My Day with the Cup

NHL Players Tell Their Stories about Hometown Celebrations with Hockey's Greatest Trophy

Jim Lang

• Publisher: Simon & Schuster
• eBook ISBN:
  9781982194451
• Year: 2024

Never-before-told stories of wild celebrations and heartfelt moments with the Stanley Cup, in the words of the champions themselves, including Sidney Crosby, Brendan Shanahan, Larry Robinson, and Mike Modano.

There is no trophy like the Stanley Cup. It has the names of every champion who’s won it engraved on its shining sides. And when it is won, it is presented first to the players, who have fought so hard to raise it above their heads.

The Cup is special in another way, too. Every summer, it goes on a cross-continent tour (sometimes even overseas), visiting every player, coach, and team member who won it that year. Everyone gets their day with the Cup, chaperoned by one of the ever-watchful Keepers of the Cup from the Hockey Hall of Fame to make sure it doesn’t get into too much trouble.

The Cup has been everywhere, from the bottom of a pool at a rock star’s mansion to a ride through the sky above Montreal in a helicopter flown by none other than hockey legend Guy Lafleur. It has served beer and champagne, breakfast cereal for kids, popcorn, and hot dogs. It brings joy to players and fans and inspires awe everywhere it goes.

Veteran sportscaster and bestselling author Jim Lang has interviewed more than thirty players and coaches, and a couple of Keepers of the Cup, to collect these behind-the-scenes stories of the Stanley Cup’s adventures. Each one is special, but they all share strong themes of family and friends, community, gratitude, and the feeling that the greatest achievements in life are best celebrated with others.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Dedication
• Foreword
• Introduction
• Chapter 1: The Keeper of the Cup
• Chapter 2: The Stanley Cup Goes on the Road: 1995 New Jersey Devils: Ken Daneyko, Bill Guerin, and Randy McKay
• Chapter 3: Potato Cannons and Dive Bars: 1996 Colorado Avalanche: Scott Young and Mike Ricci
• Chapter 4: Hockeytown Is Born: 1997 and 1998 Detroit Red Wings: Mike Vernon, Mathieu Dandenault, and Anders Eriksson
• Chapter 5: Everything Is Bigger in Texas: 1999 Dallas Stars: Mike Modano, Guy Carbonneau, and Craig Ludwig
• Chapter 6: Larry Robinson, a True Legend: 2000 New Jersey Devils: Larry Robinson
• Chapter 7: The Unlikely Champions: 2001 Colorado Avalanche: Dan Hinote and Eric Messier
• Chapter 8: Shanny’s Big Adventure: 2002 Detroit Red Wings: Brendan Shanahan
• Chapter 9: Sweden, Quebec, and Guy Lafleur: 2004 Tampa Bay Lightning: Fredrik Modin and André Roy
• Chapter 10: May Day Is Finally a Champion: 2007 Anaheim Ducks: Brad May
• Chapter 11: The Pride of Nova Scotia: 2009 Pittsburgh Penguins: Sidney Crosby
• Chapter 12: Boston Strong: 2011 Boston Bruins: Johnny Boychuk and Rich Peverley
• Chapter 13: “This Is Indian Land”: 2012 Los Angeles Kings: Jordan Nolan
• Chapter 14: Bill Ranford Finds a Home: 2014 Los Angeles Kings: Bill Ranford
• Chapter 15: An Ode to Scarborough: 2018 Washington Capitals: Devante Smith-Pelly
• Chapter 16: Ice Cream Tastes Better from the Stanley Cup: 2019 St. Louis Blues: Robert Thomas
• Chapter 17: Worth the Wait: 2021 Tampa Bay Lightning: Jon Cooper
• Chapter 18: A Cup Full of Pierogies: 2022 Colorado Avalanche: Darcy Kuemper
• Chapter 19: Hague Family Matters: 2023 Vegas Golden Knights: Nicolas “Nic” Hague
• Chapter 20: He’s Got Your Back: Rocket: Watcher of the Players and the Cup
• Acknowledgments
• About the Author
• Index
• Photo Credits
• Copyright