Author: Kevin Allen
The Stanley Cup.
It is hockey's most prized possession and is possibly the greatest trophy in sports history.
This book is filled with over 50 years of stories about the Stanley Cup. You will get hooked from the beginning when the foreword talks about what it means to players to win the Cup.
Dallas Drake of the Detroit Red Wings felt his legs turn to Jello when he finally lifted the Cup in 2008.
Teemu Selanne, who had been in the NHL for over 10 years when he won the Cup with the Anaheim Ducks in 2007, cried on the bench when Anaheim defeated the Ottawa Senators to win their first Stanley Cup in franchise history.
Ray Bourque's teammates and Colorado Avalanche fans devoted the entire 2001 playoff campaign to winning a cup for the veteran defenseman who had not yet won a Cup in his career.
These are just some of the stories you will read about in this book.
You will also read about the places the Cup has been over the years, a great time for anyone who was drawn into a story such as Patrick Kane taking the Cup to Niagara Falls.
There is a lot of hockey history to absorb. Back in the mid 20th century, players did not have a day with the Cup as they do today. You will get to find out what players did with the Cup back in those days, and there is still no shortage of fascinating stories to tell. You will even learn about the first time a winning team took the Cup around the ice and even let fans touch it.
There are also some great stories about the Montreal Canadiens, Edmonton Oilers, and New York Islanders dynasties.
This book covers each Stanley Cup win up until 2009, when the Penguins captured their first title in 17 years.
Five stars.
Simply put, if you are an NHL fan and want to curl up with a good book, buy this one.
I can't think of another book that is as essential to a hockey fan's bookshelf as "Then Wayne Said to Mario..."
