History of The Stanley Cup

I'm not an avid sports fan, but I am a fan of history, and the history behind the Stanley Cup is very interesting. The Stanley Cup is one-of-a-kind, and each year the winning team has the name of the players, coaches, management, and club staff engraved on its chalice. Unlike the trophies awarded by the other three major professional sports leagues of North America, a new Stanley Cup is not made each year; cup winners keep it until a new champion team win it. The Stanley Cup is the oldest professional sports trophy in North America, and it is Canadian. It was first donated in 1892 by Canada's Governor General, Lord Stanley.

Lord Stanley was appointed by Queen Victoria to be the Governor General of Canada, and he was a huge hockey fan. He commissioned the Stanley Cup to be made by silversmiths in Sheffield, England. He had five stipulations with the cup created in his name:

1. The winners shall return the Cup in good order when required by the trustees so that it may be handed over to any other team which may win it.
2. Each winning team, at its own expense, may have the club name and year engraved on a silver ring fitted on the Cup.
3. The Cup shall remain a challenge cup, and should not become the property of one team, even if won more than once.
4. The trustees shall maintain absolute authority in all situations or disputes over the winner of the Cup.
5. If one of the existing trustees resigns or drops out, the remaining trustee shall nominate a substitute.

No one name appears on the Stanley Cup more than Jean Beliveau. He appears 17 times: 10 as a player and seven as management. Henri Richard has won the most Stanley Cups as a player, with 11. Twelve women have had their names engraved on the Stanley Cup. The first woman to have her name engraved on the Stanley Cup is Marguerite Norris, who won the Cup as the President of the Detroit Red Wings in 1954 and 1955. The only Canadian woman to have her name engraved on the Stanley Cup is Sonia Scurfield, who won the Cup as a co-owner of the Calgary Flames in 1989. The Senior Director of Hockey Administration Charlotte Grahame's name was added in 2001 when the Colorado Avalanche won. Charlotte's son John later had his name engraved as a member of the Tampa Bay Lightning, making them the only mother-son combination to win the Stanley Cup. ... Wikipedia

There are actually three Stanley Cups: the original bowl, the authenticated Cup, and the replica at the Hall of Fame. The authenticated version or "Presentation Cup" was created in 1963 by Montreal silversmith Carl Petersen. It is authenticated by the seal of the Hockey Hall of Fame on the bottom of the Cup, which can be seen when winning players lift the Cup over their heads, and it is the one currently awarded to the champions of the playoffs.

In 1994 the Stanley Cup was stolen from us won by *gasp* the New York Rangers, and it has been in the possession of American teams ever since. In 2004 the Stanley Cup was awarded to the team in Tampa Bay, Florida -- hockey in Florida? -- and in 2007 it was won by the Anaheim Ducks. *sigh* It's time to bring it back to Canada. There is currently a team here in Canada who perhaps may be looking very hopeful. They shall remain nameless, but we all have our fingers crossed.

You know who you are -- bring the Stanley Cup home!