Many wanted to meet the cup's keeper, Philip Pritchard. Known simply to hockey fans as "Phil," Pritchard might have one of the coolest jobs in sports. But how he got the job was quite simply by accident.
"The Cup had to go north of Toronto for an event on a Friday night. My colleague needed someone to go with him, so I volunteered and I guess in a way, put my hand up. Now 31 years later its just part of the resume," Pritchard said.
Pritchard has accompanied the cup to thousands of events in 26 countries. Seeing the joy on the faces of fans is what he enjoys most.
"For them to share their stories and for me to be able to listen to them and share their passion - it's just really special," Pritchard said. "Every hockey fan has a story."