Las Vegas Golden Knights Defenseman Alex Pietrangelo lifted the Stanley Cup for the second time in his career Tuesday night, but for him, holding his healthy 4-year-old daughter was an even more precious moment.
Pietrangelo, 32, revealed in December that his daughter, Evelyn, came down with the flu over Thanksgiving, causing her to develop encephalitis, a condition that causes the brain to swell due to infection.
Alex Pietrangelo #7 and Zach Whitecloud of the Vegas Golden Knights celebrate after a 9-3 win against the Florida Panthers in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Finals at T-Mobile Arena on June 13, 2023 in Las Vegas. (Jeff Bottari/NHLI via Getty Images)
The condition led to a lesion forming in his brain, causing him to lose all motor skills.
GOLDEN KNIGHTS STAR ALEX PIETRANGELO SPEAKS OUT HIS DAUGHTER’S SERIOUS ILLNESS: ‘GOD ANSWERED OUR PRAYERS’
But nearly six months later, his family joined Pietrangelo on the ice to celebrate their Stanley Cup victory after defeating the florida panthers in Game 5 in a moment that he could only describe as a «dream.»
«You have to understand what it means for her to be here with me, with us, like this,» Pietrangelo said via NHL.com. «Six months ago, I couldn’t eat, I couldn’t talk, I couldn’t walk. Six months ago, I was ready to give up my career for her.»
«I never imagined a moment like this back then. And now, to win a Cup, to have her run around the ice to celebrate with us, I mean, dreams come true. And this is a dream.»
Alex Pietrangelo of the Vegas Golden Knights celebrates with the Stanley Cup at T-Mobile Arena on June 13, 2023 in Las Vegas. (Zak Krill/NHLI via Getty Images)
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Pietrangelo said in December that he was willing to be away from the team for as long as necessary to be with his family: «So be it,» he said at the time.
«There’s more to life than some things. And whether it’s this job or another job, I felt like I needed to be there for not only my family but my wife as well,» he said in his first comments since returning.
William Carrier and Alex Pietrangelo of the Vegas Golden Knights celebrate winning the Stanley Cup at T-Mobile Arena on June 13, 2023 in Las Vegas. (Zak Krill/NHLI via Getty Images)
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win the stanley cup even once is a dream for most NHL players. Pietrangelo has done it twice, but the real celebration is undoubtedly being able to do it knowing that his daughter is healthy.
«This is the most surreal moment of my life,» he said Tuesday night. «To have her here in my arms, celebrating Dad’s Stanley Cup win, just to celebrate anything.»