A town parade and chicken wings: What Brett Howden has planned for the Stanley Cup

Brett Howden has some big plans when he brings the Stanley Cup to his home community in Oakbank, Man. for the first time later this month – plans that may include filling it up with chicken wings.

It was hard for Brett Howden to keep the smile from his face while talking about the Stanley Cup on Wednesday.

The 25-year-old forward with the Vegas Golden Knights said the win still hasn't completely sunk in yet. He expects everything will feel a bit more real when he gets his day with the Stanley Cup – Sunday, July 23.

He is bringing the Cup to his home in Oakbank to share his win with the community where he grew up. To welcome Howden back to town, the community has organized a parade and photo session with Howden and the Stanley Cup.

"It's never come back here before. So, you know, me growing up here my whole life and getting to play in the program here and this is where it all started. So, I owe a lot to this town," said Howden, speaking to CTV News Winnipeg on Wednesday.

He knows the community is excited to share the experience with him and he can't wait to acknowledge everyone who helped him get where he is now.

"I think it will be really cool for kids to see (the Stanley Cup). Maybe bring some more passion to the game and some more excitement for the kids.

"There's so many people along the way, it's crazy how many people have been involved, especially for me and my career and how far I've come to where I've gotten."

The older Howden got, the more he realized how tight the community of Oakbank is and how it created a family feel for everyone in town. He said the town means so much to him, so he feels this is a special opportunity to be able to share such an accomplishment with all of them.

HOWDEN'S PLANS WITH THE STANLEY CUP INCLUDE CHICKEN WINGS

During his day with hockey's ultimate prize, Howden will be part of a parade down Main Street in the morning and then from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. people will have an opportunity to take pictures with Howden and the Cup.

"We're going to try to get everybody in, if that's possible," Howden said.

Following the public festivities, he will spend the day with family and friends. When asked if he plans to have any special meal or drink out of the Stanley Cup, he said his family is preparing chicken wings for the big day.

"Everybody's kind of got their own thing with what they grew up with. So for us, my dad was always really good at making wings and we kind of called it Wing Night in the Summer," he said. "We have a lot of our friends come over, we do it a few times in the summer. So for me, in my childhood, that was kind of a staple. So my dad is going to be making a batch of wings and we're going to be putting it in the Cup."

STANLEY CUP TO MAKE SEVERAL MANITOBA STOPS

Howden is one of many Manitobans who were part of the Vegas championship, including captain Mark Stone and defenceman Zach Whitecloud. The Stanley Cup will be making multiple stops in the province – general manager Kelly McCrimmon is bringing it to Brandon on July 21, and Whitecloud will have it in Sioux Valley First Nation on Aug. 23. Keegan Kolesar will have the Cup the day before Whitecloud on Aug. 22. He is bringing it to Winnipeg and having an event at the Red River Community Centre.

"It's pretty special for all of us to be able to represent Manitoba and bring it back here to the place where we all grew up playing hockey and wanting to live out our childhood dreams," Howden said. "Now that it's a reality and it's come true, it will be special for all of us."

He said he remembers when he was first traded from the New York Rangers to the Golden Knights and how nervous he felt about joining a new team. Then he looked at the roster and realized how many Manitobans were on the team.

"So that kind of helped me calm down a little bit and get excited to go there."

While he waits for his day with the Stanley Cup, Howden said he is starting to get back into the swing of things and training for the upcoming season.

He's hoping by the end of next season, he will be able to plan another day with the Stanley Cup.

"There's quite a few guys on our team who had won it three times and they just tell me that it just gets better and better each time they won," he said. "So that kind of puts some exciting juice in you…you want it that much more because you got a taste of what it was like."