Best 'Day With the Stanley Cup' Moments In Recent NHL History

An NHL player’s imagination when it comes to what they would do on their official "day with the Cup" is endless.

Players often plan their day with the Cup well in advance, sometimes down to the minute, meaning the Keepers of the Cup definitely have their hands full when it comes to these memorable moments.

Throughout NHL history, we’ve seen the Stanley Cup in bizarre places, with all kinds of foods and liquids poured into it.

Today, we look at some of the best "day with the Cup" moments in recent NHL history.

At just 23 years old, Anton Lundell had played four seasons in the NHL, making the Stanley Cup Final three times and winning back-to-back Cups in 2024 and 2025. His 2025 celebration stands out because he took another trip to Helsinki, FIN, to ride his childhood-favorite wooden roller coaster at Linnanmäki Amusement Park.

Lundell had to safely secure Lord Stanley beside him, as the Stanley Cup stands 35.2 inches tall and required special approval to accompany him on the ride. The Keepers of the Cup also have strict rules regarding which rides the trophy can go on, meaning Lundell’s selection had to fit within those requirements.

The rest of his itinerary included time on the water, spending time at his summer home in Espoo, and enjoying local food, including traditional Finnish salmon soup, which he ate straight out of the Stanley Cup bowl.

Frederik Andersen took the Stanley Cup on its first-ever trip to Legoland in Billund, DEN, choosing the destination because of his lifelong love of Lego. He has also showcased that love on his goalie masks. There, he posed with the Stanley Cup over his head in front of massive Lego minifigures.

He later travelled to his hometown of Herning for a more public celebration, where he signed autographs and posed for photos. Andersen did all of this as a recently married man, having married his wife, Annalise, just days before his day with Lord Stanley.

As the first Russian-born captain to win the Stanley Cup, Alexander Ovechkin made the most of his two-day celebration in Moscow, bringing the trophy home and incorporating it into several memorable events.

The Stanley Cup appeared at the 2018 FIFA World Cup Fan Fest, where Ovechkin celebrated with thousands of fans. He also travelled to his youth club, Dynamo Moscow, to celebrate with coaches and family before bringing the Cup to Red Square.

A meal was also in order when he filled the 35-inch bowl with thousands of dollars’ worth of black Russian caviar, allowing both his family and guests to eat directly from the Cup with spoons.

Finally, Ovechkin popularized what became known as the “Cup Stand,” where he performed an upside-down keg stand directly from the Stanley Cup’s bowl while his teammates held his legs in the air. After doing it at nightclubs and concerts, he couldn’t forget to do one more before ending his celebration with Lord Stanley.

Just a day after the championship parade celebrating the Carolina Hurricanes’ second Stanley Cup in franchise history, GM Eric Tulsky took his day with the Cup on Father’s Day. He appeared at UNC Health Rex in Raleigh, N.C., to surprise new fathers and celebrate with them and their newborns, allowing them to take photos with the trophy.

Some new fathers shared that, due to the well-known superstition about not touching Lord Stanley, they didn’t even let their newborns touch the Cup.

Keeping his day with the Cup more private, Phil Kessel spent the first part of his day on the golf course with close friends. While there, he filled the silver bowl with several frankfurters from local State Street Brats, taking a photo of himself eating them and posting the caption, “Hot dogs taste better out of The Cup!”

The moment was also a troll toward the Toronto media, referencing a controversial 2015 Toronto Sun column that portrayed Kessel as an out-of-shape player who regularly ate hot dogs from a street vendor. Kessel’s Cup photo allowed him to turn that story into a joke of his own.

The rest of Kessel’s day was spent away from the public eye, enjoying a casual get-together with friends.

When Kessel won the first of his three Stanley Cups, he brought the Cup to Sick Kids Hospital in Toronto.

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