The dream of every young hockey player is to one day hoist the ultimate hockey prize. For Logan Stankoven, at just 23 years old, that dream has finally become a reality.
On June 14, 2026, Stankoven, along with the Carolina Hurricanes, won Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Series to take the victory over the Las Vegas Golden Knights. In the playoffs, the 5’8 Center recorded the first points scored in the playoffs and went on to be a huge contributor, tallying 11 goals with five assists for 16 points.
Through every game of the playoffs, the support for Stankoven was prominent across Kamloops, from Facebook groups and Instagram posts to messages on X.
“ I know he reads every text message. He gets back to everybody. He saw all the notes on Facebook. He sees all the outpouring of support, and you can see that. Whenever he had a mic or a camera in front of him during the Stanley Cup playoffs, he was very quick to shout out Kamloops and his support back home.” Jon Keen, Kamloops sports broadcaster and long-time voice of the Kamloops Blazers, said. “He’s always very thankful for that support. It’s always something that he never takes for granted, I guess you could say.”
Every player is awarded one day to spend with the Stanley Cup. While many players elect to spend their day in private, intimate celebrations among close friends and family, Stankoven chose the opposite. His day was spent throughout Kamloops, ensuring that the community that shared their support for him during the playoffs had every opportunity to see the trophy.
On August 16, 2026 after flight delays almost prevented its arrival, and Wes Stankoven–Logan’s dad–drove to the Kelowna Airport to pick it up personally, the Stanley Cup had arrived in Kamloops.
“He started the day right there at Royal Inland Hospital. [Then] he took it to his old school at St. Ann’s, which was amazing. There were so many people there.” Keen said. “I thought the itinerary probably had a little bit too much on it that day.”
The Schedule for Stankoven was, indeed, packed. Beyond the hospital and former school, the itinerary included three pubs, the Sandman Center, the Legacy High performance gym and a main event in Riverside Park.
When the Riverside Park event was first being organized, there was no question that the community would show up. The only question was how many people would come. Keen shared a conversation he had at the time with Wes Stankoven.
“ He’s like, ‘How many people are we gonna get at the park, Jon?’ I said, ‘Oh, I don’t know, probably four to five,’ was my guess. I was thinking 4 to 5,000, and Wes was like, ‘Oh, 400 to 500. That’ll be awesome if we get 400 to 500 people out.’ I’m like, ‘No, Wes, 4 to 5,000 was probably what we’re looking at.’ ”
When the Sunday celebration finally arrived, around 7000 people came out to Riverside Park to see Stankoven and the cup. The crowd was full of families, community members and young hockey players who looked up to Logan, many of whom had watched his career unfold from his minor hockey days to his time as Blazers’ Captain and eventually to the NHL.
For Keen, the crowd was ignited with an energy that he could only explain as “Stanley Cup Fever”.
The afternoon celebration gave the community more than just a chance to see the Stanley Cup. The event was filled with speakers who have been a part of Stankoven’s development throughout his hockey years, and even featured a chance for 100 attendees to take a picture with him and the cup. Stankoven carried the Cup from Sandman Centre to the bandshell at Riverside Park, where hundreds of minor hockey players lined the pathway to welcome him as he made his way into the park.
“ Everybody in the city thinks that they are connected to Logan in a certain way, and they’re right. They’re very connected, whether it’s through [Wes] or the family or [his] sister or an old coach, a teammate, a schoolmate, everybody has a connection.” Keen said, “We always talk about the seven degrees of separation, but with Logan and Kamloops, it’s one or two degrees of separation. I think that’s why we saw such an outpouring of support there, on Stanley Cup Day.”
After a morning filled with stops at the hospital and his old school before the main event at Riverside Park, Stankoven continued his Cup tour with several more stops around Kamloops. He finished the night at Sharks Club, where the Stanley Cup was locked up at 11 p.m. in accordance with NHL rules, officially bringing his one day with the Cup to an end.
Stankoven’s decision to spend his single day with the Cup around the city, in buildings and streets that were once a part of his journey, sent a strong message. ”I think that he has basically solidified his legendary status in this community by bringing the Cup back,” Keen said.
Thousands of people showed up to see the Stanley Cup, but they also showed up to celebrate one of their own. Logan Stankoven, rather than keeping the Cup to himself, shared his special day with something that was equally as special to him: the city that has always rallied around him. And for one day, the biggest trophy in hockey belonged to Kamloops.