Ex-Wolves GM hopes Stanley Cup inspires Hoffman Estates youngsters

The Stanley Cup is about much more than night life antics and infamy for Hoffman Estates' Kevin Cheveldayoff.

Cheveldayoff, who'll finish his first season as the Blackhawks assistant general manager next month, on Sunday brought the Cup to the Hoffman Estates Community Ice Arena to share with the park district's youth hockey associations.

Before joining the Blackhawks, Cheveldayoff spent 12 seasons as general manager of the Chicago Wolves, the American Hockey League team which practices and has offices inside the Hoffman Estates Community Ice Arena.

Blackhawks coaches and officials have at least a day with the trophy. Some players trotted the Cup out to their hometown for parades and picture opportunities. Others hosted parties and private events with the Cup as the guest of honor. Cheveldayoff chose a different route with his time with the trophy.

"My wife and my family, we talked over several different things," Cheveldayoff said. "We essentially wanted to give back to the organizations and the people who donate and volunteer their time."

He said he wanted to inspire youngsters that if they work hard enough that dreams, like winning the Cup, come true. He said the greatest tribute would be motivating a future Stanley Cup winner.

The Hoffman Estates Park District's Wolf Pack, the youth hockey organization, has grown from 95 players in 2005 to 355 today, said Dean Bostrom, the park district's executive director. He texted Cheveldayoff right after the Hawks trounced Philadelphia with the idea to bring the Cup to the kids.

Park district officials notified families via e-mail on Friday that the Cup would be making a visit. They kept it secret because they didn't want to attract a large crowd for the 90-minute visit.

The parents got into it, too.

"It's not just the kids; people's Christmas cards are probably set," Bostrom said.

Joe Calabrese coaches hockey for the park district and his daughters, Kaitlyn, 8, and Delaney, 10, posed with the Cup. More than 400 people showed up in Hoffman Estates.

"This was a once-in-a-lifetime experience," Calabrese said. "We were lucky to be part of this."

He praised Cheveldayoff for sharing this special moment with community.

Later on Sunday, Cheveldayoff hauled the trophy to Grove Avenue School in Barrington to inspire a group of Special Olympic athletes. The time with the athletes was "pure emotion," he said.

Cheveldayoff dreamed of hoisting the Cup while growing up in Saskatchewan, Canada, but a knee injury ended his goal of playing in the NHL after the New York Islanders drafted him in 1988.

"It's an emotional experience," Cheveldayoff said of hosting the Cup. "Even talking about it, you get emotional - there's so many different thoughts. It's everything you dream about."