The Stanley Cup has not always been so large—the trophy that recognizes the winners of each year’s National Hockey League (NHL)Championship is around 3 foot (0.91 m) tall and weighs approximately 31 pounds (14.06 kg), but the first Stanley Cup that was used until 1962 was just 7-1/2 by 11-1/2 inches (19 by 29 cm). In 1893, hockey fan and Canadian noble Lord Stanley, the Earl of Preston and Governor-General of Canada, donated the silver cup to be used each year as an award for the winning hockey championship team and it began being used by the NHL after 1925. The team’s players, coaches, and other staff’s names are all engraved onto the trophy. Unlike most sports trophies, the actual Stanley Cup is given to the winning team to keep for the year rather than making a replica every year.
More about the Stanley Cup:
- The Stanley Cup was stolen in 1970, but was returned anonymously four days later.
- Winners of the Stanley Cup often drink directly from it in celebration, a tradition that dates back to the Winnipeg Victorias in 1895.
- The first Stanley Cup was valued at $50 US Dollars (USD) in 1893.