Stanley Cup makes an appearance in Cedar Rapids

CEDAR RAPIDS – Lord Stanley's Cup was hoisted toward the rafters of the Staples Center in Los Angeles during an emotional pregame celebration Wednesday night. It was in Edmonton, Alberta, Friday night for a reunion of the 1984 Edmonton Oilers championship team.

Where was it Saturday night? In Cedar Rapids, Iowa, of course - at the Buffalo Wild Wings on the west side, to be specific.

Los Angeles Kings scout and Cedar Rapidian Mark Mullen showed off the most famous trophy in sports to locals for the second time in three years. As is hockey tradition, members of the winning organization get to spend a day with the Stanley Cup, and Saturday was Mullen's.

'Obviously, I feel very lucky to be able to do it,” Mullen said. 'Two times in your lifetime, let alone in three years, it's a special experience. I always say it's a great time for my family to enjoy it because they make a lot more sacrifices than I do so I can have a job I love.”

Liaison Mike Bolt arrived in town with the Cup about 3 p.m., and he's got a flight out of here with it at 6 a.m. Sunday. They're heading back to L.A.

'Just another day at the office,” Bolt said, as he ate supper and kept a watchful eye on fans as they took photos of it and with it.

Mullen was an assistant coach with the RoughRiders before getting his scouting job. He has settled in Cedar Rapids with his wife, Amber, and their five daughters.

On the way to his invitation-only party at Buffalo Wild Wings, he stopped by the home of RoughRiders Coach/General Manager Mark Carlson, so he could see the Cup and get photos taken with it.

'The RoughRiders mean the world to me,” Mullen said. 'I'd probably never have had this opportunity without Coach Carlson and the RoughRiders.”

Mullen was at Staples Center last spring when the Kings clinched the Stanley Cup championship with an overtime win over the New York Rangers. The winning goal came off the stick of Alec Martinez, a former RoughRiders defenseman.

'To have a former player score the game-winning goal in overtime to win the Cup and also just to get to the finals was pretty special,” Mullen said. 'It's a special connection. I was up in a suite with everyone else, and it was almost kind of a delayed reaction when we won because you are on edge for so long. It was such a relief.

'Then to be able to go down into the locker room and see the players, how hard they worked and what a family they had become, that's something I'll never forget.”

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