The Stanley Cup is such a unique little piece of sports history.
You would think that would warrant a special level of respect from those who get to touch it. Well, that’s not always the case. The Stanley Cup has been through some questionable things. Some intentional, some just through neglect.
So what makes this trophy so special?
First of all, it’s the oldest existing award given to a professional sports franchise. The first cup being awarded in 1893, and professional hockey vying for it since 1906. Secondly, the Stanley Cup is the only professional sports championship trophy that doesn’t get remade every year. Other sports will make a new trophy to give to the winning team to keep. The Stanley Cup, on the other hand, is the same cup for every championship.
Every year, the names of the winning team and players get engraved on a ring of the cup. And when the cup gets too tall, older rings are taken off and put into Lord Stanley’s Vault in the Esso Great Hall in Toronto’s Hockey Hall of Fame. This happens traditionally every 13 years.
That’s not to say there’s nothing to show for the team who wins the cup. A replica is made for the team to display in their arena. It looks the same, though it’s shorter than the original. The original cup is kept in the Hockey Hall of Fame. But first, every player on the winning team gets to keep it for 24 hours. A tradition started in 1993.
Going down in history next to past hockey heroes.
What’s cool about the same cup being used every year is that winning teams and players get to see their names engraved next to those of their heroes. To date, there are more than 2,200 names on the cup (nhl.com). Some of them duplicate names as some players have won multiple times.
So much history in one artifact. Definitely something to be gently handled and cared for. Right? Well…not always. Here are some of the craziest things the Stanley Cup has been through. – Wendy Rush
It's Baptized A Baby
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I used to think being baptized in a swimming pool made me unique. This baby has me beat. Sylvain Lefebvre baptized his daughter, Jade, in the Stanley Cup after he won in 1996. What a story to tell!
It's Fed A Horse At The Kentucky Derby
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After winning with the New York Rangers in 1994, Eddie Olczyk took the Stanley Cup to the Kentucky Derby and let the winning horse eat oats out of it. Which is kind of poetic, in a kind of way.
It's Been To War
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Mike Bolt is the keeper of the Stanley Cup. His whole job is to be like the cup’s secret service. In 2007, Bolt took the cup to the war in Afghanistan to encourage the troops. While in the shower in the barracks, alarms went of signaling the base was under missile attack. Bolt thought it was a drill, so he didn’t take cover. Luckily he nor the cup were hurt!
It's Been Used As A Toilet
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Kris Draper won the cup in 1998 with Detroit. He thought it was a cute idea to put his infant daughter in the cup. Who then proceeded to use it as a toilet. Not cool, baby. Not cool. Sadly, this isn’t the only time this has happened. Red Kelly‘s kid also went in the cup. Maybe we just stop putting babies in the thing already.
It's Climbed Mount Elbert
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Mount Elbert is the highest summit in the Rocky Mountains. When the Colorado Avalanche won the cup in 2001, their Director of Finance Mark Waggoner took the cup all the way to the top. That’s over 14,000 feet!
It's Gotten A Lap Dance
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In 1987, Mark Messier took the cup to his favorite strip club, where it allegedly got its first lap dance. This is a rumor, but it’s also never been denied by Messier.
It's Played Street Hockey With The Bros
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Martin Broduer has two Stanley Cup wins to his name. In both 2000 and 2003. After one of those wins, he took the cup back to his hometown and played a game of street hockey with some folks. And he let the winning team hoist the cup in victory. How cool would that be for a small town Saturday?!?
It's Gone Swimming
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When he was with the Penguins, Mario Lemieux won the cup two consecutive years, in 1991 and 1992. During his 24 hour custody of the cup, he threw a house party and the cup ended up in the pool.
It's Traveled Overseas
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Peter Forsberg won the cup in both 1996 and 2001 with the Colorado Avalanche. In 1996, he took the cup to Sweden, the first time it had ever been overseas. It’s been overseas many times since.
It's Gone Clubbing
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One of the times Mark Messier won the cup, he took it out clubbing with his friends. And like all of us after a night of hard drinking, the cup needed repairs the next day due to being damaged.
It's Fed A Dog
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This one might tick off those who love hockey but hate animals. Clark Gillies put dog food in the Stanley Cup and let his fur baby eat from it. I guess that’s one way to celebrate…
It's Been On A Roller Coaster
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After winning the cup in 2002, Luc Robitaille took it to Universal Studios Hollywood where it got to ride a roller coaster.
It's Knocked A Guy's Teeth Out
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Maurice Richard, who won the cup with the Canadiens in 1955, tried to drink from it and ended up chipping two of his teeth. His two front teeth, to be exact. Hockey player – 0, Stanley Cup – 1.
It's Been On The Howard Stern Show
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Claude Lemieux took the Stanley Cup on the Howard Stern show in 1995. While on air, the always pranking Lemieux pretended to use the cup as a toilet. And fans were not happy about that little show of disrespect.
It's Been On A Jet Ski
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When the Pittsburgh Penguin‘s won the cup in 2009, Sidney Crosby took it to the lake. He put it on his jet ski and, through the pleading of the Hockey Hall of Fame, even put a life jacket on it, just in case.
