Vasteras Shows Out for Victory Parade

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Iron Eagles Return the Renaissance Cup to Sweden

 

Vasteras, Sweden -- For the uninitiated, Vasteras, Sweden, is far from the largest city represented in the VHLE. With a metro area just north of 150,000 people, organizers were certainly expecting fans for the team's return and subsequent victory parade after winning the VHLE's Renaissance Cup, but not necessarily a massive undertaking. What they got, however, was one of the biggest parties Vasteras has ever seen.

 

An estimated crowd of 250,000 flooded the streets of Vasteras for the victory parade, with fans coming from as far as Rome and the Americas to take part in what was a long-awaited celebration for Iron Eagles fans. There was a sizeable contingent from Helsinki, where goaltender Xavier Booberry already has a burgeoning fanbase, as well as from Norway who will be receiving its own team in Oslo soon.

 

But most importantly, there were the Vasteras natives - a lot of them. Some older members of the crowd remembered the team's much-lauded S26 VHL title, but even they said this parade may have approached that hype, or perhaps even exceeded it.

 

"That VHL title was cool because it was a long time coming. But there's something different about having your team taken away, then returned," said local fan Lars Samuelsson, watching the procession from the sidewalk. "Our team is back, and they're champs!"

 

The parade itself was an orderly affair for as many people attended, with the procession moving through without a hitch, followed by a massive rally downtown. For Booberry, even though he'll only be spending one season in Vasteras, it was a sight he won't forget.

 

"The fans here are passionate, among the most passionate I've seen," he explained. "The 'us against the world' stuff resonates with me so well. And I couldn't be happier to give them the title they deserve."