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The original Stanley Cup was much smaller than the current one, measuring only 7.5 by 11.5 inches. It was donated by Lord Stanley in 1893 and is engraved with the names of the winning team’s players, coaches, and staff. The Cup is given to the winning team to keep for a year.
The Stanley Cup wasn’t always this big: The trophy that recognizes each year’s National Hockey League (NHL) championship winners is about 3 feet (0.91 m) tall and weighs about 31 pounds (14.06 kg), but the first Stanley Cup that was used until 1962 was only 7-1/2 by 11-1/2 inches (19 by 29 cm). In 1893, hockey aficionado and Canadian nobleman Lord Stanley, Earl of Preston and Governor General of Canada, donated the silver cup to be used annually as an award for the championship hockey team and it began to be used by the NHL after 1925 The trophy is engraved with the names of the team’s players, coaches and other staff members. Unlike most sports trophies, the actual Stanley Cup is given to the winning team to keep for the year rather than making a rerun every year.
Learn more about the Stanley Cup:
The Stanley Cup was stolen in 1970, but returned anonymously four days later.
Stanley Cup winners often drink straight from it to celebrate, a tradition that dates back to the Winnipeg Victorias in 1895.
The first Stanley Cup was valued at $50 US Dollars (USD) in 1893.
