‘Complete chaos': Brett Connolly reflects on his role in bringing Lord Stanley's Cup to D.C.

‘Complete chaos': Brett Connolly reflects on his role in bringing Lord Stanley's Cup to D.C. originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington

If you’re an NHL player, you dream of having the opportunity to hoist the Stanley Cup in your career.

Winning the Stanley Cup is one thing, but could you imagine in front of the entire world having the chance to play a crucial role in the game-winning goal that helps brings the Cup to your city?

For former Capital Brett Connolly, that opportunity presented itself during Washington’s Stanley Cup win back in 2018 over the Las Vegas Golden Knights. Connolly capitalized on possibly the biggest assist of his career, setting up Lars Eller’s go-ahead goal down in the stretch in the third period of Game 5.

“Just complete chaos,” Connolly told NBC Sports Washington. “I just remember after that it being the longest six minutes ever to finish the game.”

Let’s quickly rewind back to June 7, 2018.

With the game knotted at three and less than eight minutes remaining in the third period, Capitals fans in the visiting T-Mobile Arena pondered who would be the hero to bring Lord Stanley’s Cup to Washington for the first time in team history.

“I was wide open, for probably the most time I’d been wide open the whole game,” Connolly recalled. “It was so tight, it was kind of weird how I was all just standing alone in the middle of the ice.”

The puck was dumped in as André Burakovsky saw the puck find its way to him behind the net. With eyes up, Burakovsky found a wide-open Connolly for a one-timer that found its way through the five-hole of goaltender Marc-André Fleury.

Connolly came so close to playing the hero role as Eller was standing in front of the net, perfectly placed to bury the trickling puck at the 7:31 mark for what turned out to be the Stanley Cup game-winning goal.

Even though Connolly did not score the game-winner, he still played a part in making it all happen. Without his one-timer finding its way through the pads of Fleury, Eller would not have been in a position to do the rest.

Connolly, who was 26 years old at the time, finished with nine points (six goals, three assists) in all 24 of the Capitals Stanley Cup Playoff games. Out of all the games and points though that Connolly recorded, it will be hard for him to ever forget about the assist point he registered during Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Finals.

As is custom after winning the Cup and then parading it through the team’s city, the trophy travels all over the world paying a visit to each player's hometown.

After the Stanley Cup paid a visit to Dmitry Orlov’s hometown of Novokuznetsk, Russia, it made its way three days later to its final destination in British Colombia, Canada.

This past Sunday, Aug. 20, was the five-year anniversary of when Connolly brought Lord Stanley’s Cup to his hometown of Prince George.

Connolly was the last member of the Capitals’ roster to bring the Cup to his hometown. He began his hometown tour by bringing the Cup to a retirement home in Prince George.

Connolly then brought the Cup to CN Centre, home of the Prince George Cougars of the Western Hockey League. Connolly played for the Cougars from 2007-11, before being drafted sixth overall by the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Connolly spent three seasons with the Capitals from 2016-19. In the season following Washington's Stanley-Cup win, he posted the best statistics of his career with career-highs in goals (22), assists (24), points (46) games played (81), game-winning goals (5) and shots on goal (139).

Following the 2018-19 season, Connolly became and free agent and ended up signing a four-year contract with the Florida Panthers. The camaraderie and friendships Connolly established with his Capitals teammates during their Stanley Cup run is something he will simply remember for the rest of his life.

“Just an amazing group and just very fortunate that I was able to be a part of it,” Connolly said. “I have friends on that team now that I’ll be friends with for the rest of my life.”