Stanley Cup, the holy grail of hockey and the oldest trophy any North American sports league competes for. The Stanley Cup has a long and storied past. The first winner of the “Cup” was the Montreal Hockey Club in 1893 and it has been featured every year since with the exception of 1919 (flu epidemic) and 2005 (lockout).
Until 1910, the Stanley Cup was awarded to amateur teams as a challenge trophy. Although technically still considered a challenge trophy, no team outside of the NHL has competed for it since 1926. The last non-NHL team to win the “Cup” was the 1925 Victoria Cougars, who later lost to the Montreal Maroons of the NHL in 1926. In all, 17 different but still active teams and 5 defunct teams have drunk from “Lord Stanley’s Mug”. The Montreal Canadiens have the most wins with 24.
Many traditions and superstitions are associated with the Stanley Cup. The Winnipeg Victorias began the tradition of drinking champagne from the “Cup” in 1896. Ted Lindsay, captain of the 1950 Detroit Red Wings, upon receiving the “Cup”, raised it over his head and skated around the rink with it, a tradition for winning captains ever since. Players today have a superstition that they will not touch or come into contact with the “Cup” until they have legitimately won it. Most will not touch other trophies, such as conference trophies (Clarence S. Campbell Bowl and Prince of Wales Trophy), believing they are not a true championship trophy.
After winning the “Cup”, each player on the winning team is allowed one day with it. She has been to Sweden, Russia and Afghanistan and in 2006 she returned to London, England after 114 years. She has been used to baptize children, eaten cereal, used as a dog bowl, and used as a beer cooler at a party. She’s been on top of mountains, on fishing boats, in an igloo, and in the White House. It’s been lost, stolen, kicked over, and even etched with a nail. He has had the Kentucky Derby winner “Go for Gin” eat oatmeal, been at the bottom of pools, players have slept with him, been urinated on, been in pubs and caused broken teeth (Maurice Richard broke two by trying to drink from it).
The Stanley Cup has another celebrity status, having been featured on many television shows and Hollywood movie sets. She has been on soap operas, talk shows, and “Meet the Press.” The “Cup” was ridden on a roller coaster, flown up in a helicopter by Guy Lafleur, shot down from a balcony by William Shatner, and participated in the 2008 Rose Bowl Parade. It has been used as a symbol of tolerance, appearing in the Parade at the 2010 Chicago Gay Pride honoring Brian Burke’s late son, Brendan.
There are actually three Stanley Cups: the original punch bowl donated by Lord Stanley and residing in the Hockey Hall of Fame vault room in Toronto, the authenticated Cup which is a duplicate created in 1963 because the original was becoming too thin and brittle. and the replica version made in 1993 and used as a stand-in in the Hall of Fame when the authenticated Stanley Cup is on its way.
