RICHELIEU CUP BEGINS JOURNEY TO THE STATES
By R. Inkrat, Special to the Morning Hockey News
PARIS, FRANCE, July 8, 2011 – The Cardinal Richelieu Cup is on its way to Portland, Maine, for the official ceremony awarding it to the Morning Hockey Club Gold Weasels, who prevailed in the Richelieu Cup playoffs ended last week.
Les Gardiens de la Coup Richelieu, the French secret society of breakaway clerics who maintain the security and safety of the Cup between playoff series, confirmed today that the Cup has been removed from the vault at the Palais Royale in Paris, France, and sent under armed guard to the Charles de Gaulle Airport for the flight to New York City. From there the Cup goes on to Portland, Maine, where the official cup ceremony will take place one week from today.
“Oui, le Coup Richelieu est a la route a les Etats Unis,” confirmed Brother Louis Philippe Richelieu, the great, great, great grandson of the infamous Cardinal himself, and the spiritual leader of Les Gardiens. He declined to confirm the exact route the Cup would take from downtown Paris to the airport or to provide further details and would not give any description of the Cup itself. Photographs are strictly prohibited, and so it is expected no one will see the cup until it is actually presented by GM Gerry Nadeau next Friday night.
Those who have seen it describe it as a silver ewer (large pitcher or jug, derived from Middle English, from Anglo-French ewer, ewier, from Latin aquarium water source, neuter of aquarius of water, from aqua water) approximately 12-18” in height, with the Cardinal's monogram “C” emblazoned on the front.
The famous flagon is named after Armand Jean du Plessis, Cardinal-Duc de Richelieu (1585-1642) noted for his political intriguing in 17th Century France. The nobleman acted as the first minister for King Louis XIII. Known as "The Red Eminence," Richelieu, though a man of the cloth, had a reputation for wily political intrigue and bested many political rivals, including the King’s own mother, Marie de Medici, who lost a power struggle with Richelieu and was sent into exile. Though some observers question naming the MHC playoff trophy after such a rascal, it seems fitting to award it to a team named the Gold Weasels.
Hockey fans worldwide are in a state of high excitement as the cup award ceremonies loom for next Friday the 15th. “I can’t wait to hear the Weasels chanting, ‘we got the cup,’ said one seemingly inebriated fan coming out of the Seaman’s Club in Portland’s Old Port this morning. He refused to give his name. The Weasels swept the Blue Dogs in four games to take the Cup.
Your correspondent will attend the Cup ceremony and full details will be provided in this space.
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