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.

Jim Lang is a sportscaster, journalist, and the coauthor of hockey memoirs by Tie Domi, Max Domi, Wendel Clark, and Bryan Berard, as well as Everyday Hockey Heroes Volumes I, II, and III with Bob McKenzie and My Day with the Cup. He hosts The Jim Lang Show. He lives outside Toronto with his wife and kids. Follow him on Twitter @JimLangSports.