A big Canadian hockey fan made big waves at the Hockey Hall of Fame on Tuesday after donating a giant Canadian flag flown by Sidney Crosby after Team Canada won Olympic gold.
Dave Ash, of Regina, was front and centre when Crosby scored the game-winning goal in Vancouver last winter, waving a massive flag he had smuggled into the arena.
Crosby scored in overtime of the championship game, beating Team USA 3-2, in one of the most memorable moments in Canadian hockey history.
He said someone on the ice asked for the flag after the goal. The next thing he knew, it was being waved by Crosby, goaltender Roberto Luongo and the rest of the team as they skated around the ice while celebrated the victory.
"I was flying this huge, 6-foot by 12-foot flag, and he asked to borrow it. I had no idea this was going to happen," Ash told CTV News. "Next thing you know Crosby's got it, Luongo's got it and it's on the front page of The New York Times."
The Hockey Hall of Fame asked Ash to donate the flag. It will be displayed beside the puck Crosby used to score the game-winning goal.
"He is all Canada. And for the 2010 Olympics that is what it was all about for the fans and all the athletes who were involved. Hopefully the legacy lives on here at the Hockey Hall of Fame," said curator Phil Pritchard.
Ash presented the flag in person Tuesday morning, dressed in a Team Canada jersey and wearing a flashing red light on the top of his head.
Ash said he was more than happy to turn the flag over to the museum, saying he hoped it was something all fans could enjoy.
With a report from CTV Toronto's John Musselman
