What is that cup thing anyway?

There is nothing like the Cup. The Stanley Cup was donated to Hockey by Lord Stanley of Canada in 1892. He purchased it and declared that only the best team could win it and ever since, it has been the biggest prize in sports. There are 42 Lombardi trophies. The adorn various showcases in stadiums across the country. NBA trophies? Well, come by Detroit and we’ll show you some in our case. Baseball? Soccer? All give out trophies to keep. That’s where the Cup is different. There is only one Cup. Every year, the teams of the NHL strap on their skates and go out to battle. Over the season, they skate, shoot, check, fight, bleed, hurt and give everything they have, just for the chance to play for the Cup. At the end of the season, the deserving teams battle. They fight and claw their way through a gauntlet of games. The skate, check, bleed and give their all just so they can hold it for one fleeting moment. For one glorious minute, they hoist the Cup and skate with it. They take a traditional drink from it in the locker room. Over the summer, each member of the team, including the coaches, trainers, everyone, will get a day with the Cup. They can take it where they want. It has shown up in churches and strip clubs, bars and baseball games. It has travelled to Europe and Asia. It has visited troops and hospitals. The original, on display at the Hockey Hall of Fame, was even thrown into a lake in anger and had to be recovered. The entire season boils down to holding the Cup for a moment. But they only get it for a moment. In a few months, the cup will leave the champions and go back to the NHL. In October, the teams will strap the skates back on and they will skate, shoot, check, fight, hurt and bleed for just one more chance. One more sip. One more moment with the Cup. It is why they will take a puck to the face and leave the ice for stitches and return that game. It is why the push their bodies to the point of breaking. It is the meaning of the entire season. A moment holding the Cup.

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But winning the Cup is more than a moment. If you look at the Cup, you will see rings that make up it’s base. Engraved on the rings are the names of the players and coaches of the teams that have won it. Each ring holds 13 teams and there are 5 rings. As a ring is filled, it is moved up and the top ring is taken to the Hall of Fame to be displayed with the original cup from the 1890’s. That is the magic of the Cup. Years from now, when most of this team is gone to Heaven, they will live on through the Cup. The team that hoists the Cup in 2050 will be able to read the names of Zetterberg, Osgood and Draper and the rest of the champions of this and other seasons as those names will still be on the Cup. The Cup is not a mere trophy, the Cup is immortality. It is hockey Valhalla. The warriors of the NHL fight to earn their place amongst the victorious warriors past and present. When they win, they place their name with the greats like Gretzky and Howe. When they drink from the Cup, they enter and are forever enshrined in the realm of the victors. The Cup may go back to the NHL, it may never again be touched by these players. That doesn’t matter. By winning the Cup, they leave their touch on it forever. Hail the glorious victors of Lord Stanley’s Cup. Hail to the Red Wings of 2008. Take your place amongst the deserving warriors and enjoy your time with the Cup. For now.

The Cup



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5 Responses to “What is that cup thing anyway?”

  1. GravatarJune 5th, 2008 at 7:58 pm
    Kim Priestap says:

    Good post. I knew winning the Stanley Cup was a big deal, but I didn’t realize the storied history behind it all.



  2. GravatarJune 5th, 2008 at 11:33 pm
    Talmadge East says:

    This really was a good post. It almost makes me care about hockey.



  3. GravatarJune 6th, 2008 at 12:55 am
    mikoyan says:

    If you want to be technical, there are two Cups. There is the one that goes around with the players during the summer and there is a really good replica at the Hall of Fame.



  4. GravatarJune 6th, 2008 at 4:34 pm
    Chris says:

    But I mentioned that. In my second paragraph, I said: “As a ring is filled, it is moved up and the top ring is taken to the Hall of Fame to be displayed with the original cup from the 1890’s. ”

    But you are correct. The original is still around. It just never leaves the showcase and isn’t awarded.



  5. GravatarJune 6th, 2008 at 11:10 pm
    mikoyan says:

    I wasn’t referring to the original Cup. I know that’s at the Hockey Hall of Fame. I’m referring to the one that is on permanent display at the Hall of Fame. The one where they have the corrected name spellings and what not. Although, the one they give to the players is considered as the official Cup.



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