Ever since the Vegas Golden Knights put a wrap on the 2023 Stanley Cup championship, Sioux Valley Dakota Nation’s Zach Whitecloud has been the Cup’s unofficial ambassador.
He carried the Cup across the red carpet at the NHL Awards in Nashville, he carried it at the Henderson, Nev., Stanley Cup celebration and he’ll soon bring it to Brandon, Virden and Sioux Valley.
For Whitecloud, it was the culmination of a hockey career that more people than you might think believed would never get off the ground.
However, like so many other great young athletes, Whitecloud proved them all wrong.
“I saw the Cup on video games growing up,” he said. “You dream of it in the backyard on the outdoor rinks. You never think you're going to be able to touch it and hoist it on the ice in the NHL. It's unbelievable.”
This spring, the 26-year-old Whitecloud joined Reggie and Jamie Leach (Berens River First Nation) as Manitoba First Nation’s members who have won the Stanley Cup. The 6-foot-2, 210-pound defenceman who starred with the Virden Oil Capitals of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League, just finished his third full season in the NHL and during the playoffs, found himself logging 18-20 minutes a night of action.
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However, despite his growing on-ice success, he’s never forgotten his First Nation roots.
“When I step on the ice, I understand I am representing Sioux Valley and all Aboriginal People,” Whitecloud said. “As a role model for all Aboriginal People, I am committed to being the best athlete I can be by maintaining a healthy lifestyle.”
Whitecloud has played hockey ever since he could walk. In fact, he was indeed skating almost before he could walk. According to his family, Whitecloud was on skates at age 2 and playing Timbits hockey at age 4.
He played his minor hockey in Brandon and then, in 2014, Whitecloud was chosen as the co-recipient of the Manitoba Male Aboriginal Youth Achievement Award for the sport of hockey. Also, in 2014, he was selected to be the captain of Team Manitoba at the National Aboriginal Hockey Championships in Kahnawake, PQ.
In the fall of 2014-15, Whitecloud made the MJHL’s Oil Capitals and on Dec. 31, 2015, he accepted a scholarship to play NCAA Division 1 hockey for the Bemidji State University Beavers. He was so good that while at BSU, the NHL came calling and after two seasons, he was signed by the Golden Knights.
At Bemidji, he was an AHCA Honors First All-American Scholars recipient and also suited up for Team Canada in the 2017 Karjala Cup, where he had one assist in two games.
Although he grew up in Brandon, Whitecloud is indeed a member of the Sioux Valley Dakota Nation. He is the grandson of the late Peter and Ina Whitecloud as well as Joyce and the late Doug Cullen of Glenboro. He is the son of Tim Whitecloud and Donna Cullen. Zach grew up playing the majority of his minor hockey in the Brandon Youth Hockey Association, but at the end of each winter season, he looked forward to playing with his relatives from Sioux Valley at various tournaments throughout Manitoba and Saskatchewan.
That’s why, when Zach has his day with the Stanley Cup this summer, it will visit Brandon, Virden and Sioux Valley.
“It’ll be in Brandon,” he said with a smile. “Aiming to take it out to Sioux Valley for a little bit and then out to Virden where I played Junior hockey. That was a big part of my life and kind of my jump into the path that’s led me here today.”
Zach played extremely well during the postseason. In fact, three of his eight points in the playoffs came in the Stanley Cup final. He also played a superb Game 5, helping the Golden Knights defeat the Florida Panthers 9-3. Zach became the second D-man in 22 years and 11th in the modern era (since 1943-44) to score the game-winning goal in the opening game of the final.
“I didn't start celebrating until near the end of the game,” he said, despite the lopsided score in the deciding game. “In this league, there is no point where the game's over until it's really over. It's easy to look ahead and get excited and get in that mode when it's right there, but you can't let your guard down for one minute.”
Zach was part of a four-man Manitoba contingent with the Golden Knights that will bring the Stanley Cup back to the province this summer. As well as Zach, the Vegas lineup included captain Mark Stone from Winnipeg, and forwards Keegan Kolesar from Brandon and Brett Howden from Oakbank.
“Yeah, there’s a lot of Western guys, a lot of my fellow Manitoba boys on this team, so we were tight,” said Kolesar.
“We just have the best locker room. No matter where you’re from, everyone gels so well in this room. There are no egos, but just camaraderie and brotherhood. It makes every day coming to the rink the most fun time in the world.”
“The parade, the week after the win in Game 5, everything was a bit of a blur,” added Howden. “It feels like everything is just happening so fast. You try to slow it down and enjoy every moment, but when you’re riding such a high and feel the joy that we do, everything seems to happen in the blink of an eye. It’s been incredible.”
It's been rather incredible for Zach, too.
“I am thankful for everyone at home for following along and being a part of the journey,” he said. “I am proud of my heritage, proud of my culture and proud of where I come from.
"There are so many who help all of us get to this point in our lives. Obviously, first and foremost our parents for the money, the effort, the sacrifices. For the days they didn’t want to take us to the rink.
“When I got the Cup, it was everything I thought it would be, and more.”
During the playoffs, Zach was sideswiped by comments from ESPN announcer John Anderson. On a playoff broadcast, Anderson quipped: “Zach Whitecloud. What kind of name is Whitecloud? Great name if you’re a toilet paper.”
Anderson later apologized and while the remarks didn’t affect the young defenceman’s play, it did prompt a lot of media inquiries. Zach handled it all like the professional he is.
“It’s tough to describe how I was feeling and how it affected me,” Zach said. “You’re trying to be there for your teammates. And there’s always outside noise. That was one where it had to be confronted right away. You can’t wait around for a response. It was important for me to speak up. And speak up not only for myself, but for all of my people, my culture and just who we are.”
Naturally, all was forgotten when Zach hoisted the Stanley Cup. And, of course, his family was there to celebrate with him.
“Just looking at their expressions — my mom was crying,” Zach said. “Mom and dad have been through the ups and downs right along the
ir kid going through those. If you asked them, they’d be the first to admit they never expected anything like this would come in our lifetimes. And when I saw my dad, the look on his face, he was probably still shaking and crying happy tears. It’s a lifetime achievement that not a lot of people get to do.”
The party at Sioux Valley
Cheering on One of Their Own
By Miles Morrisseau
SIOUX VALLEY DAKOTA NATION - The sun sets on the outdoor ice rink that has turned to grass on this late spring evening. The ragged mesh hanging over the rusted pipes is a reminder of the thousands upon thousands of pucks that got caught in the webbing until one day a puck broke right through.
All the roads, paved and gravel, on the Sioux Valley Dakota Nation are empty. If not glued to the tube at home, most people have gathered at the Veterans Hall to witness one of the greatest sporting moments in the history of this proud Indigenous Nation.
Local hero Zach Whitecloud and his Vegas Golden Knights were set to win a Stanley Cup and make history for the franchise and for the nation. It would be the first win for the franchise and the first time someone from the Sioux Nation would win hockey's ultimate prize. For the people of SVDN, it was like an elder’s tale come true.
Veterans Hall is packed with an almost Vegas-like atmosphere. In between dropping some beats, the DJ announces that they gave away all 250 tickets they had for door prizes. All the tables are full and decorated with the gold and black of the Knights. Balloons float in the same colors and a couple of inflatable foil balloons are emblazoned with Whitecloud’s jersey number 2.
The pre-game pizza party is already in motion with boxes of pizza stacked up and coolers filled with ice-cold soda and water and a lineup from one end of the hall to the other. The elders are fed first as is the tradition in the community and everyone is ebullient. There is a golden glow in the community.
Most of the kids are wearing specially made Go Knights Go T-shirts and of course plenty of official NHL style jerseys are seen, one worn proudly by Chief Jennifer Bone.
“It’s been fantastic for our community,” she said. “He is setting an example that anything is possible and being an inspiration for our young people. Never give up on your hopes and dreams and to work hard for what you want because anything is possible.”
The Knights take an early lead and the crowd in Veterans Hall is on their feet cheering and clapping at every goal, hit, big save and every time Whitecloud appears on screen or touches the puck. As the game builds, the sound inside the hall gets louder and louder. Hand drums, people pounding on tables, shaking shakers and other noisemakers including a few stadium horns.
Wakpa Mckay hosted each of the watch parties during the Knights Stanley Cup Finals run: “This is a monumental moment for our community,” Mckay said. “This is the first time that this is going to happen to Sioux Valley Dakota Nation, to have the Stanley Cup in our community. It'd be awesome to see it at the powwow you know, if they brought it in the grand entry.”
The Knights would not disappoint, jumping out to an early 2-0 lead and giving no quarter on the way to a dominant 9-3 victory. The plucky Panthers of Florida had made an incredible run beating the best of the East before getting to the finals, but Vegas was too much for them.
As the clock counted down, the crowd cheered loudly, high-fived and hugged as Queen’s classic, We Are the Champions, began to play.
Interviewed on the ice after the game Whitecloud was asked if he would like to send a message back to the people at the watch party.
“Thank you for the support. The unwavering support,” he said. “Consistently as I have gone throughout hockey and in my travels. I’m thankful for everyone at home following along the journey. I’m proud of my heritage, proud of my culture and proud of where I come from.”
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