Stanley Cup Trivia

Because I did this last year, I HAVE to do it again. MUST keep up tradition! :)

--The Stanley Cup was first presented in 1893.

--And it is the oldest trophy competed for by professional athletes.

--Has logged more than 400,000 miles in travel during the past five years.

--Has raised more than $4 million the past three seasons for charity.

--Weighs 35 pounds and stands just under three feet in height.

--Is the only trophy that is passed along from player to player the summer their team wins it. Each player and team management member of the winning team gets to take it home for a day.

--Has visited the White House (several times), The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and the David Letterman Show.

--Made a guest appearance on 'Boston Legal.' Denny Crane was trying to engrave his name on the Cup. He felt he deserved it because he helped the Bruins win the Cup by lending Bobby Orr his lucky jockstrap for the winning game. (Of course, it probably WASN'T the REAL Cup, but still...)

--Players have used /abused the Cup in many ways. Among them: It has been used as a baptismal font. It was 'forgotten' on the side of the road by a group of players when they stopped to fix their flat tire--it was still there when they went back to get it. Has been used as a cooler at parties. Has had cereal eaten out of it. A baby pooed in it. Has visited a sauna. Several players have tried to see if the Cup 'will float' by throwing it in a swimming pool or lake. (I guess it doesn't.)

--Is the only trophy in professional sports to have names of all players, coaches, management, and club staff of a winning team engraved on it.

--There are 12 women's names engraved on the Cup.

--There are several misspellings on the Cup. Jacques Plante's name has been misspelled five times.

--One name was put on it--and shouldn't have been--and was later "x'd" out.

--Henri Richard won the Cup 11 times.

--Jean Beliveau's name is on the Cup the most times: 17. Ten times as a player, 7 as management.

--It takes 13 years to fill a ring of the Stanley Cup with names.

--In the space for the 2004-2005 season, it is engraved "2004-2005 Season Not Played." That was the year the season was canceled due to a labor dispute.

--Montreal has won the Cup a record 24 times. Toronto comes in second with 13 wins.

--Detroit has won the Cup more times than any other US team. At 11 wins, they are number 3 on the list behind Montreal and Toronto.

--The first US citizen to have his name engraved on the Cup is John Sherf of Calumet, MI. (That is here in the UP!) He played with the Red Wings in 1936.

--To have one's name inscribed on the Cup, a player must have played at least 41 games for the championship team during the regular season, or played at least one game in the finals. There are exceptions--of course--and are looked at in a case-by-case basis.

--It is a tradition that, after winning the Cup, each member of the team takes a lap around the ice while holding the Cup above his head.

--When the Cup travels, it is always accompanied by at least one representative of the Hockey Hall of Fame. When the reps touch the Cup, they always wear white gloves.

--In 1997, the Wings won the Cup for the first time in 42 years. The last time they won was in 2002.

--In 2008, the Cup was won by the Detroit Red Wings--for the 11th time in their history!!!!!