The Stanley Cup is a very prestigious and coveted trophy. Not only is it awarded to the champions of the NHL at the end of each season but it is also the oldest trophy competed for by professional athletes in North America.
Here is your chance to learn all about the NHL’s most prestigious trophy, from its origins and early years to which teams have hosted the cup the most. Remember you can bet on this futures market at the top NHL sportsbooks.
Stanley Cup Origins
To cut a long story short, when the United Kingdom still ruled over Canada, Queen Victoria sent over Lord Stanley of Preston (Sir Frederick Arthur Stanley) as Governor-General in 1888. During his time in Canada, Lord Stanley and his family became fans of this new and upcoming sport which was ice hockey. At the time ice hockey was mostly played in leagues throughout Ottawa and Montreal.
Two of Arthur’s sons became ice hockey players and formed their own team, whilst Lord Stanley played a key role in setting up the Ontario Hockey Association. Lord Stanley’s two sons persuaded their father to donate a trophy to be “an outward and visible sign of the hockey championship”.
In 1893 Lord Stanley purchased a cup that had “Dominion Hockey Challenge Cup” engraved on one side and the other side read “from Stanley of Preston”. The name “Stanley Cup” was given to it as early as May of the same year.
The cup was initially won by the Montreal Amateur Athletic Association in 1893.
Cup Structure and Trustees
The Stanley Cup has had a few alterations to its structure within its time (which is no surprise given its currently 131 years old), firstly it had tiered rings which were added periodically to the bowl. This was then followed by long narrow bands in 1927 and replaced again in 1947 with uneven bands.
The Stanley Cup has the prestige of being the only trophy in which every member of the winning team has their name inscribed on the cup, for this reason bands are retired to make room for the new champions. Retired bands and the original Stanley Cup bowl can be viewed in Lord Stanley vault in the Esso great hall.
Currently the cup is 32.25 inches tall and weighs 34.5 pounds, it has a bowl on top with three tiered bands, a collar and five barrel bands.
There has been a total of only 11 trustees of the Stanley Cup throughout its 131 year history with the original trustees being Phillip D. Rooss and Sheriff John Sweetland.
NHL Takes Control and Record Holders
In 1910 the NHL took control of the Stanley Cup but it wasn’t until 1926 that we saw only NHL teams compete for the cup.
The Montreal Canadiens have won the Stanley Cup more than any other team in the world having had their hands on the trophy a total of 24 times, with the Toronto Maple Leafs having won it the 2nd most having had 13 in total (although their last victory came back in 1967).
Only three teams have won the cup 10 times or more, the final team being the Detroit Red Wings who have hoisted the trophy 11 times.
75 years ago Jack Armytage passed away. As Captain of the Winnipeg Victorias he convinced his team trustees to challenge the Montreal Vics for the Stanley Cup. On Feb 14, 1896, a stunned Montreal crowd watched the Vics take a 2-0 victory and the West had its 1st Stanley Cup. pic.twitter.com/OqAEskzUaP
— MB HHOF (@MBHHOF) August 8, 2018
Both the Chicago Blackhawks and Boston Bruins have won the cup on five occasions whilst the Edmonton Oilers and Pittsburgh Penguins have won the cup on four occasions.
Stanley Cup Legacy
Without a doubt, the Stanley Cup is one of the most recognizable trophies in world sports. Most none ice hockey or NHL fans would likely recognize the cup, mainly because of its gigantic size compared to other trophies in world sports.
The fact the cup gets all the winners’ names inscribed on it makes the trophy that much more prestigious and each season the cup is shared by the winning team for 100 days. Players and team personnel often drink from the cup to celebrate winning it, a tradition started by the Winnipeg victories back in 1896.
Every winning organization’s players and staff each get to spend 24 hours with the cup – a tradition that no other sport can rival.
The Stanley Cup has been to every corner of the globe, from the top of the Rocky Mountains, to Europe, Russia, Japan and beyond.
