5 Facts Fans Don’t Know About The Stanley Cup

By Peter C

Apart from the interesting nature of the National Hockey League, there are more fascinating facts about the Stanley Cup itself. However, most fans don’t have any knowledge of such facts, which just doesn’t sit right with us.

Source: @pixabay / Pexels

So, sit tight as you read some of the interesting facts about the oldest sports trophy in North America.

1. Why Does It Have This Name?

The cup has that name in honor of Lord Stanley. This is because he was the one who bought this cup for Canada’s top amateur hockey club during his time as the Governor General of Canada. Stanley bought the cup for ten guineas, and it was first awarded in the late 1800s, which is a long time ago.

2. Two Other Cups Apart From The Original One

The League stopped awarding the original cup in 1970 to prevent it from damage. The trophy is in good condition in a museum dedicated to the sport in Canada. A replacer known as the Presentation Cup was created and has been the only trophy the NHL champions are awarded until today.

Meanwhile, another trophy similar to the Presentation Cup was created in 1993, meaning there are now three Stanley cups.

3. No New Stanley Cup For The League Champion

Since there are only three existing Stanley Cups, it further shows that the winning team doesn’t get a brand new trophy, unlike in other major sports leagues. The National Hockey League has a tradition of engraving the names of the coaches, staff, and all the players of the League’s champions on the trophy.

4. Why The Cup Can’t Maintain A Definite Shape

The Stanley Cup has been able to accommodate the etching of the roster of each winning team because of the League’s management decision to allow the attachment of a new ring to the original cup.

Source: @tony-schnagl / Pexels

This explains how the original cup got its height and also why they had to stop awarding it in 1970.

5. It Uses Detachable Rings

To prevent the Presentation Cup from growing very tall like the original cup, the presentation cup can only accommodate up to five rings. For this reason, these rings are detachable such that the oldest can be easily removed to give room for the new ring.