The Stanley Cup is one of the most iconic trophies in all of sports. Etched into the silver are thousands of names representing every player, coach, management member and owner to have won the NHL’s championship. But with limited space, how do they fit so many names onto the Cup’s rings and barrel? It’s a complex process that involves engravers disassembling the trophy each year to incise the new names inside the bowl and onto the newly added band.
A Brief History of the Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is the championship trophy awarded annually to the winner of the National Hockey League’s (NHL) playoffs. Donated by Lord Stanley of Preston in 1892, it was originally called the Dominion Hockey Challenge Cup and was awarded to Canada’s top-ranking amateur hockey club. In 1915, professional clubs were allowed to compete, and the National Hockey Association became the first league to take possession of the Cup. After a series of league name changes and mergers, the NHL took control of the trophy in 1926.
Since 1927, a unique Stanley Cup has been made for each champion. The original bowl and base are preserved in the Hockey Hall of Fame, and a authenticated replica is produced each year. While the Cup stands 35.25 inches tall and weighs 34.5 pounds today, its size has grown over decades due to the addition of bands to accommodate more winner engraving.
The Engraving Process
The Stanley Cup can hold 13 championship teams, each with up to 52 names. Engraving these names is a months-long process managed by the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto.
First, the Cup is disassembled in the Hall of Fame’s workshop two weeks after the Stanley Cup Finals. The bands honoring the oldest winning team are removed, and a new blank band is added to the bottom. The oldest band is sent to the vault, preserving the etched names for posterity.
Next, the Cup goes to Louise St. Jacques, the master engraver who has personally engraved the names of every winning team since 1988. Using specialized engraving tools, she incises each member’s name into the Cup’s silver surface. Players, coaches, management and club staff are included. The names are engraved in a spiral that moves downward and inward. Each name is imprinted with the team and year.
Engraving the winning team takes 10 days of active work, spread over 2-3 months. St. Jacques restores and polishes the Cup, ensuring every name shines. After approval, the Cup goes back to the Hall of Fame until it’s presented to the defending champs for the following season.
Determining What Names Go on the Cup
So how is it decided whose names get on the Cup? The winning team submits a list of names to the NHL, adhering to strict guidelines:
– Players must have played in at least 41 regular season games OR 1 Stanley Cup Finals game.
– Team staff members (coaches, managers, executives, trainers, equipment staff) are automatically included.
– Team owners have their names engraved, though they don’t count toward the allotted 52 names.
– Deceased team members can be honored, if they qualified and were part of past Cup-winning groups.
The NHL reviews the list to verify that all names meet the qualifications. Team requests exceeding 52 names are asked to edit their list. Once approved, the list is forwarded to the engraver.
While most names go on the Cup immediately, exceptions occur:
– Players who didn’t qualify but join the team the following year can petition to have their names added.
– Names accidentally excluded can be added during subsequent engraving.
– Name corrections are allowed ifmisspellings occurred.
It’s a highly selective process that makes Stanley Cup engraving a singular honor.
Notable Stanley Cup Engravings
With over a century of history, the Stanley Cup has some fascinating engraving stories:
– Misspelled Names: Misspellings aren’t uncommon – the Cup originally had no spellchecker! Examples: Bob Gainey as “Gainy” in the 1970s. Glenn Hall as “Glin” in the 1960s.
– Last Minute Additions: Players left off sometimes get added the following year. Adam Oates and Steve Thomas weren’t on the Detroit Red Wings’ lists in 1997 and 1998 but were added later.
– Longest Name: At 22 letters, Claude Provost’s name was the longest engraved until Nicklas Hjalmarsson’s 23 letters in 2010.
– First Team Engraved: The 1914 Toronto Blueshirts were engraved in 1925, retroactively making them the first named team.
– Unusual Requests: Five players on the New York Islanders requested their names be spelled backwards in 1981.
– Non-player Engravings: An Egyptian god “Tut” appeared on the 1928 New York Rangers due to a team superstition.
– Women Engraved: Marguerite Norris, President of the Detroit Red Wings, became the first woman engraved in 1955.
Total Number of Names on the Stanley Cup
With over 125 years of champions, just how many names are etched on the Stanley Cup?
As of 2022, the Stanley Cup held 3,618 names total. With the average yearly addition of 52 names, the total number increases quickly.
Here is a breakdown of the current name count:
| Category | Number of Names |
|---|---|
| Players | 2,697 |
| Coaches | 431 |
| Team Personnel | 490 |
| Owners | 60 |
| Total Names | 3,618 |
The majority of names are players at nearly 75% of the total. When including coaches and personnel, that brings it to over 90%.
The Stanley Cup bands currently hold 13 championship teams. With the max capacity per team at 52 names, a full engraving would total 676 names. But on average, closer to 50 names per team are included.
Longest Team Streaks Engraved
Certain dynastic teams have understandably dominated the Stanley Cup engravings for stretches:
| Team | Championship Streak | Total Names Engraved |
|---|---|---|
| Montreal Canadiens | 1956–1960 (5 years) | 261 |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | 1962–1964 (3 years) | 157 |
| Montreal Canadiens | 1965–1969 (5 years) | 261 |
| New York Islanders | 1980–1983 (4 years) | 209 |
| Edmonton Oilers | 1984-1990 (5 years) | 261 |
The Canadiens and Oilers each had a five-year run, leading to 261 names engraved per team. The Islanders had their names etched for four straight years (209 names). And the Leafs three-peated in the 1960s, adding 157 names.
These dynasties accounted for over 1,100 Stanley Cup engraving slots during their eras.
Players with the Most Stanley Cup Engravings
Certain legendary players have had their names etched on the Stanley Cup so many times they could justifiably claim part ownership. Here are the players engraved on Lord Stanley’s mug the most:
| Player | Number of Times Engraved |
|---|---|
| Henri Richard | 11 |
| Jean Beliveau | 10 |
| Yvan Cournoyer | 10 |
| Claude Provost | 9 |
| Jacques Lemaire | 8 |
All five players were part of the Montreal Canadiens dynasty of the 1950s-70s that captured 15 Stanley Cups. Henri Richard, brother of the legendary Maurice “Rocket” Richard, played an astounding 20 seasons and holds the record with 11 engravings. Jean Beliveau and Yvan Cournoyer were 10-time members of the championship team. Claude Provost and Jacques Lemaire each won 8 Cups in Montreal.
The Canadien teams of this era were so stacked with Hall of Famers that they dominated the Stanley Cup engravings for over two decades.
Conclusion
Getting your name on the Stanley Cup is a pinnacle achievement in hockey. The painstaking task of engraving thousands of names each year and assembling the bands falls to hardworking craftspeople and the Keepers of the Cup. Strict qualification rules ensure only true members of the Championship team are immortalized. For the winning players and team staff, it’s the ultimate honor to have your name forever etched into the iconic silver of Lord Stanley’s mug.
