Jay Bouwmeester was given a great honor after the Blues' Stanley Cup win Wednesday.
After a 4-1 victory in Game 7 over the Bruins in Boston, Bouwmeester was the player selected to get the cup second after captain Alex Pietrangelo.
In a long-standing tradition, the captain first gets the cup and then hands it off to someone he thinks deserves a chance to hold it.
It's always a surprise and something fans look forward to and Bouwmeester was a logical choice.
A moment 17 years in the making for Jay Bouwmeester 😍 #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/cGO2yL6eoS
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) June 13, 2019
The 35-year-old defenseman has been with the Blues since 2013 and has played in 16 NHL seasons with St. Louis, the Flames and Panthers.
He had not won a single championship until Wednesday. But now, he finally has his title.
And, there may not be a player more deserving.
St. Louis' defense was so vital to the team's late-season run and often didn't quite get as much attention as the team's goalie did.
But, what the blue line did was nothing short of remarkable and Bouwmeester was a huge part of that.