Plymouth Whalers Proud of Tyler Seguin's Stanley Cup Run

On Wednesday night, former Plymouth Whaler Tyler Seguin hoisted the Stanley Cup as a member of the National Hockey League's Boston Bruins.

This afternoon, Whalers Assistant General Manager Brian Sommariva, who watched the game at home with his family Wednesday night, said he was still in awe.

"Here's a kid who just 12 months ago was going through the draft process and didn't know which team he'd be drafted to and if he'd play in the NHL," Sommariva said. "I'm sure this is a dream come true for Tyler. I was still in shock last night."

He said the odds were against Seguin, who turned 19 in January and is completing his rookie season in the NHL. He spent the past two seasons with the Whalers.

He said a then-18-year-old making the NHL already is rare, then to make the playoffs and Stanley Cup Finals, then hoist the Stanley Cup at the end of his rookie season, "that doesn't happen too often."

It was an at-times bumpy road to the Cup for Seguin early in the playoffs, however. He saw limited playing time on a team laden with veteran talent before stunning the hockey world with in the Eastern Conference Finals.

His Bruins team ultimately eliminated the Lightning in that series, then routed the Vancouver Canucks, 4-0, in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia, to clinch the title.

He said with the four-point effort, the hockey world saw "the talent we saw for two years."

He said the moments where Seguin peaked in the playoffs this year could be indicative of a solid NHL career.

"I think he's got a great future," he said. "What a great highlight for your first year."

Sommariva said with the limited playing time early on, Seguin was "put in a tough position and made the most of it."

He said he and the organization were "just really proud an alumni went on to further his career, put a stamp on his career."

Seguin was joined by Gregory Campbell, son of NHL Director of Hockey Operations Colin Campbell and a fellow Whalers alum in celebrating the Bruins' Stanley Cup victory. Campbell played for Plymouth from 2000-2002.

While a Plymouth Whaler, Seguin lived with David and Dawn Gosztyla of Canton.

According to the Ontario Hockey League, eight players and three coaches from the Bruins are OHL graduates and four members of the Canucks had competed in the OHL.