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

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.

Shane Osepchuk, left, holds the Stanley Cup with his father Dwayne, who worked on the Edmonton Oilers' equipment team during the 1980s and 1990s, including when the team won the cup in 1988 and 1990. (Credit: Shane Osepchuk)

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.

• Complete coverage of the Edmonton Oilers' Stanley Cup Playoffs run

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.”

Shane Osepchuk, left, drinks out of the Stanley Cup as his father Dwayne holds it. Dwayne worked on the Edmonton Oilers' equipment team during the 1980s and 1990s, including when the team won the cup in 1988 and 1990. (Credit: Shane Osepchuk)

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.