The Stanley Cup comes to the University of Ottawa

On Friday, August 5, 2011, Peter Chiarelli, general manager of the Stanley Cup champion Boston Bruins and uOttawa alumnus, brought the coveted chalice to the front lawn of Tabaret Hall.

From left to right: Bruce Feldthusen, dean of the Faculty of Law, Common Law Section, and Peter Chiarelli with the Stanley Cup

Updated: August 2011

uOttawa alumnus and Boston Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli wins Stanley Cup

It’s not every day one of your alumni wins the Stanley Cup, which makes Boston Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli ‘s (LLB, 1991) accomplishment even more remarkable. The 47 year old alumnus has been at the helm of the Bruins for the past five years and has steadily enhanced his team’s competitiveness each year through key acquisitions and a deft touch when it comes to contract negotiations.

An active uOttawa alumnus, Chiarelli gave a speech to law students considering a career in the sports industry this spring and said hard work was the key, while explaining how his own path to the top of the hockey world had not been an easy one.

“You have to be creative and find a way in,” he said. “It’s something you’ve got to work around and really be passionate about if this is something you want to do.”

“It was hard having to do general practice and go scouting at nights and during the weekends while raising a family. It was difficult, but it was something I wanted to do.”

“I really just kept working towards the light at the end of the tunnel.”

Now it appears the light at the end of the tunnel was the shine of the Stanley Cup. The University of Ottawa would like to salute Peter Chiarelli for his incredible achievement and wish him the best of luck in his career.

Dave Weatherall