Following Queen Victoria’s appointment of Lord Stanley of Preston as Governor General of Canada on June 11, 1888, he and his family developed a strong interest in ice hockey. Stanley first witnessed hockey at the 1889 Winter Carnival in Montreal, where he watched the Montreal Victorias play the Montreal Hockey Club. He “expressed his profound joy with the game of hockey and the expertise of the players,” according to the Montreal Gazette. Only Montreal and Ottawa had anything like leagues at the time, and organized ice hockey in Canada was still in its infancy.
Stanley’s entire family became ice hockey players. Arthur and Algernon, two of his sons, created the Ottawa Rideau Hall Rebels, a new team. Arthur was also a crucial figure in the creation of the Ontario Hockey Association (OHA) and is often regarded as the father of ice hockey in the United Kingdom. Their father was convinced by Arthur and Algernon to present a trophy as “an outward and visible indication of the hockey championship.” Stanley issued the following message to the three-time champion Ottawa Hockey Club’s victory celebration on March 18, 1892, at Ottawa’s Russell House Hotel:
For a long time, I’ve thought it would be a nice idea to have a challenge cup that would be held every year by the Dominion’s champion hockey team.
There does not appear to be any such outward sign of a championship at the moment, and given the current level of interest in matches and the importance of having the game played fairly and according to generally accepted rules, I am willing to award a cup to the winning team that will be held from year to year.
I’m not certain that the current rules controlling match scheduling provide complete satisfaction, and it’s worth exploring whether they couldn’t be set up so that each team plays twice, once at home and once in their opponents’ hometown.
Soon after, Stanley bought a rose bowl, made in Sheffield, England, and sold by London silversmith G. R. Collis and Company (now Boodle and Dunthorne Jewellers) for ten guineas, equal to ten and a half pounds sterling, US$48.67, or $1,402 in 2020 dollars, from London silversmith G. R. Collis and Company (now Boodle and Dunthorne Jewellers). On one side of the outside rim, he etched “Dominion Hockey Challenge Cup,” and on the other, “From Stanley of Preston.” It was given the name “Stanley Cup” as early as May 1, 1893, when the word was used as a title in an Ottawa Journal story.
Originally, Stanley planned for the Cup to be handed to Canada’s best amateur hockey club, which would be determined by a challenge from another team. He established five ground rules:
- When the trustees request it, the winners must return the Cup in excellent condition so that it can be handed over to any other team that may win it.
- Each winning team may have the club name and year engraved on a silver ring attached to the Cup at its own expense.
- Even if won multiple times, the Cup should remain a challenge cup and not become the property of one team.
- In all situations or issues involving the Cup’s winner, the trustees shall have unlimited jurisdiction.
- If one of the current trustees resigns or withdraws, the surviving trustee must appoint a replacement.
How much is a Stanley Cup worth?
The silver punch bowl that became the Stanley Cup was purchased in 1892 by Lord Stanley, the governor-general of Canada, for $48, or a little more than $1,000 today. It turned out to be a fantastic investment. Experts overwhelmingly agree that the Cup is the most valuable prize in American sports, with one estimate suggesting a worth of more than $23,000.
Clearly, the Stanley Cup has a significant monetary value, but it is Lord Stanley’s Cup’s history and symbolic significance in hockey history that make it a precious, priceless treasure. Thankfully, its protection has increased, as the world’s finest athletic trophy is irreplaceable.
What happens if the Stanley Cup gets damaged?
Following the mishap, the Stanley Cup was observed being carried about by the Hockey Hall of Fame’s “Keepers of the Cup” with a blanket covering the damaged bowl and loaded into a car. The Stanley Cup will be returned to Canada to be restored, according to ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski.
It’s unclear how the Stanley Cup’s bowl was shattered, but it happened during the festivities on Monday.
How Much Does the Stanley Cup Weigh 2021?
The Stanley Cup (French: La Coupe Stanley) is the annual championship trophy presented to the winner of the National Hockey League (NHL) playoffs. It is the oldest trophy in North America given to a professional sports club, and the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) considers it to be one of the sport’s “most important championships.” The Dominion Hockey Challenge Cup was established in 1892 and is named after Lord Stanley of Preston, the Governor General of Canada, who awarded the trophy to Canada’s premier amateur ice hockey club. The Stanley family was devoted to the sport, with all of the sons and daughters participating in and supporting it. The first Cup was given to the Montreal Hockey Club in 1893, and champions were selected through challenge games and league play from 1893 until 1914. In 1906, professional clubs became eligible to compete for the Stanley Cup for the first time. In 1915, the National Hockey Association (NHA) and the Pacific Coast Hockey Association (PCHA), the two major professional ice hockey leagues, agreed to a gentleman’s agreement in which their champions would compete for the Stanley Cup each year. In 1926, it became the de facto NHL championship trophy, and in 1947, it became the de jure NHL championship award.
The original bowl of the “Dominion Hockey Challenge Cup,” the genuine “Presentation Cup,” and the spelling-corrected “Permanent Cup” on exhibit at the Hockey Hall of Fame whenever the Presentation Cup is not available are the three Stanley Cups. While the NHL has retained possession of the trophy and its related trademarks, it does not officially own the trophy and instead utilizes it under a deal with the two Canadian trustees. Although there has been debate over whether the NHL has the authority to own trademarks linked with a trophy it does not own, the organization has registered trademarks associated with the name and likeness of the Stanley Cup.
The original bowl measures 18.5 centimetres (7.28 inches) high and 29 centimetres (11.42 inches) broad and was made of silver. The present Stanley Cup is topped with a silver and nickel alloy replica of the original bowl. It stands at 89.54 centimetres (35.25 inches) in height and weighs 15.5 kg (34.5 lb). Unlike the trophies presented by the other major professional sports leagues in North America, a new Stanley Cup is not created every year. The Stanley Cup was previously maintained by the winners until a new champion was crowned, but it is now given to winning teams throughout the summer and for a limited number of days during the season. The names of the winning players, coaches, management, and club personnel have been etched on the bands of the trophy every year since 1924, which is rare among awards. Because there isn’t enough room to list all of the players and non-players, some names will be left out. Between 1924 and 1940, virtually every year the trophy was awarded, a new band was added, earning the trophy the moniker “Stovepipe Cup” due to the abnormal height of all the bands. The cup size was lowered in 1947, however the huge rings were not all the same size. In 1958, a five-band barrel was developed for the current one-piece Cup, with 13 winning teams per band. To keep the Stanley Cup from growing, the oldest band is removed when the bottom band is full and preserved in the Hockey Hall of Fame, and a new blank band is put to the bottom. In theory (see Engraving section below), the first winning team engraved on the newest band will be shown on the trophy for the next 65 years. The Cup, Lord Stanley’s Cup, The Holy Grail, and, more jokingly, Lord Stanley’s Mug have all been given to it. The Stanley Cup has a long history of tales and rituals, the most famous of which being the victorious team drinking champagne from it.
Since the 191415 season, a total of 103 Cups have been won by 20 current NHL clubs and five teams that no longer exist. It was not given in 1919 due to the Spanish flu outbreak, and in 2005 due to the NHL lockout in 200405. Between 1893 and 1914, nine different teams competed. The Montreal Canadiens are the most recent Canadian-based team to win it, having done so in 1993; the Detroit Red Wings have won it 11 times, the most of any American-based NHL team, most recently in 2008. The Tampa Bay Lightning, who won the cup in 2021, are the current holders. By 2017, it has over three thousand different names engraved on it, including the names of over thirteen hundred footballers.
Who has never won the Stanley Cup?
TAMPA, FLORIDA While the Tampa Bay Lightning seek their third consecutive Stanley Cup triumph this season, there are a number of teams on the other end of the Stanley Cup spectrum that have never won the cup or are decades away from doing so.
Arizona Coyotes, Buffalo Sabres, Columbus Blue Jackets, Florida Panthers, Minnesota Wild, Nashville Predators, Ottawa Senators, San Jose Sharks, Vancouver Canucks, Vegas Golden Knights, and Winnipeg Jets are among the teams who have never won a Stanley Cup.
(A couple of points to note about that list: the Coyotes were previously known as the Winnipeg Jets before moving to Arizona in 1995, meaning their winning run extends back to 1979.) The current Winnipeg Jets were the Atlanta Thrashers before moving to Winnipeg in 2011, extending their winning streak to 21 years.)
With a few exceptions, most of the teams that haven’t won the Cup are newer franchises that aren’t as well-established as some of the teams that have won the Cup but haven’t been close in decades.
The Toronto Maple Leafs, one of the most legendary franchises in hockey history, have the most famous current Stanley Cup drought. However, the Maple Leafs haven’t won a Stanley Cup since the 1966-1967 season, a 54-year drought.
The Buffalo Sabres and the Vancouver Canucks are just behind the Maple Leafs. The Sabres haven’t won a Stanley Cup since joining the league in 1970. The Vancouver Canucks can empathize, having never won a Stanley Cup in their 50 years in the NHL. Finally, the Philadelphia Flyers last won the Stanley Cup Finals in 1975, during Gerald Ford’s presidency, and haven’t won it since, a period of 45 years.
So, Lightning supporters, enjoy the team’s domination over the last two years and root for them to make it three in a row this season!
Does the real Stanley Cup travel with the players?
The Stanley Cup has traveled to Germany, Russia, and Japan. That’s because the victorious team’s players get to keep the cup for the entire day. Many athletes carry the cup home with them and share it with their loved ones.
The Stanley Cup must be returned, but the players do not leave empty-handed. Winners receive a unique ring as well as a tiny replica of the trophy. It has their name etched on it, as well as the names of all of their colleagues. Score!
Was the real Stanley Cup dented?
It was, apparently, something far less nefarious. Pat Maroon, a Lightning forward, accidentally shattered the Cup.
“Maroon told the Tampa Bay Times, “It was plainly raining and it was moist.” “I went to lift it and it pushed me backwards. I slipped and Phil helped me up, and the Cup slid back to its original position.”
The Stanley Cup is well-known to Maroon. The 33-year-old is only the fourth player in NHL history to win three consecutive championships with two different teams, having done so with the Blues in 2019 and the Lightning the previous two years. He also wants fans to know that no offense was meant.
“People are accusing us of belittling the Cup. That’s nonsense because if they had half a brain, they’d realize it’s raining outside and you’d think we’d be kicking the Cup around? “No,” Maroon stated emphatically. “We didn’t treat it badly. It was a total mishap, and we were both injured. My back has been bothering me the entire day. So that’s how it went down. “Nothing out of the ordinary.”
The Stanley Cup was returned to Montreal, where the Lightning defeated the Canadiens in five games to win their second consecutive title, and it has since been restored to its original condition.
The Cup in question was not the original, which was retired in 1970 and is now housed at the Hockey Hall of Fame. The “Presentation Cup” is the dented one, with a “Replica Cup” waiting in Toronto in case the traveling one is deemed irreparable.
“I’m sure there have been far worse things to happen to the Cup than my falling,” Maroon stated. “They claimed it was a simple fix. Even so, it wasn’t all that horrible. The photo made it appear as if it had been severely dented. It wasn’t the case.”