The history, origins and the birth of the Lord Stanley Cup in the National Hockey League
Have you ever wondered why the Stanley Cup is called the Stanley Cup? Is “Stanley”, the father of hockey, or one of the greatest players to ever exist?
Every hockey fan that hasn’t had the chance to be gifted with the knowledge of the Stanley Cup can breathe a sigh of relief because today it’s all about the mystery filled trophy that players lift with so much pride after winning that heart pounding final
match.
An event which takes place every year at the end of the season, where all the qualified teams take on head to head just to win that trophy at the end of the Stanley Cup Finals has many names, some to describe its greatness and others for pure respect, such
as “The Holy Grille”, “Lord Stanley’s Cup” and “Stanley’s Cup”.
It is surrounded by many traditions and events that take place after the players have acquired it. The most traditional way is the drinking of champagne out of it by the team who has won the playoffs.
The time players are able to spend with it is limited because they must relinquish their status to the winners of the next Stanley Cup Finals.
So who exactly is Stanley?
Lord Stanley, who was appointed Governor General of Canada in 1888, developed a liking for ice hockey along with his family. At that time hockey was in its infant stages, and only two cities in Canada had home-brewed teams playing.
Lord Stanley and his sons began actively participating in ice hockey events which led to its maturity and exposure. The best team considered to play would be awarded the Stanley Cup for their performance, leading to a tradition that continues over 100 years
later.
One of the first teams in Canada, a Montreal-based team belonging to the Amateur Hockey Association (AHA) was the first team to officially be awarded the Stanley Cup.
However, it wasn’t as it is today, where a single team is given the cup for winning the final.
Back then it was given to all teams to be passed around and show appreciation for all their efforts.
NHL and the Stanley Cup
The NHL basically took control over the Stanley Cup as it was the only professional league to remain after the wrap up of the WHL in 1926.
This action was challenged several times by many minor leagues that also had a charm for the cup, but to no avail, as the NHL came to be the biggest hockey association in the world.
Since then it has become a de facto championship of the NHL.
Originally the Stanley Cup was literally just a large bowl, but now as engraving winning team names on it has become a tradition, resulting in the addition of multiple bands to it, it is much larger and heavier than it formally was back in the days of Lord
Stanley.
You think you’ve seen the original cup on TV when the players lift it above their heads in celebration? The one seen with the players is an actual replica of the genuine Stanley Cup called the “Presentation Cup”.
The original which was physically awarded to players by Lord Stanley is on display in a vault room at the Hockey Hall of Fame located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
The confidence building cup
Canadian troops fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq have been given the opportunity to view and photograph themselves with the cup many times as the Stanley Cup is a morale booster for the fans that are serving their country in the military.
Lord Stanley would have never perceived that one day the Stanley Cup would have so much value and tradition that it has today.
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