Blackhawks Fans Crowd York Tavern, Hoping for Glimpse of Stanley Cup

"There's a storm coming and we're not going to be standing out here any longer," one officer shouted to the crowd.

Minutes later, the sky opened up, dousing fans as they ran to their cars, and  lightning strikes became a little too close for comfort.

Another blow to the non-event was the fact that the power had been out at The York since Monday night. Still, many fans packed the powerless York, holding out hope at Coach Joel Quenneville, a Hinsdale resident, would stop by with the Cup. 

Marianna Moreci, owner of the tavern, said she got a call from the police Tuesday morning.

"They said, 'Your place is full of people,' " she said. "I've been here for a good half hour, and now they're not coming."

The York normally doesn't open until 11 a.m., but Moreci said she would have opened early Tuesday, if it had power.

Some fans heard about the Cup's appearance at the York on WGN Radio. Reportedly, Blackhawks' Coach Joel Quenneville is a fan of the place. (I have seen him there on multiple occasions—Michael.)

The Chicago Blackhawks' last-minute, come-from-behind rally Monday night secured the Cup for the second time in recent years. The Blackhawks last won the title in 2010.

Each Blackhawks player, according to tradition, gets to spend time with the Cup, also known as "Lord Stanley." It's been all over the country and in Canada over the years. Players have taken it back to their home towns to "meet" their parents, and to private parties and public events. It has been known to appear at wedding proposals and grocery stores, and it's even been used as a baptismal font and a cereal bowl, according to the LA Times.

Will the Cup ever find its way to The York?

"It's not coming today," an officer told some disappointed fans Tuesday.

There's still hope. And everybody knows, Blackhawks fans never give up.