Former NHL forwards David Brine and Patrick Bordeleau have both achieved ice hockey firsts with Cardiff Devils.
They played at the top level for Florida Panthers and Colorado Avalanche, but hadn’t won a trophy or a winners medal in senior hockey.
Now they have two each after Devils clinched an Elite League and Challenge Cup double.
“It’s amazing,” said Brine. “I’ve said to Andrew Lord, the team, my wife and family that I had never won anything.
“Sometimes success has been close and it’s heartbreaking when you miss out, but to win with the Devils and win in the way we are winning is so much fun.
“I’d never forget the way this club includes everybody including voluntary staff in the triumph. They do a class job ensuring all those people who help the club are involved.
“We have an unbelievable group of guys, a tight knit team which has been built over three years. Devils have tweaked it occasionally, bringing in guys and taking out guys, and you can see the result of the work Lordo and other have done.
“The guys buy in to what this club is doing. The guys are here to win.
“There are still a couple more trophies to win, but we have won two major competitions already. It felt great to be out on the ice after the wins against Sheffield and Fife, soaking in the atmosphere created by the fantastic Devils supporters.
“I can’t say enough good things about this organisation. My wife and I love the city and the whole area. There are so many great people.
“The fans are incredible. When we moved into our apartment the Red Army supporters had been in and made sure we had everything we needed to move in.
“My wife cried when she saw how much effort they had made to ensure we felt at home immediately. In the six years we’ve been together we have not been treated as well as that. I knew then that good things would follow.”
Devils play their final matches of the Elite League regular season this weekend. Both are against Belfast Giants with a 7pm face-off on Saturday and 6pm Sunday.
Head coach Andrew Lord and his team are already League champions, but will win the Erhardt Conference title with one victory from the two fixtures.
They will then turn to the end-of-season play-offs.
The two matches against Giants this weekend are both certain to attract capacity attendances.