TAMPA, Fla. -- Nathan MacKinnon raised the Stanley Cup over his head and then lowered it to his lips.
The Colorado Avalanche, a team he dreamed of playing for as a child, were champions for the first time since 2001. MacKinnon, their 26-year-old superstar, had a goal and an assist in their 2-1 Game 6 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning to earn that championship.
As he raised the Cup again, there was something peculiar about MacKinnon's face. Something that hadn't been there at the end of any of his previous playoff series: a beaming grin.