The Stanley Cup

The Stanley Cup. The coveted trophy of all NHL players, and the goal of child's dream. This cup was first awarded in 1892, to a team from Montreal called the Montreal AAA's. The list of winners is as follows:

1996-97 Detroit Red Wings 1995-96 Colorado Avalanche 1994-95 New Jersey Devils 1993-94 New York Rangers 1992-93 Montreal Canadiens 1991-92 Pittsburgh Penguins 1990-91 Pittsburgh Penguins 1989-90 Edmonton Oilers 1988-89 Calgary Flames 1987-88 Edmonton Oilers 1986-87 Edmonton Oilers 1985-86 Montreal Canadiens 1984-85 Edmonton Oilers 1983-84 Edmonton Oilers 1982-83 New York Islanders 1981-82 New York Islanders 1980-81 New York Islanders 1979-80 New York Islanders 1978-79 Montreal Canadiens 1977-78 Montreal Canadiens 1976-77 Montreal Canadiens 1975-76 Montreal Canadiens 1974-75 Philadelphia Flyers 1973-74 Philadelphia Flyers 1972-73 Montreal Canadiens 1971-72 Boston Bruins 1970-71 Montreal Canadiens 1969-70 Boston Bruins 1968-69 Montreal Canadiens 1967-68 Montreal Canadiens 1966-67 Toronto Maple Leafs 1965-66 Montreal Canadiens 1964-65 Montreal Canadiens 1963-64 Toronto Maple Leafs 1962-63 Toronto Maple Leafs 1961-62 Toronto Maple Leafs 1960-61 Chicago Black Hawks 1959-60 Montreal Canadiens 1958-59 Montreal Canadiens 1957-58 Montreal Canadiens 1956-57 Montreal Canadiens 1955-56 Montreal Canadiens 1954-55 Detroit Red Wings 1953-54 Detroit Red Wings 1952-53 Montreal Canadiens 1951-52 Detroit Red Wings 1950-51 Toronto Maple Leafs 1949-50 Detroit Red Wings 1948-49 Toronto Maple Leafs 1947-48 Toronto Maple Leafs 1946-47 Toronto Maple Leafs 1945-46 Montreal Canadiens 1944-45 Toronto Maple Leafs 1943-44 Montreal Canadiens 1942-43 Detroit Red Wings

1941-42 Toronto Maple Leafs 1940-41 Boston Bruins 1939-40 New York Rangers 1938-39 Boston Bruins 1937-38 Chicago Black Hawks 1936-37 Detroit Red Wings 1935-36 Detroit Red Wings 1934-35 Montreal Maroons 1933-34 Chicago Black Hawks 1932-33 New York Rangers 1931-32 Toronto Maple Leafs 1930-31 Montreal Canadiens 1929-30 Montreal Canadiens 1928-29 Boston Bruins 1927-28 New York Rangers 1926-27 Ottawa Senators 1925-26 Montreal Maroons 1924-25 Victoria Cougars 1923-24 Montreal Canadiens 1922-23 Ottawa Senators 1921-22 Toronto St. Pats 1920-21 Ottawa Senators 1919-20 Ottawa Senators 1918-19 No decision 1917-18 Toronto Arenas 1916-17 Seattle Metropolitians 1915-16 Montreal Canadiens 1914-15 Vancouver Millionaires 1913-14 Toronto Blueshirts 1912-13 Quebec Bulldogs 1911-12 Quebec Bulldogs 1910-11 Ottawa Senators 1909-10 Montreal Wanderers 1908-09 Ottawa Senators 1907-08 Montreal Wanderers 1906-07 MarMontreal Wanderers 1906-07 JanKenora Thistles 1905-06 FebOttawa Senators 1904-05 Ottawa Senators 1903-04 Ottawa Senators 1902-03 MarOttawa Senators 1902-03 FebMontreal AAA 1901-02 MarMontreal AAA 1901-02 JanWinnipeg Victoria 1900-01 Winnipeg Victoria 1899-1900 Montreal Shamrocks 1898-99 Montreal Shamrocks 1897-98 Montreal Victorias 1896-97 Montreal Victorias 1895-96 FebWinnipeg Victorias 1895-96 DecMontreal Victorias 1894-95 Montreal Victorias 1893-94 Montreal AAA 1892-93 Montreal AAA

The Stanley Cup was given to the sport of hockey by Sir Frederick Arthur, Lord Stanley of Preston, who was the brother of the Earl of Derby. The Cup was to be presented to "the championship hockey club of the Dominion of Canada." The Cup was purchased for 10 Guineas ($48.67 Cdn at the time of purchase), so it was a pretty big thing if you won. In 1910, the NHL took possesion of the Cup, and has been the symbol of professional hockey supremacy ever since. The Stanley Cup has only been a part of the NHL competition ever since 1926. Ironically enough, Lord Stanley never saw the presentation of the Cup to the winning team, because he was called back to England to assume the role of the Earl of Derby, because his brother had died.

The NHL took exclusive control of the Cup in 1946, and from then on, there have been numerous alterations to the sturcture of the Cup. The Stanley Cup is only trophy in professional sports where all the teams that have won get their names on it. Due to this interesting fact, there are new bands being constantly added to make more room for the names.

There have been many interesting teams that have won the Cup, such as the Winnepeg Victorias, who were the first team from the west to win the Stanley Cup. The Kenora Thistles were the smallest town to win the Cup, with a population of about 10 000 people, The very first team to inscribe all of the player's names were the Montreal Wanderers of 1907. The Vancouver Millionares were the first PCHA ( Pacific Coast Hockey League) to win the Cup. And the Seattle Metropolitans were the first team from the United States to win the Cup, in 1917.

The only reason there was no winner in 1918/19 was because of the dreaded influenza that struck the area of Montreal. Many of the players contracted the disease, and one player, Joe Hal