Just in case you live under a rock, the Pittsburgh Penguins defeated the San Jose Sharks to win the Stanley Cup last night. Lord Stanley is the hardest trophy to win in sports, so it’s only natural that the winning team celebrates in extreme fashion (read: champagne showers and a ton of beer).
After they returned to the locker room to commence a long night of partying, the Pens forgot that they were athletes and channeled their inner elementary school choir stars. In a fortissimo performance, the Pens belted out a not-so-cliché-whatsoever rendition of Queen’s We are the Champions.
Now, let’s play a fun game: can you spot the Academy Award-winning actor in a sea of delirious hockey players?
If you found Cuba Gooding Jr., you win! If you missed him, the top of his head comes into view at the bottom of the screen about eight seconds in.
For some reason, Gooding is relevant in the world of professional hockey. You may remember he was a presenter at the NHL Awards in 2014. Thankfully, after a several year hiatus, he’s back on the hockey scene. Gooding appeared on NBCSN’s pregame coverage for Game 6 and announced his support for the Sharks. I suppose he didn’t mention that detail when he somehow wandered into the Pens’ locker room to throw down with his new-found Pittsburgh buddies. Gooding looks more excited than half of the team combined and he grabs the Cup hard enough to leave an indent of his fingers on it, probably.
It’s an unwritten rule that you aren’t supposed to touch the cup until you’ve won it, so it would appear that Sharks fan Gooding might be hexing his favorite team. Regardless, it’s nice to see some star-studded support for the NHL in a country that primarily focuses on football and basketball. We appreciate the love, Cuba.