Someone from the Sault about to hoist Stanley Cup

Whichever team wins the Stanley Cup, someone from Sault Ste. Marie will be hoisting the prized trophy over their head.

This year’s NHL final, which kicks off tonight, features two hometown storylines: the veteran head coach on the verge of his first championship, and the young forward living out the stuff of hockey dreams.

Behind the bench for the Florida Panthers is head coach Paul Maurice, a member of Sault Ste. Marie’s Hockey Hall of Fame. Drafted by the Philadelphia Flyers in 1985, he went on to be far more successful behind the bench than on it — eventually becoming the youngest person in NHL history to coach 1,000 games.

Skating for the opposite side is Vegas Golden Knights forward Michael Amadio, a Sault native who, in his words, is living out “a dream come true.” The 27-year-old already scored a huge goal in these playoffs, a double-overtime winner against the Winnipeg Jets in the first round.

Sure, a lot of Sault hockey fans were hoping this would be the year for favourite son Kyle Dubas. But the Stanley Cup final still has some local angles worth watching.

Game 1 starts at 8 p.m.