Students at Shady Side Academy Country Day School were surprised when "Lord Stanley" dropped by for a visit on Wednesday, Sept. 13.

The Stanley Cup trophy was brought to school by SSA parent Mark Recchi, a former player and current assistant coach with the NHL champion Pittsburgh Penguins. It was Recchi's day to spend with the Cup, and he decided to share the excitement with his daughter Samantha's classmates at Country Day, on the same day Samantha was serving as "honorary head of school" – an auction prize won at a school benefit last spring.

The Recchi family, accompanied by Hockey Hall of Fame Keeper of the Cup Philip Pritchard, arrived at school around 11 a.m. and surprised Samantha's fifth grade class first. After some Q&A and photos, the fifth graders led a mini-Stanley Cup parade down the hall to the school library, where students in grades PK-4 awaited a mysterious surprise. Curious and excited students asked Mr. Recchi lots of questions about the Stanley Cup, the Penguins, and his own hockey career, and an all-school picture was taken with the trophy. Students and teachers also had the chance to touch the trophy and get photos taken with it.

Thank you to the Recchi family for sharing their special day with SSA! Let's Go Pens!