Defenseman Ron Hainsey was the first player to receive the Stanley Cup from captain Sidney Crosby after the Penguins defeated the Predators, 2-0, to win their fifth championship Sunday in Nashville, Tenn. The gesture is traditionally an honor bestowed by the winning team’s captain to a revered member of the team.
This year’s playoff run was the first of Hainsey’s 13-year career. The 36-year-old was traded to the Penguins from the Carolina Hurricanes in February and quickly became a key member of the team’s defense corps.
It’s the second year in a row Crosby has honored a defenseman.