During an interview with Viasat in 2014, Nicklas Backstrom mused he would bring the Stanley Cup back to Gävle, Sweden. On August 12, that dream will become a reality when he has his day with the Stanley Cup.

Backstrom wants to share the Cup with as many people as possible and will take the championship trophy to Nickback Arena – the hometown rink named after him.

The schedule for the day is as follows.

• 11:30 am: Visitors begin to enter the Nickback Arena hall, while Valbo HC’s youth hockey team will take its place on the ice near where the Stanley Cup will be. Closest to the Stanley Cup will be Nicky’s former teammates from the vintage 1986 and 1987-born teams. They will stand together with their leaders and remain on the ice.
• 12:00 pm: Nicklas carries the Stanley Cup onto the ice and a pep rally with Valbo HC will take place.
• 12:30 pm: Media will have the opportunity to interview Nicklas, after which every youth player will be able to photograph with Nicklas and the Stanley Cup.
• 3:00 pm: The event concludes.

More information may be published on Valbo HC’s website.

Here’s where Valbo is located in Sweden.

This is a very special moment for Backstrom. During the winter Olympics in 2014, Swedish television’s Viasat ran a special on the Swedish center and detailed much Backstrom’s hometown means to him.

Here’s the best part of the conversation.

Nicklas Backstrom: It feels like yesterday… I know how many hours I’ve spent here. Every day after school, went straight here. Grabbed something to eat over there, at the restaurant, then straight to practice and if we had spare time we’d skate with friends after practice. We were here almost all the time.

Frida Nordstrand: The Stanley Cup is going to Valbo?

Nicklas Backstrom: Yeah! I’m gonna put the Cup at center ice and it’s gonna be crowded in the stands.

Frida Nordstrand: That’s not gonna be a whole lot of people [who fit inside]!

Nicklas Backstrom: Nah, everyone who wants to be here is welcome and I’d love to share the joy with everyone from around here. I really do.

Frida Nordstrand: I’m looking forward to it. I’ll be there!

Nicklas Backstrom: Yeah! Good!

Fast forward a few years and now this is really going to happen.

Christian Djoos will also be having his Cup day in the Gävle area on August 11. There isn’t much information about his day, but more will be released on brynas.se in the coming weeks. Djoos was born in Göteborg, on the other side of Sweden, but spent his youth playing for Brynäs IF in Gävle.

Headline photo: Ethan Miller