On Friday, July 10, 2026, children, team members, and families welcomed special guests from the hockey community to RNCH: the Carolina Hurricanes’ goaltending coach and Ottawa resident, Paul Schonfelder and the Stanley Cup.
Accompanied by Paul’s wife, Meredith Warner and their daughter, this marked the Cup’s second visit to Roger Neilson Children’s Hospice (RNCH) since 2017.
Each year, members of the Stanley Cup championship team are given a dedicated 12 hours with the Cup to celebrate and share the experience with family, friends, and their community. RNCH was one of many stops in Ottawa for Paul, which included a visit to CHEO, eating ice cream out of the Cup, and a community celebration alongside 1,900 people.
We asked Paul what this experience meant to him.
What did it mean to you to share the Stanley Cup with the Ottawa community?
“It means a lot. At the end of the day, part of the enjoyment of winning is getting together with other people to enjoy it, such as having your close friends and family to share it with. We spend our summers in Ottawa, so coming back to Canada and sharing it with the community here was something I really wanted to do.”
How did you decide to include Roger Neilson Children’s Hospice in your day with the Cup?
“It was a collaborative effort figuring out where to go, but CHEO was somewhere I wanted to visit from the start — my daughter was born there and had follow-up visits for the first five or six years of her life, so it has a special place in our hearts. From there, giving back is so important to me, and when it was suggested, we go to RNCH too, that was an extra bonus.”
What was it like seeing the kids’ reactions when you arrived with the Cup?
“Every kid in the NHL grows up dreaming of winning the Stanley Cup; it’s a goal we’ve all been chasing since we were five years old. To get to hold it and lift it up is awesome, a real pinch-yourself moment. So, seeing the kids’ faces light up — it melts your heart. And seeing the parents, who are going through so much, just for even five to ten minutes where they can forget what they’re dealing with to experience the Cup and smile, that meant a lot to me.”
What was your favourite moment of the day?
“Honestly, it was watching the kids and parents get their minds off what they were going through. Bringing the Cup to RNCH and CHEO did that for them; you could just see it in their reactions. Out of every place we visited that day, that was my favourite part: the thought that, for a little while, they got to forget what they were going through.”
Thank you, Paul, Meredith, and their daughter for this very special visit. As we celebrate 20 years of compassionate care, we’re reminded of the incredible community that surrounds us, making moments like this possible for children and families.