History of the Stanley Cup - North America’s Oldest Sports Trophy.

Ahead of the highly anticipated Stanley Cup playoffs, have you ever wondered what’s so special about the trophy these teams throw every piece of themselves at to win? Read ahead to learn the history of the Cup and what makes it so special.

(Image credit to sports illustrated )

The Stanley Cup is the oldest trophy competed for by professional athletes in North America. It started as a presentation for the top hockey team in Canada - first awarded to Montreal Amateur Athletic Association. 

Since 1926, the Stanley Cup competition has been under the control of the National Hockey League (NHL). The Montreal Canadiens are the most successful team in Stanley Cup history with 24 victories, with the first victory being the 1915-16 season and the most recent being 1993.

The cup itself features a silver bowl on top of a 5-band barrel base and each band is capable of holding 13 championship teams (including the names of all players). Every 13 years when the bottom band is full, the oldest band is removed and placed in the hall of fame, whilst the others are moved up to make room for a new base.

The cup has been on many journeys and adventures over the years, from being stolen, lost and misplaced.

After a victory in 1905, members of the Ottawa Silver Seven decided to drop-kick the trophy into the Rideau Canal, where it was rescued the next day, in mostly mint condition.

Two years later, in 1907, the Montreal Wanderers left the cup with a photographer who took it home for a flower pot; and used it as a rose bowl on her mantle for two months before anyone noticed it was missing.

After a flat-tire mishap in 1924, the champions of the league, Montreal Canadiens accidentally left the Cup in the snow, before remembering to retrieve it after their celebratory party. 

Since then, the cup is much better protected, and used for celebrations, photos and drinking champagne out of, the cup travels for 300 days of the year with the winning team for summer celebrations, however, to keep it safe, an official from the Hockey Hall of Fame, called a “Keeper of the Cup” is always by its side, with white gloves on, ready to intervene if and when celebrations get too rowdy.

The current “Keeper Of The Cup”, Mike Bolt once said “The Stanley Cup is meant to be shared and enjoyed. It’s out in the community every day, so accidents do happen. It’s now 134 years old, there are a few knicks and bangs on it for sure”

The cup has been taken to all sorts of places, after the Chicago Blackhawks victory in 2010, Brent Sopel brought the cup to a Pride Parade and in 2022, Nazem Kadri became the first player to bring the cup to a mosque.

The cup is not only a symbol of success and victory, but also hope, peace and love, shared with teams and communities all over North America.

Make sure to tune into the NHL Playoffs to see who wins the cup this season, and what adventures it will go on during the summer break!

Article Written by Milla Sinfield © Milla Sinfield 2026