BRIGHTON — What did Paul Cotter do when he got home after celebrating for a week with the Stanley Cup in Las Vegas?
He was back in the rink the day he got off the plane, playing in the Made in Michigan Elite League at Kensington Valley Ice House.
Cotter hadn’t played in a game since April 8 at Dallas and was coming off the ultimate Vegas party experience, so he wasn’t exactly in midseason form.
“That was a rough one,” he said Sunday afternoon. “I’ve been on the ice twice since. Both these games, the stick’s feeling a little different now.”
Even coming off a Stanley Cup championship and his first full season in the National Hockey League, Cotter looked forward to rejoining a team of close friends from the Canton area in Brighton’s high-level summer league.
This is the fourth season that the Canton native has played in the Brighton league, which is designed to give top players in the region an opportunity to stay sharp during the offseason skating in a competitive environment.
Cotter had just finished his first professional season with Chicago of the American Hockey League when he reached out via Instagram to Nick Schlueter, director of hockey operations for Made in Michigan. The league includes players at the pro, college and junior levels, in addition to a handful of top high school players.
“East Side Elites is another league,” said Cotter, who attended Salem High School for two years. “It’s a little far for a lot of guys to drive, so I think this caught traction. I think it’s in a perfect spot. It makes it easier for a lot of guys on our side of town to not go out to a far rink. I like to kind of keep the boys intact. (Schlueter) gave me the ‘C’ to make sure everybody stays on time and get goalies and stuff. I’ve stuck with it ever since.
“I think our whole team was pretty much with each other (Saturday) night. It’s awesome. You’re playing hockey. You’re on the ice, but you’re with your best buddies.”
After playing seven games with Vegas in 2021-22, Cotter played in 55 games in his first full season, missing a month with an injury near midseason. He scored 13 goals and assisted on five.
But he was a healthy scratch for the Golden Knights’ Stanley Cup run, in part because captain Mark Stone returned from a three-month injury absence for the opening game of the playoffs. NHL ironman Phil Kessel, who had another 82-game regular season, was also scratched throughout the playoffs.
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“It was a good first year,” said Cotter, a fourth-round pick of the Golden Knights in 2018. “Obviously, we won; it’s a huge plus. I’ve just got to improve on it next year.
“Each guy has their role. Obviously, everybody who wasn’t playing wanted to be out there. If our name was called, we’d be ready. It was pretty cool. I can’t complain when we’re winning. Being around the guys is enough. It’s a pretty cool team. It’s a good group of guys, so it makes it easy.”
Off the ice, Cotter fit in right away as a resident prankster in the dressing room. On the ice, he showed he could skate anywhere in the lineup, even seeing time on the top line with Jack Eichel and Jonathan Marchessault.
When the Golden Knights clinched the Stanley Cup with a 9-3 rout of the Florida Panthers on June 13, Cotter and the other Vegas players who didn’t dress for that game came out onto the ice in full gear for the postgame celebration.
Cotter was handed the Stanley Cup by goaltender Logan Thompson, hoisted it for a few seconds, then handed it to forward Teddy Blueger.
“It’s a blur,” Cotter said. “I don’t really remember it too much. It was pretty cool, hard to put into words. I don’t think I ever thought it was gonna happen. It’s crazy.”
Cotter celebrated with his teammates for about a week and shared the experience with some of his friends from back in Michigan.
“The last month has been pretty extraordinary,” he said. “I’m very blessed to be able to be in that position. The boys had a lot of fun. That was a good time.”
Each player gets to spend one day with the Stanley Cup during the offseason. Cotter hasn’t received a date yet for his visit from Lord Stanley. He plans a low-key celebration with family, friends and some past coaches.
“Probably late August,” he said. “That’ll be special. My agent’s all over me; he wants to plan it. I try not to think about it. We’ll see.”
Cotter’s Elk team has four regular-season games remaining at 7:45 p.m. Tuesday, 6 p.m. Sunday, 7:45 p.m. July 20 and 1:30 p.m. July 23. The playoff semifinals are July 25, with the championship game taking place at 7:45 p.m. July 28.
Prior to the championship game, there will be a meet-and-greet with Cotter at 7 p.m. Tickets cost $5 and include an autographed photo of Cotter. Proceeds will benefit the Jamie Daniels Foundation, which supports youths who are battling substance abuse.
Contact Bill Khan at wkhan@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @BillKhan.
This article originally appeared on Livingston Daily: Vegas Golden Knights’ Paul Cotter skating in Brighton summer league
