June 9, 2007
GN.028

PRONGER JOINS EXCLUSIVE CLUB WITH STANLEY CUP WIN

When the Anaheim Ducks defeated the Ottawa Senators 6-2 on Wednesday night to win the Stanley Cup, it not only marked the first championship in franchise history, but it marked entry into one of the most prestigious clubs in hockey for defenseman Chris Pronger.

The Dryden, ON native, who won the first Stanley Cup of his career, became just the 19th member of the IIHF Triple Gold Club – players who have won a World Championship, Olympic gold medal and Stanley Cup.

Pronger, a gold medalist at the 1997 World Championship and 2002 Olympics, is just the fifth Canadian in the club, joining Joe Sakic (1994 Worlds – 2002 Olympics – 1996, 2001 Stanley Cup), Brenda Shanahan (1994 Worlds – 2002 Olympics – 1997, 1998, 2002 Stanley Cup), Rob Blake (1994, 1997 Worlds – 2002 Olympics – 2001 Stanley Cup) and Scott Niedermayer (2004 Worlds – 2002 Olympics – 1995, 2000, 2003, 2007 Stanley Cup).

The other members of the IIHF Triple Gold Club include:

Tomas Jonsson (SWE)
Hakan Loob (SWE)
Mats Naslund (SWE)
Valeri Kamensky (RUS)
Alexei Gusarov (RUS)
Peter Forsberg (SWE)
Vyacheslav Fetisov (RUS)
Igor Larionov (RUS)
Alexander Mogilny (RUS)
Vladimir Malakhov (RUS)
Jaromir Jagr (CZE)
Jiri Slegr (CZE)
Niklas Lidstrom (SWE)
Fredrik Modin (SWE)