Introduction
The Stanley Cup is one of the most iconic trophies in all of sports. It is awarded each year to the champion of the National Hockey League (NHL) playoffs. The Cup itself has a long and storied history dating back to 1892. Many hockey fans know that each member of the championship team gets to spend a day with the Cup during the offseason. But an interesting question arises – do the players actually get to take home the real Stanley Cup? Or is it a replica? Let’s take a look at the details.
Do players get the original Cup?
No, the players do not get to take home the original Stanley Cup. The trophy awarded on the ice after a Stanley Cup Finals victory is indeed the genuine article. However, due to its immense historic value and the wear and tear it endures during the NHL season, the Cup only remains with the winning team for a short period of time. After the celebration dies down, the original Cup is returned to its caretakers at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto.
What do players get for their “day with the Cup”?
Instead of the original, each winning player and team staff member gets access to the “Presentation Cup” to enjoy for a day during the offseason. The Presentation Cup is one of three replicas crafted by Montreal silversmith Louise St. Jacques. It is an exact replica of the current Stanley Cup design. The replicas allow the Hockey Hall of Fame to preserve the original while still allowing the time-honored tradition of each winner getting their own experience with the iconic trophy.
History of the Stanley Cup
Origins
The Stanley Cup was first introduced in 1892 as the championship trophy for Canada’s top-tier amateur hockey clubs. It was commissioned by Sir Frederick Arthur Stanley, the Governor General of Canada, who introduced the trophy under the name the Dominion Hockey Challenge Cup. The first winners were the Montreal Amateur Athletic Association (or Montreal AAA) in 1893.
In the early years, there was no single league winner. The Cup was instead contested by various amateur champion clubs via a challenge format. By 1910, the National Hockey Association (NHA) was formed and the Cup shifted to being awarded to their playoff champion each year. After the NHA dissolved in 1917, it was succeeded by the National Hockey League (NHL) who took over stewardship of the Cup.
The Original Bowl
The original Stanley Cup was a decorative silver punch bowl made in Sheffield, England and purchased by Lord Stanley for 10 guineas (around $50 USD at the time). He had the bowl attached to a tiered wooden base which included a plaque to commemorate each year’s champion. As new teams were engraved, the wooden base expanded upward. By 1902, it was tall enough to allow 20 rings of engraving.
Redesigns and Retirements
By 1927, the original bowl and collars were full. NHL president Frank Calder commissioned a new, streamlined design which stands 18.5 cm tall with a barrel-shaped main body. This new Cup retained the original bowl band at its base along with bands listing prior champions.
The current Stanley Cup design is actually the third since 1927. It was crafted in 1948 by Montreal silversmith Carl Petersen. The second version had become too brittle to repair. Petersen’s 1948 design remains the Cup in use today, though it periodically requires refurbishment and replacement bands to accommodate new champions.
The original 1892 bowl is now permanently on display in the main Vault Room at the Hockey Hall of Fame, alongside retired collars listing champions from the 1920s and 30s.
Engraving Process
Engraving After the Final
The first engraving of the new champions is rushed into completion immediately after the Stanley Cup Finals. It takes place right on the ice so the winning team can lift and kiss the Cup with all the new engravings in place during their post-game photos and celebrations.
The engravers wait nearby during the Finals, watching the game on TV but not actually etching the Cup until there is a definitive winner. As soon as the Cup is confirmed to be heading to one team, the engravers get to work etching that team’s information on a new ring at ice level. This initial engraving contains only basic text like the team name, year, and player/staff names.
Summer Engravings
After the celebrations finish, the Cup goes to the Hall of Fame and a more detailed engraving process begins. The winning team has until the end of summer to finalize any details they want etched into the new ring. This may include the team’s logos, imagery of players lifting the Cup, special messages or quotes, etc. The team coordinates with Hockey Hall of Fame staff and their chosen engraving artist to finalize these details.
The Engraving Process
The Stanley Cup is still engraved by hand in the traditional manner. The rings which encircle the barrel are made of silver-plated nickel alloy. The engraver cuts into the metal surface with specialized chisels and hammers. For detailed logos or faces, an impression stamp may be created to stamp the image into the metal. Color infills like gold or enamel may also be used for contrast and accentuation.
Each new engraving ring added to the Cup contains 13 spaces for names and information. Around 20 lines per space are possible. The entire process takes around two months each summer.
Superstitions and Traditions
Engraving the Names
There are many traditions surrounding the Stanley Cup engravings. Players’ and staff members’ names are engraved individually by hand. It is considered bad luck for a player’s name to be engraved before the Cup is actually won, so only the year and team name are done in advance.
Also by tradition, the captain and alternate captains have their names engraved first, followed by the head coach, assistant coaches and other staff. The rest of the players follow in alphabetical order.
Misspelled Names
In the earlier days of the Cup, names were sometimes spelled out phonetically and spelling errors were common. Players did not necessarily get to see or verify the engravings beforehand. Nowadays, team staff double check all names for accuracy, though a few interesting misspellings have still slipped through over the years!
Other Superstitions
There are many other hockey traditions related to the Stanley Cup. It is considered disrespectful for players to ever touch the Cup prior to their team winning it. Most players refuse to make plans for a Cup celebration before it is won. Throughout the season, the Cup itself is treated with reverence and players avoid pointing or gesturing at it until they have rightfully earned the honor of hoisting it after the final game.
The Stanley Cup’s “Keepers”
The Stanley Cup Has “Keepers”
In addition to engravers, the Stanley Cup also has designated “Keepers” charged with caring for and escorting it during travels and public appearances. The Keepers act akin to private security guards constantly safeguarding the Cup.
The white gloves of the Keepers have become iconic symbols associated with the trophy. These allow the handlers to protect the Cup’s shiny silver finish from smudges or fingerprints during events. The white gloves also reinforce the sense of history and prestige evoked by this singular trophy.
Origins of the “Keeper” Tradition
The tradition of formally appointing a Stanley Cup “Keeper” began in 1946 with former Montreal Canadiens player Emile “The Cat” Nadeau. His sole job was safely delivering the trophy across Canada for players’ days with the Cup during the offseason.
Prior to this, the Cup did not necessarily have a chaperone or escort. But after it was left unattended at a banquet in 1943 and almost stolen, the NHL decided a formal custodian was prudent. Nadeau served this role for years, eventually passing the duties to his son-in-law.
In more recent decades, full-time NHL employees have taken over official Keeper duties. But they honor the tradition started decades ago by Nadeau.
Current Keepers of the Cup
There are now two official Keepers working for the NHL: Mike Bolt and Walt Neubrand. They maintain the Cup year-round, polishing, documenting damages or repairs needed. They also chaperone the Cup during travels, events and winners’ days with the trophy.
The Keepers ensure the Cup’s security and safety. They also uphold the traditions and superstitions surrounding hockey’s greatest prize, making sure players and fans properly revere the iconic Stanley Cup.
Travels and Traditions
Summer with the Cup
Winning players traditionally get to spend a day individually with the Cup during the summer offseason. The Stanley Cup has traveled across the globe honouring hockey champions in this manner. Each player gets their turn to take the Cup wherever they please for a day of celebration – often incorporating family activities, hometown tours, or just intimate moments at home.
The Presentation Cup – one of the replicas – is used for these festivities. But the symbolic power remains for each player. They dress the Cup up, pose with it for photos, and include it in activities that reflect what matters most to them.
Day with the Cup Traditions
Over the decades, some fun traditions have formed around players’ days with the Cup. It is often photographed participating in summer activities – going to the beach, boating, backyard barbecues, etc.
Players incorporate their cultural heritage in celebrations too. The Cup has been used for traditional activities like the Slovenian bread and salt greeting, or the Caribbean rum and jerk chicken party thrown by New York Islander Clark Gillies back in the early 1980s.
Babies have been baptized in the Cup. Couples have used it for wedding ceremonies or proposals. It even tours hometown parades and local schools to inspire the next generation of young players dreaming of one day earning the same honor.
Travel Oddities and Antics
The Cup travels in a sturdy case handcuffed to the Keeper’s wrist when in transit. Despite this level of care, the Cup has seen its share of travel mishaps and escapades over 100+ years of celebrations.
It was once left on the side of a rural road when the car escorting it got a flat tire. In the 40s, the Cup was temporarily misplaced after some post-win revelry – it turned up a week later stashed under someone’s bed.
In 1907, members of the Kenora Thistles liberally etched expletives and insults onto the Cup challenging the Montreal Wanderers to try and reclaim it. This incident contributed to establishing formal Keeper traditions and tighter NHL control over custodianship to protect the Cup’s integrity.
Replicas and Knock-Offs
The Stanley Cup Replicas
There are three authorized replicas of the Stanley Cup crafted by Louise St. Jacques. The original replica was created in 1993 at the request of the Hockey Hall of Fame. It serves as the display model at the Hall allowing visitors to take photos with the Cup.
The “Presentation Cup” and a second replica were made in 1995. The Presentation Cup travels for the winners’ days with the Cup events and other functions as needed. The third replica is displayed on a rotating basis at the Hall of Fame in Toronto.
Forgeries and Commercial Knock-Offs
Due to the iconic status of the Stanley Cup design, many cheap commercial replicas exist for sale. These mass produced knock-offs have little material or historic value. There have also been a few forged copies made over the decades seeking to fool people into thinking they were originals.
In the 60s, Montreal silversmith Douglas Barrie crafted a replica Stanley Cup trophy. Unbeknownst to him at the time, conmen had nefarious plans for his work. They convinced Rangers star Andy Bathgate the replica was the real Cup and duped him into buying it for $9000. Once aware it was a forgery, Bathgate donated the fake Cup to the Hockey Hall of Fame where it now remains as a curiosity piece.
How to Spot Fakes
The most obvious sign of a Stanley Cup forgery is lack of any engraving bands on the body listing past NHL champions. Fakes may engrave a single championship team, but will not have over a century’s worth of winners etched onto a collared barrel base as the real Cup does.
Additionally, precise details like the proper shape, width and overlap of the barrel bands along with the original bowl inset in the base can help identify a legitimate Presentation Cup vs. a forged replica or mass produced knock-off.
The Cup’s Value
Monetary Value
The actual cash value of the Stanley Cup is difficult to pin down given its singular, priceless status as a historic artifact. However, its monetary value as precious metal and an item at auction has been estimated at:
| Estimate Source | Estimated Stanley Cup Value |
|---|---|
| Brunswick Bank, 1953 | $1000 |
| Dec. 1964, Montreal Gazette | $3000 |
| Grant Pruner, 2010″ | $1.54 million |
These estimates factor in only the base material and sports memorabilia value, not the Cup’s immense intangible worth as a revered cultural symbol.
Cultural Significance
No dollar value can encapsulate what the Stanley Cup means to hockey fans. It is a pilgrimage site visited by millions over the years. Winning it is the ultimate achievement in hockey – players dream about that moment hoisting the Cup all their lives.
The names of hockey greats engraved on its rings make up a catalogue of the best to ever play the game. It connects generations of fans through nearly 130 years of history and tradition. The Stanley Cup’s true value is not monetary, but symbolic and deeply cultural. It transcends money and material worth.
Conclusion
The Stanley Cup is a singular trophy unlike any other in sports. With nearly 130 years of history filled with great moments, traditions, mishaps and folklore, it has achieved a special status transcending sports to become a cultural icon. The Cup will continue forming part of the narrative for new generations of NHL fans, players and teams in the years to come. Its place in hockey lore is assured as the most coveted and cherished prize in the game.
