No Battalion alum had ever won the Stanley Cup until COVID-19, but now one of the franchises greatest players - has now won it twice in less than a year.
Barclay Goodrow and the Tampa Bay Lightning captured their second straight Stanley Cup on Wednesday night in a tight 1-0 win in game five in Tampa Bay.
Goodrow, who has become renowned for his great two-way play on a line with Yanne Gourde and Blake Coleman this playoff year. He showed his tremendous determination to defend late in the game when Goodrow blocked a Shea Weber in the final minute of the game.
"That block sums up the character of this team," stated Lightning coach Jon Cooper after the win.
Goodrow finished this memorable playoff run with two goals and four assists for six points in 18 playoff games.
See related: Goodrow becomes first Battalion player to win the Cup
Lightning head coach Jon Cooper praised the hard working 28-year-old earlier in the playoffs when he scored a game-winner on the road against the Carolina Hurricanes in the second round.
“You can’t have all Ferraris. Sometimes you need a good-old fashioned four-wheel-drive Jeep to get you through the mud,” coach Jon Cooper said.
“That’s what Barclay Goodrow can do for you.”
Goodrow, who’s been a nice fit since being acquired from the San Jose Sharks at last season’s trade deadline, doesn’t quite know what to make of being compared to an automobile.
But he took it just fine.
“I think they’re pretty reliable cars. I know their resale value’s pretty good. They hold up in all conditions,” he said after scoring the winning goal in Game 1 at Carolina.
Ryan Oulahen, Battalion head coach, was thrilled to see Goodrow hoist the Cup for the second time in nine months.
“What a pleasure to watch Barclay hoist the Stanley Cup once again," said Oulahen.
"He played an instrumental role while saving his best hockey for the final. Extremely proud to be able to share his story and call him a Battalion!”
It could be a very profitable off-season for Goodrow who becomes an unrestricted free agent this summer. Some hockey enthusiasts, including Battalion GM Adam Dennis, believe he is the type of player the Toronto Maple Leafs need to sign this off-season.
It has been a special spring and summer for a couple of North Bay Battalion alum.
Back in June, Nick Paul was credited with the overtime game-winner as Team Canada captured Gold at the IIHF World Hockey Championships in Latvia beating Finland 3-2 on June 6.
