History of Stanley Cup in Timeline

The Stanley Cup is the oldest trophy awarded to a professional sports franchise in North America, presented annually to the NHL playoff champion. Commissioned in 1892 by Lord Stanley of Preston, it was originally the Dominion Hockey Challenge Cup for Canada's top amateur hockey club. The Montreal Hockey Club won the first Cup in 1893. From 1893 to 1914, winners were determined through challenge games and league play. Professional teams began competing for it in 1906. In 1915, the NHA and PCHA agreed that their champions would compete for the Cup annually. The Stanley Cup became the de facto NHL championship trophy in 1926, and then the de jure NHL championship prize in 1947.

1902: Base Ring Filled on Stanley Cup

By 1902, the first base ring attached to the bottom of the original Stanley Cup bowl by the Montreal Hockey Club was completely filled with engraved team names.

March 1906: Montreal Wanderers resolution to allow professional players

In March 1906, the Montreal Wanderers pushed through a resolution at the ECAHA annual meeting to allow professional players alongside amateurs, leading to the opening of Stanley Cup challenges to professional teams.

1906: Professional teams first became eligible to challenge for the Stanley Cup

In 1906, professional teams became eligible to challenge for the Stanley Cup for the first time.

January 1907: Kenora Thistles capture the Stanley Cup

In January 1907, the Kenora Thistles, representing the smallest municipality to produce a champion, won the Stanley Cup by defeating the Montreal Wanderers.

March 1907: Montreal Wanderers challenge the Thistles to a rematch

In March 1907, the Montreal Wanderers challenged the Kenora Thistles to a rematch and won the Stanley Cup.

1907: Montreal Wanderers Engrave Team Member Names

In 1907, the Montreal Wanderers became the first club to record their name on the interior surface of the Stanley Cup bowl, and the first champion to record the names of 20 members of their team.

1908: Wanderers Do Not Engrave Names on Stanley Cup

In 1908, for unknown reasons, the Montreal Wanderers, despite having turned aside four challengers, did not record their names on the Stanley Cup.

1908: Allan Cup introduced

In 1908, the Allan Cup was introduced as the trophy for Canada's amateurs, and the Stanley Cup started to become a symbol of professional hockey supremacy.

1909: Ottawa Senators Add a Second Band onto the Stanley Cup

In 1909, the Ottawa Senators added a second band onto the Stanley Cup.

1910: 1910 Wanderers Do Not Engrave Names on Stanley Cup

In 1910, the Montreal Wanderers did not put their names on the Stanley Cup, even with new space available.

1910: National Hockey Association (NHA) was formed

In 1910, the National Hockey Association (NHA) was formed, and it quickly established itself as the best league in Canada, holding the Stanley Cup for the next four years.

1911: 1911 Ottawa Senators Do Not Engrave Names on Stanley Cup

In 1911, the Ottawa Senators did not put their names on the Stanley Cup, even with new space available.

1912: Cup challenges restricted to end of season

In 1912, the Stanley Cup trustees declared that the Cup would only be defended at the end of the champion team's regular season, changing the previous practice of allowing challenges at any time.

1914: Controversy over Victoria Aristocrats challenge

In 1914, controversy arose when the Stanley Cup trustees initially hesitated to let the Cup travel west for the Victoria Aristocrats' challenge due to a misunderstanding about formal notification, but the challenge was eventually accepted.

1914: Stanley Cup for the best team in the world

In 1914, the trustees formally declared that the Stanley Cup was no longer for the best team in Canada, but now for the best team in the world, after the Portland Rosebuds (an American-based team) joined the PCHA.

1914: Challenge games and league play determined winners

In 1914, winners were determined by challenge games and league play.

1914: Start of the 1914-15 season

Since the 1914-15 season, the Cup has been won a combined 106 times by 21 current NHL teams and five teams no longer in existence.

1915: 1915 Ottawa Senators Engrave Their Names

In 1915, The Ottawa Senators engraved their names on the trophy, even though they did not officially win it under the new PCHA-NHA system.

1915: NHA and PCHA establish Stanley Cup Finals series

In 1915, the NHA and PCHA concluded a gentlemen's agreement in which their respective champions would face each other for the Stanley Cup, alternating between East and West each year and playing by alternating league rules.

1915: Agreement between NHA and PCHA for Stanley Cup competition

In 1915, the National Hockey Association (NHA) and the Pacific Coast Hockey Association (PCHA) agreed that their champions would annually compete for the Stanley Cup.

1915: Vancouver Millionaires Engrave Players' Names on Stanley Cup

In 1915, the Vancouver Millionaires became the second team to engrave players' names on the Stanley Cup, doing so inside the bowl along its sides.

1916: 1916 Portland Rosebuds Engrave Their Names

In 1916, The Portland Rosebuds engraved their names on the trophy, even though they did not officially win it under the new PCHA-NHA system.

1917: Seattle Metropolitans become first American-based team to win Cup

In 1917, the Seattle Metropolitans became the first American-based team to win the Stanley Cup.

1918: Millionaires Fill the Band Added by the 1909 Senators

In 1918, the Vancouver Millionaires eventually filled the band added to the Stanley Cup by the 1909 Ottawa Senators.

1919: Flu Pandemic and Unclaimed Stanley Cup

In 1919, the Stanley Cup was not awarded due to the flu pandemic.

1919: 1919 Stanley Cup Finals cancelled due to Spanish flu

The 1919 Stanley Cup Finals between the Montreal Canadiens and the Seattle Metropolitans were cancelled after game five due to the Spanish influenza epidemic, marking the first time the Stanley Cup was not awarded.

1919: Stanley Cup not awarded due to Spanish flu

The Stanley Cup was not awarded in 1919 because of the Spanish flu epidemic.

1920: NFL adopts championship policy

In 1920, the National Football League (NFL) adopted a policy of calling its league champions the world champions, a policy later copied by the NHL.

1920: Stanley Cup Winners Do Not Engrave Names

In 1920, the winners did not put their winning team name on the Stanley Cup.

1922: New format for Stanley Cup Finals

In 1922, the format for the Stanley Cup Finals changed with the creation of the Western Canada Hockey League (WCHL), where two league champions faced each other for the right to challenge the third champion in the final series.

1923: Stanley Cup Winners Do Not Engrave Names

In 1923, the winners did not put their winning team name on the Stanley Cup.

1924: Winning players' names engraved on the bands

Every year since 1924, a select portion of the winning players, coaches, management, and club staff names are engraved on its bands.

1924: Canadiens Add a New Band to the Cup

In 1924, the Montreal Canadiens added a new band to the Stanley Cup. Since then, engraving the team and its players has been an unbroken annual tradition.

1924: Victoria Cougars win the Cup

In 1924-25 the Victoria Cougars won the Stanley Cup, marking the last time a team outside the NHL accomplished this.

1925: Victoria Cougars win the Cup

In 1925 the Victoria Cougars won the Stanley Cup, marking the last time a team outside the NHL accomplished this.

1926: Stanley Cup becomes de facto championship trophy of the NHL

In 1926, the Stanley Cup was established as the de facto championship trophy of the NHL.

1926: NHL expansion and WHL folding

In 1926, the WHL folded and was replaced by the Prairie Hockey League. The NHL bought contracts of WHL's players for new U.S. teams: the Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Cougars (now Detroit Red Wings), and New York Rangers.

1926: Stanley Cup becomes de facto NHL championship trophy

Since 1926, no non-NHL team has played for the Stanley Cup, leading it to become the de facto championship trophy of the NHL. The NHL began calling its champions the world champions.

1932: Possible First Awarding of Stanley Cup on the Ice

In 1932, the Stanley Cup may have first been awarded on the ice to the Toronto Maple Leafs, but the practice did not become a tradition until the 1950s.

1940: New band was added almost every year

Between 1924 and 1940, a new band was added almost every year that the trophy was awarded, earning the nickname "Stovepipe Cup" due to the unnatural height of all the bands.

1940: Retiring the Band Listing the 1940-41 Champions

In 2005, after the 2005–06 champion Carolina Hurricanes were crowned and the new bottom ring was finally added along with the retiring of the band listing the 1940–41 champions.

1946: NBA asserts championship policy

In 1946, the National Basketball Association (NBA) asserted its championship policy upon its founding, similar to the NHL and NFL.

1947: NHL gains control of the Stanley Cup

In 1947, the NHL reached an agreement with trustee J. Cooper Smeaton to grant control of the Stanley Cup to the NHL, allowing the league to reject challenges from other leagues.

1947: Stanley Cup becomes de jure NHL championship prize

In 1947, the Stanley Cup became the de jure NHL championship prize.

1947: 1947 Agreement Dispute

In 1947, the Stanley Cup trustees signed an agreement with the NHL, which later became a point of contention during the 2004-05 NHL lockout. A group in Ontario challenged the agreement in court, arguing that the trustees should award the trophy regardless of the lockout.

1947: Cup size reduced

In 1947, the cup size was reduced, but not all the large rings were the same size.

1948: Stanley Cup Redesign

In 1948, the Stanley Cup was redesigned as a two-piece cigar-shaped trophy with a removable bowl and collar. The redesign also properly honored those teams that did not engrave their names on the Cup.

1950: Ted Lindsay Hoists Stanley Cup Overhead

In 1950, Ted Lindsay of the Detroit Red Wings became the first captain to hoist the Stanley Cup overhead and skate around the rink after receiving it.

1952: Retiring the Band Listing the 1952-53 Champions

In 2005, after the 2005–06 champion Carolina Hurricanes were crowned and the new bottom ring was finally added along with the retiring of the band listing the 1952–53 champions.

1953: Teams Displayed on the Stanley Cup in 1953

Since the introduction of the five-band cup, each engraved team is displayed on the trophy between 52 and 65 years, the band listing the 1953-54 winners was removed in September 2018.

1954: Marguerite Norris Wins Stanley Cup as President

In 1954, Marguerite Norris, the president of the Detroit Red Wings, won the Stanley Cup, becoming the first woman to have her name engraved on the trophy.

1955: Marguerite Norris Wins Stanley Cup as President

In 1955, Marguerite Norris, the president of the Detroit Red Wings, won the Stanley Cup.

1958: Modern one-piece Cup was designed

In 1958, the modern one-piece Cup was designed with a five-band barrel which could contain 13 winning teams per band.

1958: Introduction of the Modern One-Piece Stanley Cup Design

In 1958, the modern one-piece Stanley Cup design was introduced, replacing the old barrel with a five-band barrel.

November 22, 1961: Amendment to Stanley Cup Agreement

On November 22, 1961, the Stanley Cup agreement was amended, replacing the Governors of the International Hockey Hall of Fame with the Committee of the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto as the group responsible for naming the two Canadian trustees, if needed.

1963: Presentation Cup created by Carl Petersen

In 1963, Montreal silversmith Carl Petersen created the "Presentation Cup" because NHL president Clarence Campbell thought the original bowl was too thin and fragile.

1963: Creation of the authenticated "Presentation Cup"

In 1963, the "Presentation Cup" was created as a duplicate of the original Stanley Cup due to concerns about the original becoming too fragile.

1963: Original Stanley Cup Collar Replaced

In 1963, the original collar of the Stanley Cup was replaced due to brittleness.

1964: Presentation Cup first awarded

In 1964, the Presentation Cup, a duplicate of the original Stanley Cup, was awarded for the first time. This version is currently awarded to the champions of the playoffs.

1964: Teams Displayed on the Stanley Cup in 1964

Since the introduction of the five-band cup, each engraved team is displayed on the trophy between 52 and 65 years, the band listing the 1964-65 winners was removed in September 2018.

1965: Uneven Team Distribution on Stanley Cup Band

In 1965, the names of the Montreal Canadiens were engraved over a larger area than allotted, resulting in only 12 teams being engraved on that band instead of 13.

1965: Band Containing Only 12 Teams Prior to Removal

In September 2018, the band listing the 1953–54 to 1964–65 winners was removed. This band only contained 12 teams because of space constraints.

1969: Original Stanley Cup Bowl Replaced

In 1969, the original bowl of the Stanley Cup was replaced due to brittleness.

1970: Original Stanley Cup moved to Hockey Hall of Fame

In 1970, the original 1892 Dominion Hockey Challenge Cup, which had been physically awarded to champions, was moved to the Vault Room at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto, Ontario.

1980: Fans Urge Canadiens to Draft Denis Savard

In 1980, many fans urged the Montreal Canadiens to draft Denis Savard, adding to the sentiment of Guy Carbonneau handing the Stanley Cup to Savard in 1993.

1987: Wayne Gretzky Hands Cup to Steve Smith

In 1987, after the Edmonton Oilers defeated the Philadelphia Flyers, Wayne Gretzky handed the Stanley Cup to Steve Smith, a year after Smith made a costly gaffe.

1988: Louise St. Jacques Becomes Stanley Cup Engraver

In 1988, Montreal silversmith Louise St. Jacques became the fourth official Stanley Cup engraver, a position she has held since.

1989: Sonia Scurfield Wins Stanley Cup as Co-Owner

In 1989, Sonia Scurfield won the Stanley Cup as a co-owner of the Calgary Flames, becoming the only Canadian woman to have her name engraved on the Stanley Cup.

1991: Band Preservation and Addition of New Band

In 1991, when the bands on the Stanley Cup were all filled, the top band of the large barrel was preserved in the Hockey Hall of Fame, and a new blank band was added to the bottom to prevent the Stanley Cup from growing further.

1992: Stanley Cup Bands Expected to Fill Up

In 1992, the bands on the Stanley Cup were originally designed to fill up during the Cup's centennial year.

1993: Replica "Permanent Cup" Created

In 1993, Montreal silversmith Louise St. Jacques created the replica "Permanent Cup" to be used at the Hockey Hall of Fame when the Presentation Cup isn't available.

1993: Guy Carbonneau Hands Cup to Denis Savard

In 1993, after the Montreal Canadiens defeated the Los Angeles Kings, Guy Carbonneau handed the Stanley Cup to Denis Savard, a player that many fans had urged the Canadiens to draft in 1980.

1993: Creation of the replica "Permanent Cup"

In 1993, the "Permanent Cup" was created as a stand-in for the Presentation Cup at the Hockey Hall of Fame.

1993: Montreal Canadiens win the Stanley Cup

In 1993, the Montreal Canadiens won the Stanley Cup, marking the most recent win by a Canadian-based team.

1994: Eddie Olczyk brings the Cup to the Belmont Stakes

After the New York Rangers' 1994 Stanley Cup win, Eddie Olczyk took the Stanley Cup to the Belmont Stakes. Kentucky Derby winner Go for Gin ate out of the Stanley Cup.

1994: Teams Permitted to Petition for Player Engravings

Since 1994, teams have been permitted to petition the NHL Commissioner to engrave a player's name on the Stanley Cup if the player was unavailable to play due to "extenuating circumstances".

1995: New Jersey Devils start Stanley Cup tradition

In 1995, the New Jersey Devils initiated a tradition where each member of the Stanley Cup-winning team gets to keep the Cup for a day. Following the 1994–95 season, the NHL mandated that an official Cup handler must be present when players have the Cup in the off-season.

June 13, 1997: Career-Ending Car Accident of Vladimir Konstantinov

On June 13, 1997, Vladimir Konstantinov's career ended after a car accident.

1998: Red Wings Given Special Permission to Engrave Konstantinov's Name

In 1998, the Detroit Red Wings received special permission from the NHL to inscribe the name of Vladimir Konstantinov, whose career ended after a car accident on June 13, 1997, on the Stanley Cup after Detroit defended their title.

March 6, 2000: Ray Bourque Traded to the Avalanche

On March 6, 2000, Ray Bourque, who had played his entire career with the Boston Bruins, was traded to the Colorado Avalanche in pursuit of a Stanley Cup.

August 22, 2001: Stanley Cup reaches the summit of Mount Elbert

On August 22, 2001, Mark Waggoner, the Director of Finance for the Colorado Avalanche, carried the Stanley Cup to the summit of Mount Elbert, the highest point in Colorado.

2001: Charlotte Grahame's Name Engraved on Stanley Cup

In 2001, Charlotte Grahame, the Colorado Avalanche's Senior Director of Hockey Administration, had her name engraved on the Stanley Cup.

2001: Joe Sakic Hands Cup to Ray Bourque

In 2001, when the Colorado Avalanche won the Stanley Cup, Joe Sakic immediately handed the trophy to Ray Bourque, whose 22-year NHL career had not included a Cup win until that point.

2002: Popular Use of the Term Triple Gold Club

In 2002, the term "Triple Gold Club" entered popular usage following the Winter Olympics, which saw the addition of the first Canadian members.

2004: Another New Band Scheduled to be added to the Stanley Cup

In 2004, Another new band was scheduled to be added to the bottom of the cup following the 2004–05 season, but was not added because of the 2004–05 NHL lockout.

2004: John Grahame's Name Engraved on Stanley Cup

In 2004, John Grahame had his name engraved on the Stanley Cup as a member of the Tampa Bay Lightning.

2004: NHL Lockout

In 2004, a labor dispute between the NHL's owners and the NHL Players Association led to the cancellation of the 2004-05 season, resulting in no Stanley Cup champion being crowned.

2004: Stanley Cup Displayed at MacDill Air Force Base

In 2004, the Stanley Cup was displayed at MacDill Air Force Base near Tampa, Florida, boosting morale for the troops.

2005: NHL Lockout Settlement and Unclaimed Stanley Cup

In 2005, a labor dispute between the NHL and the NHL Players Association resulted in the cancellation of the 2004-05 season. Consequently, the Stanley Cup went unclaimed for the first time since 1919.

2005: Acknowledgement of Cancelled Season on Stanley Cup

In 2005, after the 2005-06 champion Carolina Hurricanes were crowned, the new bottom ring was added to the Stanley Cup, acknowledging the cancelled 2004-05 season with the words "2004–05 Season Not Played".

2005: Stanley Cup not awarded due to NHL lockout

The Stanley Cup was not awarded in 2005 because of the 2004–05 NHL lockout.

February 7, 2006: Settlement Reached Regarding Stanley Cup Awarding

On February 7, 2006, a settlement was reached allowing the Stanley Cup to be awarded to non-NHL teams if the league didn't operate for a season. However, the NHL resumed operations before the settlement could be put into effect.

2006: Stanley Cup Tour at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune

In 2006, the Stanley Cup toured Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, where wounded Marines had the opportunity to see and be photographed with it.

2007: Stanley Cup's First Trip into a Combat Zone

In 2007, from May 2 to 6, the Stanley Cup made its first trip into a combat zone, Kandahar, Afghanistan, displayed for Canadian and other NATO troops. It survived a rocket attack on May 3.

2007: IIHF Formalizes Triple Gold Club

In 2007, the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) formalized the "Triple Gold Club", recognizing players and coaches who have won an Olympic Games gold medal, a World Championship gold medal, and the Stanley Cup.

March 2008: Stanley Cup Returns to Afghanistan

In March 2008, the Stanley Cup was taken back to Afghanistan as part of a "Team Canada visit".

2008: Detroit Red Wings win the Stanley Cup

In 2008, the Detroit Red Wings won the Stanley Cup, marking the most recent win for a United States-based NHL team with 11 wins.

June 27, 2010: Stanley Cup at the 2010 Chicago Gay Pride Parade

On June 27, 2010, Chicago Blackhawks defenceman Brent Sopel brought the Stanley Cup to the 2010 Chicago Gay Pride Parade to honor Brian Burke and his late son, Brendan.

2010: Stanley Cup's Fourth Trip to Afghanistan

In the spring of 2010, the Stanley Cup made its fourth trip to Afghanistan, accompanied by ex-players.

2012: NHL Lockout and Trustees' Stance on Non-NHL Challenges

In 2012, when another NHL lockout commenced, the trustees stated that the 2006 agreement did not oblige them to award the Stanley Cup in the event of a lost season and indicated they would likely reject any non-NHL challenges.

March 2017: Stanley Cup 125th Anniversary Commemoration

In March 2017, the Stanley Cup's 125th anniversary was commemorated with a four-day tour of Ottawa, including a visit to Rideau Hall. The Royal Canadian Mint produced two commemorative coins to mark the anniversary.

October 2017: Erection of Lord Stanley's Gift Monument

In October 2017, the Lord Stanley's Gift Monument, commemorating the donation of the Stanley Cup, was erected in Ottawa at Sparks Street and Elgin Street.

2017: Over 3,000 names engraved on the Stanley Cup

By 2017, more than 3,000 different names, including over 1,300 players, had been engraved on the Stanley Cup.

2017: Stanley Cup by its 125th Anniversary

By its 125th anniversary in 2017, the Stanley Cup had had 3,177 names engraved on it; of those, 1,331 belong to players. At that time the Stanley Cup stood at 89.5 centimetres (35+1⁄4 inches) tall and weighed 15+1⁄2 kilograms (34+1⁄2 lb).

2017: Washington Capitals Win Stanley Cup 2017-2018

In 2017, after the crowning of the 2017-18 champions, the Washington Capitals, the band listing the 1953-54 to 1964-65 winners was removed, and a new band for the 2017-18 to 2029-30 champions was added to the bottom of the Stanley Cup.

September 2018: Removal of 1953-1965 Band and Addition of New Band

In September 2018, following the crowning of the 2017-18 champions, the Washington Capitals, the band listing the 1953-54 to 1964-65 winners was removed, and a new band for the 2017-18 to 2029-30 champions was added to the bottom of the Stanley Cup.

2018: Stanley Cup used to improve spirits after tragic events

In 2018, the Stanley Cup was used to improve spirits of those affected by the Humboldt Broncos' bus crash on April 6 and the Capital Gazette shooting on June 28. It was brought to the hospital for crash survivors on April 15 and to Capital Gazette employees on July 3.

2023: Ian "Scotty" Morrison retires as trustee

In 2023, Ian "Scotty" Morrison retired as trustee of the Stanley Cup, the only trustee to resign to date.

2024: Florida Panthers win the Stanley Cup

In 2024, the Florida Panthers won the Stanley Cup, their first in franchise history.

2024: Cost of the original Stanley Cup in 2024 dollars

In 2024, the cost of the original Stanley Cup when purchased by Lord Stanley is equivalent to $1,703.

2029: New band added in 2017 will be displayed until 2029

Since the introduction of the five-band cup, each engraved team is displayed on the trophy between 52 and 65 years, a new band for the 2017-18 to 2029-30 champions was added to the bottom of the Stanley Cup in September 2018.