Stanley Cup safe again

0 Comments | Deseret News (Salt Lake City), Aug 24, 2004 | by Associated Press

FORT ST. JOHN, British Columbia -- The Stanley Cup spent Sunday night in luggage limbo.

The fabled trophy disappeared during an Air Canada flight from Vancouver to Fort St. John over the weekend when Vancouver airline officials removed it from the plane because of weight restrictions.

Walter Neubrand, keeper of the Cup, was delivering the trophy to Jake Goertzen, head scout for the Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning.

As the two waited by the baggage claim, it didn't take long for them to realize something was wrong.

"We were waiting for it to come out," Goertzen said. "Everybody's bag was there, except the Cup."

Air Canada agents checked the plane but there was no sign of the Cup or its special travel container.

After a call to Vancouver, they learned the 35-pound Cup was sitting in the Vancouver airport's luggage area 750 miles away. It was too heavy to fly.

Air Canada spokeswoman Laura Cooke said the Cup was held in a secured facility overnight and flown to Fort St. John to be "placed in its rightful hands" early Monday. Cooke said the airline is reviewing how the mistake occurred.

Goertzen described the situation as a nightmare.

"(Neubrand) told them specifically it was the Stanley Cup," Goertzen said. "He is just so distraught."

KIPRUSOFF AWARDED $2.95 MILLION: Calgary Flames goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff was awarded $2.95 million in arbitration Monday for the upcoming season. That's a raise of nearly 270 percent over last season, when Kiprusoff earned $800,000 while leading the Flames to the Stanley Cup finals.

STARS FIND AFFILIATE: The Dallas Stars have reached an affiliation agreement with the new Iowa franchise in the American Hockey League. The Iowa Stars signed a five-year deal with the NHL team beginning with their inaugural 2005-06 season, the clubs announced Monday.

The Dallas Stars will provide up to 22 players to the Iowa team, which will play in a 17,000-seat arena under construction in Des Moines. The Iowa team will join 28 other clubs in the AHL. The Dallas Stars ended their affiliation with the AHL's Utah Grizzlies after last season.