What it’s like to be the keeper of the Stanley Cup

The Stanley Cup, hockey’s biggest prize, is on tour and made its way to the studios of Seattle Sports Radio, KIRO, and KTTH. With the trophy came its white-gloved keeper.

“I never, ever thought that this would be a job or something I could do, but to go to the places that we go all around the world and see happy faces and hear stories from people that are just great hockey fans,” Howie Borrow, one of seven official “Keepers of the Cup,” told the Gee & Ursula Show. “They want to share their stories with us. I’m very privileged and proud to be able to do this job. There’s none other like it, that’s for sure.”

While cornered by KIRO Newsradio hosts Gee Scott and Ursula Reutin, the keeper of the Stanley Cup predicted a Seattle Kraken win in Game 7 of its playoff series against the Dallas Stars. (Editor’s Note: The Kraken ended up losing Game 7 Monday night).

Game 7: Can Kraken come through again to make West finals?

“I don’t know if that’s fair to ask me that. I don’t have any kind of a magic ball or anything,” Borrow said. But after squirming a bit — and Gee pressing him — Borrow proclaimed, “They are playing well. It’s amazing, just in their second year of existence. And they’re getting close to the Stanley Cup. I would think they’re going to be pretty loose tonight. They have nothing to lose. They weren’t expected to be where they are. So now that they are, just play hard and have fun and just see where it takes them.”

“So, you think the Kraken are going to win?” Gee asked.

“I think so,” Borrow answered to applause.

Borrow got his start with the NHL Hall of Fame, located in Toronto, by working part-time at the museum, where he began traveling with some of the other league’s historic memorabilia.

“I was very fortunate. In 2004, I started working at the Hall of Fame as a volunteer,” Borrow said. “I just wanted to talk hockey with other fans. I started working part-time hours after that on weekends and then eventually traveled with other trophies and artifacts. And then in 2009, I got asked if I want to start traveling with the cup. So just the right place at the right time.”

Borrow travels with the cup and said that with joy, comes some challenges. The cup is sterling silver, over three feet tall, and weighs 37 pounds.

“Sometimes, when people see the cup, they don’t know what to do with themselves. So they want to touch it, hug it, get a photo, and I think sometimes it gets too overcrowded,” Borrow said.

Borrow said the winner of the NHL championship gets to keep the cup over the summer, stating most often, coaches and players enjoy the cup’s company at home for a day or two.

The Seattle Kraken are set to play Game 7 of their tied series against the Dallas Stars at 5 p.m. tonight.

Listen to Gee Scott and Ursula Reutin weekday mornings from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. on KIRO Newsradio, 97.3 FM. Subscribe to the podcast here.