Stanley Cup

The Stanley Cup is one of the oldest trophies in North American sports history that was donated by Lord Stanley of Preston the Governor General of Canada. It was first set for the Dominion Challenge Cup and clinched the top seed in the league where the Montreal Hockey Club took it for the first time in 1893 as an amateur ice hockey club. The period before the 1914 season it is considered the era of the Challenge Cup when there was no formal playoff system for each of the leagues playing for the trophy to make their own decisions.

However, from 1906 all ice hockey teams played as professional teams under all ice hockey federations in North America and all associations agreed in 1915 that the Stanley Cup will be given to the league’s champion team. Since then it becomes the ultimate goal for ice hockey teams every season. In the 2023-24 season, there are 32 professional ice hockey clubs competing in the NHL for the Stanley Cup.

The Stanley Cup is made of silver and nickel alloy stands 35 inches tall and weighs 34.5 pounds. The trophy has a silver bowl on top, which will preserve the name of the winning team for generations to come.

Do Stanley Cup winners get money?

The players and coaches of the winning team in the NHL Stanley Cup playoffs receive a share of the prize money awarded to the team by the league. The amount of money awarded varies from year to year but is typically several million dollars, with each player receiving a percentage of the total amount based on their contribution to the team’s success. Additionally, players on the winning team often receive bonuses from their team owners or sponsors for winning the championship, however, each player on the winning team received of approximately $200,000 per source.

What is the specialty of the Stanley Cup?

The Stanley Cup is special because it represents the pinnacle of success in professional ice hockey. It also carries a rich history and tradition and has become a cherished symbol of success. Many legends and traditions have arisen surrounding the cup, including each player on the winning team having their name engraved on the cup, making it a permanent record of their achievement.

From the 1914–15 season to the present, the Cup has been won a combined 103 times by the 20 current NHL teams. While Canadian club Montreal Canadiens have won it 24 times and US-based club Detroit Red Wings has won it 11 times, and the Colorado Avalanche is the defending champion earned it 3 times.