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How the Stanley Cup Came Into Existence


We all know about the Stanley Cup now… the highest honor and award that hockey teams are after.  But you may not know how the Stanley Cup originated.

Back in 1892, the Governor General of Canada, Lord Stanley, decided that a cup should be held each year by the reigning hockey team.  So he bought a cup - a silver cup about 7 and a half inches high and 11 and a half inches wide for around $50.00.

Then he named two men from Ottawa to be the “trustees” of the cup.  These men were to administer the yearly competition according to the standards Lord Stanley set up, and were to receive the cup back from the previous years winners in order to give it to the new winning team.

Each year, according to Lord Stanley’s policies, the winning team was supposed to have their team name and year engraved on a silver ring on the cup.  This way the cup would stay in circulation throughout the league, and still bear the significance of each team who won annually.

The ironic part is that Lord Stanley never even saw a hockey playoff game, or get the chance to give the cup to a winning team.  He decided to go home to England… and fortunately for us the tradition flourished through the years.

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