Fansided

Capitals’ Lars Eller will take the Stanley Cup on its first trip to Denmark

By Griffin Youngs

LAS VEGAS, NV - JUNE 07: Lars Eller #20 of the Washington Capitals celebrates with the Stanley Cup after defeating the Vegas Golden Knights 4-3 in Game Five of the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Final at T-Mobile Arena on June 7, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Capitals won the series four games to one. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/NHLI via Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NV - JUNE 07: Lars Eller #20 of the Washington Capitals celebrates with the Stanley Cup after defeating the Vegas Golden Knights 4-3 in Game Five of the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Final at T-Mobile Arena on June 7, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Capitals won the series four games to one. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/NHLI via Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

The Stanley Cup will be heading to uncharted territory when Lars Eller, the first Danish player to win it, brings it to Denmark for the first time.

It’s always good to get out more and see the world, and the Stanley Cup will be doing just that soon enough with Lars Eller.

The Stanley Cup will be making its way to Denmark for the first time in its 125-year history when local hero Lars Eller brings it back to his home country as the first NHL player from Denmark to ever win the Stanley Cup.

“It’s just icing on the cake,” Eller told Washington media about being first Danish player to hoist the Stanley Cup. “Just the fact to win the Stanley Cup alone would have been enough for me. But, of course, it’s special to be the first to break that ground. For me, it was special enough just to win it. But I think for people back home, it just makes it more special to be the first-ever athlete from this country to do this. I’m proud.”

https://twitter.com/StanleyCup/status/1012431158578221062

Eller signed a $17.5M contract extension with the Capitals in February for five more years with the organization at a cap hit of $3.5M a year. Eller was a key contributor in the Capitals run to the Stanley Cup with seven goals and eleven assists for 18 total points in 24 games , as well as replacing Nicklas Backstrom when he went down with a hand injury, and scored the Stanley Cup-winning goal for the Capitals in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Vegas Golden Knights.

In the history of the NHL there have twelve players from Denmark to record a point in the league. Notable names among them include Frederick Andersen, Frans Nielsen, Mikkel Boedker and Nikolaj Ehlers. Amongst all of them, Lars Eller ranks fourth in points by a Danish player with 219 points. Frans Nielsen leads all Danes with 423 points.

Next: Every current NHL franchise’s most beloved head coach

It’s been quite a couple of months for Lars Eller with signing a long term contract extension, replacing Backstrom, and eventually scoring the Stanley Cup winning goal. But being the first one to bring the Cup to his home country will be what makes it all worth it.

Home/Washington Capitals