I love to read sports biographies especially hockey related, so I was for sure interested in this one!

Although I did learn a few facts about the process of getting the cup, and how it is safely guarded, I feel the stories became very rapidly repetitive. All players basically plan the same thing and feeel the same during this 24 to 48 hours event. It doesn’t help that some players were unknown to me. Still, the author went through all the Cuos won since 1995, the year the Cup first became available during the summer through 2023.

However, I am glad I read it.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me a complimentary e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

To win the ultimate prize in professional hockey is every young hockey player dream. A Day with the Cup let's us take a peek into the few who have achieved this dream. An interesting look into the history and tales of the Stanley Cup and how players of the championship team get to spend their day with the Cup. Not only do we see the players interaction with the Cup but we also get a peek at the lives of the 'keepers of the Cup' as they travel with the Cup from city to city and country to country.
This would make a fantastic read for any hockey fan!

Prior to 1995, NHL players had their only substantial moment with the Stanley Cup on the ice after they'd won it all and aside from a few events and the championship parade, many did not get to spend time with hockey's ultimate prize; the physical manifestation of their hard work and sacrifice. However, that all changed with the development of a program that would allow players and staff to have one day to do as they wish with the iconic trophy.

Author Jim Lang sat down with several players and asked them to speak about their twenty-four hours with The Stanley Cup and how they chose to celebrate with family and friends.

This book is a lot of the same thing from start to finish. I loved the idea and the approach, but there isn't much in the way of originality with respect to how players spend their day with The Cup. Last summer, my wife and I attended an event where the athletic trainer for the Las Vegas Golden Knights had his day with the cup here in Ottawa. To celebrate, he filled the cup with Golden Palace Egg Rolls and also held an event to raise money for Ottawa West Little League. That's more or less the extent of many of these stories - a player either holds an event for charity, takes The Cup to a place that is special to him, drinks a lot of alcohol, or spends the day with family and friends while he looks over the names of his heroes etched in the rings.

There are a few fun stories (Vinnie Paul's legendary Dallas party is a standout), but after a while, it began to feel dull. No disrespect is intended to those who worked hard to win The Cup or Lang's effort to put together a history of championship celebrations, it's just that the stories weren't overly interesting. I'm not sure what I expected, but perhaps a bit more variety.