Carolina Hurricanes’ Jordan Martinook hoists the Stanley Cup during a visit to the Leduc Recreation Centre, Tuesday Aug. 11, 2026. Photo by David Bloom /Postmedia

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Despite the overcast weather, it was a joyful day in Leduc as hometown Stanley Cup champion Jordan Martinook landed in Edmonton and took a green Corvette to Leduc Recreation Centre.

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Fans waited in droves Tuesday as Martinook rolled into the parking lot, cup in hand. As he stepped out of the car, he looked at event organizers and said, “You waiting for this thing or what?”

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Before he arrived, the fans inside conducted the Carolina Hurricanes’ storm surge celebration, clapping in unison while waiting for Lord Stanley’s cup and Martinook.

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Organizers said the event had been in the works since early July, with a former coach of Martinook being the one to reach out to the facility. Walking into the rec centre’s ball hockey arena, Martinook was faced with the cheers of more than 1,000 fans. They chanted his name as Rock You Like a Hurricane played in the background. Martinook said it was like a dream.

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“It’s like a culmination of your life of hard work and like something you dream about since you were a little kid, and being able to share it, bring it into the town you grew up in is so special.”

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He said the hockey community is tight-knit in Leduc, and bringing the trophy to his hometown made it even more special.

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“I grew up playing here. I worked out in this gym. I ran around this track,” Martinook said. “I’ve done everything in this building.”

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He also talked about seeing the Leduc Roughnecks jerseys in the crowd, one of Leduc’s minor hockey teams. It reminded him not just of his minor hockey days, but his friends as well.

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“For my wedding, a bunch of my buddies got a Leduc Roughneck jersey and they all signed it, and it hangs in my basement at my house. I said to my wife the other day, I was like maybe I should take it out of the case and wear it today. But yeah, it’s pretty incredible. I wore that jersey, and now it’s come full circle.”

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Martinook flew from Winnipeg to bring the cup here, after partying with teammate Seth Jarvis. He had two goals and three assists during the Hurricanes’ run to the Cup, and has been an alternate captain for the team since 2019. He said that regardless of the team he plays for, Leduc shows up.

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“I felt the support for my entire career. It didn’t matter if I was playing in Arizona or Carolina. Everybody here supports me, and obviously this year they supported me a little more because it’s a little more special this year,” he said. “I’m just happy I could do this.”

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