Chronicles of Stanley: Phil Kessel takes Cup to Toronto children's hospital

The Chronicles of Stanley is an occasional series this summer that tracks the Pittsburgh Penguins as they each get their special alone time with the Stanley Cup.

Phil Kessel was next in line to enjoy his days with the Stanley Cup after Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby had some fun over the weekend.

On Sunday, Kessel celebrated in his hometown of Madison, Wisconsin with friends and family, with sister Amanda, a forward on the NWHL’s New York Riveters, taking a sip:

There was also plenty of time for photo ops, including this one with the Kessel clan of Phil, Amanda and Blake in front of Kessel Court in Madison:

A Stanley Cup win should make him eligible to upgrade to a highway, no?

Day 2 of the celebration saw Kessel bring the Cup to Toronto, where he spent six seasons as a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs before last summer’s trade to Pittsburgh. There was no parade as things were kept low-key; and as of Monday afternoon, no hot dogs.

Old friends and celebrity guests made an appearance at a gathering before things moved on to the Hospital for Sick Children where Kessel has donated to in the past. There were plenty of smiles to be had.

(Note that surgically-repaired right hand of Kessel’s.)

You might recall back in 2013 Kessel donated a suite at Air Canada Centre for 24 kids and their families to a game, benefiting Childhood Cancer Canada. Not only was it a great gesture as part of a program started by Dion Phaneuf, but Kessel, a cancer survivor, went out and scored a hat trick during a win over the Anaheim Ducks.

While Kessel was enjoying his final hours with the Cup, teammate Nick Bonino was in full-preparation mode for when the silver trophy comes his way:

Previous Chronicles of Stanley:
• Zatkoff takes Cup down water slide
• Crosby, Cup conquer Cole Harbour

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Sean Leahy is the associate editor for Puck Daddy on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Sean_Leahy