The national television screens cut from the ice in Las Vegas to the streets in Washington, D.C., where throngs were already starting to celebrate 7:37 before it became official.
In the weeks and years that followed, Lars Eller would encounter fans in Washington who thanked him. He noticed a distinct increase in his local recognizability.
“I’d talk to fans that would say, ‘Oh, I’ve been a fan since ’75.’ You know, like, 15 years before I was even born,” Eller told The Post.
The Colorado Avalanche’s new third-line center was beloved at his previous stop for scoring the game-winning goal that clinched the Washington Capitals’ first Stanley Cup championship in franchise history, 43 years after their 8-67-5 debut season in 1974-75.