Josh Morrissey remembers the city coming to life before his eyes.
A nine-year-old Flames fan in the spring of 2004, he was captivated by every Jarome Iginla chance and Miikka Kiprusoff save during Calgary’s run to the Stanley Cup Final.
“It was just an awesome experience,” said Morrissey, now a star defenseman for the Winnipeg Jets. “Living and dying on every win and loss.”
Hockey fans across Canada are once again preparing for the annual thrill and torment that arrives with the playoffs. The Jets, Vancouver Canucks, Edmonton Oilers and Toronto Maple Leafs are in the 16-team field that will open play on Saturday.
Morrisey remembers the energy in his hometown as the Flames advanced through three grueling rounds to the final.
“That’s the best part about Canadian teams doing well in the playoffs … it means so much,” he told The Canadian Press. “A special time of the year. The longer you go, the more that excitement ramps up. It can really mean a lot to the cities. I know as a kid, it meant a ton to me.”
Canada’s Cup drought dates to Montreal’s triumph in 1993, an agonizingly long time for fans in the nation that loves hockey more than any other. The Canucks (twice), Flames, Oilers, Canadiens and Ottawa Senators have all made it to the final since only to fall short. The four Canadian clubs in this year’s bracket are the most to make the cut in a normal campaign since 2017.
Vancouver defenseman Carson Soucy, who grew up near Edmonton, remembers the Oilers’ march to the 2006 final.
“That was when they came out with the car window flags,” he said. “They were everywhere … those were popular that year.”
Jets defenseman Brenden Dillon grew up a Canucks fan and was in the city when the team lost to Boston in Game 7 of the 2011 final.
“There really is nothing like playoff hockey (in Canada),” he said. “Everyone bonds together.”
Maple Leafs defenseman Simon Benoit, who grew up in suburban Montreal, recalls watching the Canadiens go on a couple playoff runs when he was a kid.
“Having a chance here to play for that Cup, it’s pretty special,” he said of this opportunity with Toronto. “I’m pretty excited about it. When the time comes, I’ll be ready.”
Canucks rcoach Rick Tocchet won the Cup as a player with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1992. He said the team that brings hockey’s grail home will have bragging rights for a long time.
“It’s going to be a hell of a party,” he said. “You might be Canada’s team after that Stanley Cup. There’s a lot at stake for the Canadian teams that are in. As a Canadian, it could be huge. That would be the ultimate, right?”
Like so many Canadian fans over the last 30 years, Morrissey was bitterly disappointed when the Flames lost Game 7 to the Tampa Bay Lightning two decades ago.
“I remember being just absolutely devastated,” he said.
But there were plenty of good times along the way.
“My friends and I from that era still talk about some of the games,” Morrissey continued. “It lives on for a long time.”
The glow of a Cup victory would last even longer.
AP NHL: https://apnews.com/NHL
From left to right, Winnipeg Jets center Gabriel Vilardi, center Morgan Barron and defenseman Logan Stanley confer in the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Colorado Avalanche, Saturday, April 13, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Edmonton Oilers' Adam Henrique (19) and Cody Ceci (5) celebrate a goal against the San Jose Sharks during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Edmonton, Alberta, on Monday, April 15, 2024. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)
Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews (34) celebrates with teammate William Nylander (88) after Matthews scored against the Detroit Red Wings during the second period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, April 13, 2024, in Toronto. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)
Vancouver Canucks players gather at center ice to raise their sticks to the fans after defeating the Calgary Flames in the team's home regular-season finale NHL hockey game Tuesday, April 16, 2024, in Vancouver, British Columbia. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
NEW YORK (AP) — The King's Trust celebrated its new name, an update of King Charles III's long-running charity The Prince's Trust, and the expansion of its work in the United States with a star-studded gala in New York City on Thursday night.
“Ladies and gentlemen, the trust will continue to help young people around the world to build those key skills to support them into employment," Charles said in a statement read to the audience, offering his regrets for being unable to attend the event, which was the first organized under the charity’s new name. "Together, we can build a better future for the next generation.”
Rock & Roll Hall of Famer and gala co-chair Lionel Richie, who has worked with the charity for more than three decades, said Charles was doing well and had wanted to attend. Charles returned to public duties on Tuesday, following the announcement in February that he had been diagnosed with cancer and was undergoing treatment.
“I told him, ‘Stand still. Just recover,’” Richie said. “We've got many more of these galas to do in the future.”
The Prince’s Trust was founded in 1976 when then-Prince Charles used his severance pay from the Royal Navy to launch the nonprofit dedicated to helping unemployed young people in the United Kingdom get trained for jobs. Since then, the charity has expanded its education and employment initiatives into 25 countries.
Richie said he and other famous supporters in attendance would work to represent the charity in Charles’ absence. They included singers Sam Smith and John Legend, who performed to close the evening, and supermodels Kate Moss, Emily Ratajkowski and Ashley Graham. Actor Dominic West, who played Charles in later seasons of “The Crown,” also was on hand, along with Michaela Jae Rodriguez, who currently plays the head of a charity on the AppleTV+ philanthropy sitcom “Loot.”
Rodriguez said philanthropy is important to her in real life as well as on screen, focusing on supporting climate groups such as The Rainforest Alliance, but also charities supporting young people including The King's Trust.
“I think it’s important that we show up for the kids who want to strive, who want to have something that they can live for,” Rodriguez told The Associated Press. "We want to make make sure that they know they can do it.”
Victoria Gore, CEO of The King's Trust USA, said that kind of support always has driven the charity, but it has been very methodical about its expansion, especially in the U.S., where it launched its first program in The Bronx last year, an education project called the Enterprise Challenge.
“We don't want to double up on what somebody else is doing already,” Gore said. “It's about collaboration and meeting a need.”
The King’s Trust USA this year expanded its work to three cities — New York, Chicago and Detroit — and plans to launch two new initiatives later this year, said Michael De Roeck, head of programs.
The trust soon expects to launch an American version of its Get Hired program, a job fair for young adults in the program, and Development Awards, where those in the programs can get a $500 grant to purchase laptops, work clothes and other items to aid in their job search, De Roeck said.
The organization's work already has made an impact in those cities. Nakya Weeks, a 16-year-old high school student from Chicago, said the King's Trust Enterprise Challenge made an impact on her even before her team won the national award last year for her team's project to create a salon in an unused cosmetology lab at her school.
“It was awesome that people wanted to be a part of it,” said Nakya, who said the support for the project made her enjoy going to school more. She sees a future in education and hopes to attend Harvard University and become a traveling nurse.
Nakya's mom, Terry Lee, is thrilled by the change she has seen in her.
“It's a big deal to have someone to trust her, to believe in her, to help her follow her dreams and get her back on the right track,” Lee said. “It actually takes a village.”
American young people don't necessarily relate to being the recipients of interest from the British royal family as do young people in the U.K., De Roeck said.
“I mean, a lot of people have seen ‘The Crown,’” he said. "But everyone’s been incredibly positive about the programs once they see they work.”
Associated Press coverage of philanthropy and nonprofits receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. For all of AP’s philanthropy coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/philanthropy.
Irina Shayk attends The King's Trust Global Gala at Casa Cipriani on Thursday, May 2, 2024, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)
Eileen Gu attends The King's Trust Global Gala at Casa Cipriani on Thursday, May 2, 2024, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)
Kate Moss, left, and Charlotte Tilbury attend The King's Trust Global Gala at Casa Cipriani on Thursday, May 2, 2024, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)
Dr. Dana Kraft, left, and Robert Kraft attend The King's Trust Global Gala at Casa Cipriani on Thursday, May 2, 2024, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)
Teyana Taylor attends The King's Trust Global Gala at Casa Cipriani on Thursday, May 2, 2024, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)
Lionel Richie, left, and Lisa Parigi attend The King's Trust Global Gala at Casa Cipriani on Thursday, May 2, 2024, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)
