Proud Waterloo Region father celebrates son’s Stanley Cup win

Many people in Waterloo Region and beyond were watching Monday night’s Stanley Cup game on the edge of their seats.

But for one local family, it held even more significance.

“Last night we were at home, my wife Karen and myself and our daughter were here watching, and I’ll tell you, that third period – my fingernails are a whole lot shorter as a result,” father Mark Lorentz told Bounce 99.5 host Angie Hill Tuesday morning.

Lorentz’s son Steven Lorentz plays for the Florida Panthers. He was born in Kitchener, and raised in Waterloo.

After coming out of the first period knotted up with the Edmonton Oilers at one goal a piece, the Panthers were able to take the lead in the second thanks to Sam Reinhart.

The narrow lead made for some tense viewing for fans of both teams throughout the rest of the game.

At the end of the night, Florida captured the Stanley Cup for the first time in franchise history, 2- 1.

For the Lorentz family, the win comes after years of hard work.

“It unbelievable. One thing I’ll say about Stevie is from early on we knew he was going to do one thing, and that was play hockey. It’s all he wanted to do and it wasn’t an easy path and if you look at his journey it’s been long, there’s been ups, there have been downs and stuff like that, but he never gave up. He always believed. Last night was kind of like the culmination of all that.”

Steven Lorentz pictured when he played for the Waterloo Wolves. (Courtesy: Waterloo Wolves)

Steven Lorentz isn’t the only local hockey player getting a hero’s welcome.

A viewing party in Six Nations erupted in euphoria as Brandon Montour lifted the cup high over his head.

Six Nations Community Hall has hosted hundreds of Montour fans throughout the Stanley Cup series, including Montour’s family.

“I can’t imagine what it’s like to be on the ice, because when I’m watching him I’m sweating,” Montour’s aunt Jamie told CTV News previously. “I’m very proud of him.”

Although he won’t be bringing home the cup, Edmonton Oiler’s player Adam Henrique also brought pride to his hometown of Burford. Bright orange flags decorated the small community just west of Brantford ahead of the big game.

An Edmonton Oilers flag flies outside of the Burford Community Centre ahead of Monday night’s Stanley Cup game on June 24, 2024. (Shelby Knox/CTV News)