The L.A. Kings have possession of the Stanley Cup, and at the end of the day that’s likely all they care about. However, the game-winning puck would certainly look nice in a trophy case right next to their massive piece of championship hardware. The problem is the Kings don’t seem to know where it is.
What we do know is that the puck was on the ice as the final horn sounded at the end of Game 6. As you can see with a close examnination of the video below, Patrik Elias of the Devils skated toward the puck when the celebration began and appeared to pick it up. He then skated toward the bench and returned to the handshake line without it. Skip ahead to the two-minute mark and keep your eye on center ice.
Rich Hammond of LA Kings Insider broke the mystery down with still images and a better explanation of what could have happened. Hammond says he reached out to the Kings and nobody seems to know the whereabouts of the puck. The video isn’t the greatest evidence, but the still shots Hammond provides seem to make it clear that Elias was one of the last people – if not the last person – to touch the puck. As for what would motivate him to keep it, we have no idea. Perhaps he brought it over to the bench absentmindedly and it got lost in transition. Or, perhaps he’s sitting at home having a good laugh at the buzz he’s created across the internet.
