What is the Stanley Cup?
The Stanley Cup is the championship trophy of the National Hockey League (NHL). First awarded in 1893, it is the oldest professional sports trophy in North America.
The trophy was donated by Lord Stanley of Preston, the Governor General of Canada, who bought it for about 50 dollars in 1892. It was first given to Canada's top amateur hockey club before becoming the NHL's championship prize in 1926. Teams compete for it in the Stanley Cup Playoffs each spring.
Unlike most trophies, a new one is not made each year. The names of the winning players, coaches and staff are engraved on the Cup. When the rings fill up, the oldest band is removed and kept at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto. The Cup stands about 89 centimeters tall and weighs about 15.5 kilograms.
A day with the Cup
Each member of the winning team gets to spend a day with the Stanley Cup. Players have taken it to their hometowns, eaten cereal out of it and even had their children baptized in it. A keeper from the Hockey Hall of Fame always travels with it.
Did You Know?
The Montreal Canadiens have won the Stanley Cup more times than any other team, with 24 championships.