Stanley Cup replica roaming Alberta while Edmonton Oilers fans await the real thing

Former Joey Moss coworker shares cup replica Dwayne Osepchuk, who worked with Joey Moss, shows off the replica Stanley Cup he shared with his family. Evan Kenny has his story.

Like many Oilers fans, Shane Osepchuk has fond memories of the 1980s and 1990s teams that won the Stanley Cup. Unlike most fans, he was a part of those Stanley Cup celebrations.

Osepchuk’s father, Dwayne, was a member of the Oilers' equipment personnel. He was in the dressing room with Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier and worked hand in hand with Edmonton’s beloved Joey Moss. He also brought Lord Stanley home after the 1988 and 1990 celebrations.

Osepchuk says he didn’t know how lucky he was to have that experience as a teen.

“As a kid going to games in the ‘80s, all the people used to say to me, ‘You’re a very lucky kid.’ But we didn’t know what kind of hockey we were watching. It was dynasty hockey,” he told CTV News Edmonton in a recent interview.

It’s been more than 30 years since then. To keep those memories alive, and to pass them on to his own kids, Osepchuk bought a replica of the cup.

At 35 pounds of resin and wood, instead of stainless steel, “it’s an exact replica with the same weight and size as the one we know today,” Osepchuk said.

However, he says his kids didn’t react to holding the cup how he expected, so he sold it this spring. It landed in Drayton Valley, southwest of Edmonton.

“We just want this to go to a good home,” Osepchuk said. “It’s sort of a sentimental thing because we did have it in the ‘80s.”

Now, he’s hoping the real Stanley Cup will return to Edmonton for a sixth time.

“It’s a first-class organization so I’m a fan for life.”

The Oilers will continue their quest for the cup on Wednesday in Vancouver.