At a funeral service attended by family, fans, and some of hockey's most distinguished names, the late Gordie Howe was honored by son Murray Howe in a near half-hour eulogy.

"I asked my dad a few years ago what he would like me to say at his funeral," Murray said Wednesday at the packed Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Detroit, according to Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press.

"He said, 'Say this: Finally, the end of the third period.' Then he added, 'I hope there is a good hockey team in heaven.'"

"Dad," Murray continued. "All I can say is, once you join the team, they won't just be good, they will be great."

Murray then offered several superlatives to describe his father, who passed away on June 10 at age 88, describing him as humble, tough, wise, graceful, powerful, prompt, eternally positive, patient, accepting, and selfless.

"We filled his final days, surrounding him with friends and family, and he knew he was loved," Murray said near the end of his eulogy. "Mr. Hockey left the world with no regrets. And although he did not lead the league in church attendance, his life has been the epitome of a faithful servant."

The full eulogy can be viewed here:

(Courtesy: NHL.com)

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The Pittsburgh Penguins paraded through town Wednesday, celebrating the fourth Stanley Cup championship in franchise history with a delirious crowd that topped out at 400,000 fans.

With friends and family with him in the truck bed, captain Sidney Crosby led the pick-up motorcade through town, hoisting the prize for fans lining the parade route.

The Phil Kessel and Carl Hagelin clans were riding together before they stole the show - with linemate Nick Bonino - upon arriving on the stage.

Meanwhile, Matt Murray quickly got the hang of this whole celebrity thing ...

... while Bryan Rust stayed hydrated.

Some fans arrived more than 12 hours before the Penguins began to roll through the streets. It was time obviously well spent.

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Teuvo Teravainen didn't see it coming.

The 21-year-old forward was caught off guard by the trade that sent him from the Chicago Blackhawks to the Carolina Hurricanes on Wednesday.

Related: Blackhawks trade Bickell, Teravainen to Hurricanes for 2 draft picks

"(The deal was) a surprise, of course," Teravainen told Mark Lazerus of the Chicago Sun-Times. "It was just a normal day, (and) then that (happened)."

Teravainen was sent to the Hurricanes along with veteran forward Bryan Bickell - and his $4-million cap hit - for a second-round pick in the upcoming draft and a third-rounder in 2017.

"With Chicago (and) their cap situation, you never know, but I was not expecting anything," Teravainen said.

The Blackhawks gave themselves $10 million in cap space before signing pending restricted free agent Richard Panik to a one-year deal later Wednesday.

Andrew Ladd, Dale Weise, Tomas Fleischmann, and Christian Ehrhoff are Chicago's notable pending UFAs, while Andrew Shaw is set to become a restricted free agent if he's not signed to an extension by July 1.

Related: Teravainen a painful cap casualty for Blackhawks

Teravainen offered gratitude to his former club Wednesday.

"(It was) special to be part of such a great organization and fans and everything, such great players. I just want to thank everyone," he said.

He scored 13 goals and added 22 assists in his first full season with the Blackhawks in 2015-16, posting 44 points in his first 115 NHL games over three campaigns beginning in 2013-14.

Chicago drafted Teravainen 18th overall in 2012.

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The Chicago Blackhawks and winger Richard Panik have agreed to terms on a one-year contract extension, the club announced Wednesday.

Panik was rescued from the minor leagues in January in a trade with the Toronto Maple Leafs. He went on to feature in 30 games for Chicago - even making spot appearances in the top six - and scored six goals and eight points.

He also chipped in with three helpers in the postseason.

The Blackhawks opened up almost $5 million in cap space with the trades of Bryan Bickell and Teuvo Teravainen earlier Wednesday, helping keep Panik in the fold.

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Nick Bonino and Carl Hagelin were successful in their attempts to embarrass the star linemate they meshed so incredibly well with this year at the team's Stanley Cup parade, calling Phil Kessel "The Thrill" and "The Legend."

Phil responded in true Phil fashion, cracking a bashful smile and shaking his head before doing his talking with another hoist.

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Whether it's the cost of doing business or the product of salary cap mismanagement, the Chicago Blackhawks have a history of shedding talented players in recent years.

Wednesday's trade that sent forwards Bryan Bickell and Teuvo Teravainen to the Carolina Hurricanes for two draft picks was just the latest in a long line of moves influenced by the Blackhawks' frequent proximity to the cap ceiling.

The Blackhawks have been forced into these moves because general manager Stan Bowman has built perennially competitive teams, winning the Stanley Cup in 2010, 2013 and 2015.

Chicago faced another cap crunch heading into the 2016 offseason after being eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the St. Louis Blues, and that meant another move was coming.

Bowman signed Bickell to a four-year, $16-million extension after the 2013 championship, but the winger's game deteriorated, forcing the Blackhawks to bury his contract and look for a trade partner, which they'd been seeking since last summer.

Ridding themselves of Bickell's $4-million cap hit meant also parting with Teravainen, the promising but raw 21-year-old forward, who Chicago selected 18th overall in 2012. Teravainen posted 13 goals and 22 assists this season in his first full campaign with the Blackhawks.

Two other players impacted the deal from the Blackhawks' perspective. Calder Trophy finalist and breakout star Artemi Panarin is due to hit restricted free agency after next season, and Andrew Shaw will be an RFA if he's not signed by July 1.

Chicago now has about $10 million in cap space heading into the summer frenzy, with players like Andrew Ladd, Dale Weise and Tomas Fleischmann set to become UFAs.

The Bickell-Teravainen trade wasn't shocking when you consider the Blackhawks' history, but it could be regrettable if Teravainen develops into a consistently productive offensive player for the Hurricanes.

Giving up on one of the franchise's best prospects in years because of the Bickell extension - and to facilitate the return of Shaw - could be a painful pill to swallow in the Windy City.

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Bryan Bickell can't wait to get to Carolina.

Doomed by a deal never in accordance with his on-ice worth, Bickell was finally shed by the cap-strapped Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday in a trade with the Carolina Hurricanes.

Related: Blackhawks trade Bickell, Teravainen to Hurricanes for 2 draft picks

Bickell will require a personal renaissance of sorts to recoup the fleeting form that ultimately put him in his previous bind, but he's encouraged to have a fresh start nonetheless.

"We are relieved that a trade was finally completed," Bickell's agent, Todd Diamond, told Mark Lazerus of the Chicago Sun Times shortly after the deal was announced.

"Bryan thoroughly enjoyed his time in Chicago, and we are appreciative of everything the organization has done for him, and for (Stan Bowman's) effort to get this done early in the offseason.

"Bryan is looking forward to the new challenge and a new beginning."

Bickell's inability to contribute in Chicago prompted Bowman to bury him in the minor leagues for the majority of his final year, if only to net a fractional amount of financial leash.

With only $45 million tied up in assets right now, the Hurricanes won't have to resort to the same with Bickell.

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