It is customary for each member of the winning team to take a victory lap with the cup and share the STANLEY WHO? champaign served in its bowl. The Stanley Cup is arguably the most recognized trophy in profes- sional sports. With more traditions, superstitions and tales of YOURS FOR A DAY: It is tradition misadventure linked to it, this special trophy represents more than that each person engraved on the cup 100 years of hockey history. Here is a small slice of it: take possession of it for one day, doing with it as they please. Though the practice wasn’t official until 1995a, LORD STANLEY OF PRESTON, EARL OF players found ways to abscond with the DERBY: Frederick Arthur Stanley was a cup before then. Most show it off to Canadian aristocrat appointed to be Governor their family and friends, but some General of Canada by Queen Victoria in 1888. don’t stop there: The following winter, • Detroit Red Wing Tomas Holmstrom he witnessed a used it as a baptismal font for his rousing hockey match cousin's daughter. The 7-week-old was at the Montreal christened, then she christened the cup Winter Carnival. herself as only a baby could. The As hockey’s immense trophy was cleaned thoroughly. popularity grew even • New York Islander Bryan Trottier further, Stanley admitted that he slept with the trophy LORD STANLEY concluded, in a letter in his bed and let his dog eat out of the in 1892, “that it bowl. would be a good thing if there were a challenge cup which should be held from year to year by • In 1988, the Edmonton Oilers' Mark The 1906-07 Montreal Messier took it to a strip club and let the champion hockey team in the Dominion of Wanderers was the first BOWL DIMENSIONS fans drink out of it. The Cup wound up Canada. There does not appear to be any such team to engrave its roster. outward sign of a championship at present, and Height: 7.5 inches slightly bent in places and was considering the general interest which matches Diameter: 11.25 inches repaired at a local automotive shop. now elicit, and the importance of having the Circumference: 35 inches game played fairly and under rules generally recognized, I am willing to give a cup which shall be held from year to year by the winning THE ONE, TRUE team.” BARREL DIMENSIONS TROPHY: A widely Height: 18.25 inches When the National Hockey League was formed held superstition Diameter: 17.25 inches among players is that in 1918, it competed with other Canadian Ring height: 3.7 inches leagues for the cup. As the last league standing touching the cup before in 1926 (all others had folded), Lord Stanley’s rightfully winning it is Cup was made the official NHL trophy. The bad luck. To that end, league also maintains the tradition of the cup touching either passing from team to team. conference champion- COMPOSITION ship trophies - even Silver and nickel alloy after winning them - EVERYONE COUNTS: Each year, the also is considered by names of every player, coach and some to be bad luck. executive of the champion team is engraved onto the cup. Each ring of the CARVED INTO HISTORY: There only barrel has room for 13 teams, this a new have been four official engravers of the ring is added to the bottom every 13 years. Stanley Cup: Two generations of the Peterson family; Doug BY THE NUMBERS Teams were allowed to add rings at Boffey, owner of Boffey 34.5: Weight, in pounds, of the trophy their own cost and of their own design until 1958, when the trophy was Silversmiths 2,163: Total individuals enshrined on cup redesigned into its current format. of Montreal; 87: Number of years since engraving and, names became the tradition currently, Louise St. 55: Most names in a year (1997-98 ORIGINAL BOWL Jacques, who took over Boffey Detroit Red Wings) Cost: About $50 Silversmiths. During engraving the cup Composition: silver 17: The number of times Jean Beliveau is disassembled from the top down. Height: 7.28 inches appears on the cup. 10 as a player Special hammers with different are Diameter: 11.42 inches (1956-71) and 7 as management (1973-93) used to strike against a letter-punch to Replaced: 1969 with the Montreal Canadiens. sink each letter into the silver.

SOURCES: LEGENDS OF HOCKEY, BLEACHER REPORT, TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS, TORONTO STAR, NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE RYAN MARX | THE TIMES