Sexsmith’s Carter Rowney is a Stanley Cup champion. He and the Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Nashville Predators 2-0 in game six of the finals Sunday night.
“It’s a dream,” Rowney told Sportsnet’s David Amber post-game. “It’s been a long road and to get it my first crack at it and to be a champion at the end, that’s pretty unbelievable.”
Rowney got his start with the Grande Prairie Storm, playing full-time from 2006 to 2009, but went undrafted. He then played four years with the University of North Dakota Fighting Hawks before earning an AHL contract with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. He signed his two year, two-way deal with the Pittsburgh Penguins in March 2016.
Helping him from the beginning were his parents, Tracy and Brian, who were there for the final game. Tracy says seeing her son hoist the cup was the end goal, but it was mostly about the journey getting him there.
“Back then I don’t know whether that was even in my image; it was just getting there to the games, but yes, what a role it’s been.”
“Just so proud of him persevering and getting here to this point,” adds Brian. “It’s incredible.”
The past year meant a lot of hockey firsts for Carter Rowney, but it also included getting married to his wife Danielle in August 2016 and the birth of their first child in May. Danielle says that’s where Carter’s attentions will now turn.
“We just became a family a month ago. We had a baby a month ago so now he becomes a dad… more dad duties start!
“I can’t wait to put him inside that cup, though,” adds Carter.