A look back at local, national and world events through Deseret News archives.
On March 22, 1894, ice hockey’s first Stanley Cup championship game was played, in which the Montreal Hockey Club defeated the Ottawa Hockey Club, 3-1. Since then, Lord Stanley’s Cup has become one of the most cherished and recognized trophies in sport.
The Stanley Cup was the creation of Sir Frederick Arthur Stanley, lord of Preston and the 16th earl of Derby. Stanley was the son of a three-time prime minister of England. He served in Britain’s House of Commons until he was named governor general of Canada in 1888.
According to historical accounts, Stanley became an ice hockey fan after watching an 1889 game at the Montreal Winter Carnival. Stanley’s family, sons and daughters alike, also became enraptured with the game that had taken Montreal’s sporting public by storm since its introduction in 1875.
In honor of the new sport, Lord Stanley then donated a lavish trophy to the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association. The trophy, originally called the Dominion Hockey Challenge Cup, was first presented in 1893 to the Montreal Amateur Athletic Association team, champions of the Amateur Hockey Association. Stanley had intended for the cup to be presented to the winner of a challenge series, or tournament, so in 1894 it was given to the Montreal AAA team upon their defeat of the Ottawa Generals in the championship round of a tournament specifically created to award the Cup as Lord Stanley had intended.
Now the winner of the National Hockey League playoffs keeps the Stanley Cup for a year. There are many fun and quirky facts about the cup, according to many reports, including one anecdote where the trophy was left behind at a home and occupant planted a plant in it:
- The original bowl was made of silver and has a dimension of 7.28 inches in height and 11.42 inches in diameter. It was purchased for about $50 in 1892. The current Stanley Cup is made of silver and nickel alloy. It has a height of 35.25 inches and weighs 34.5 pounds.
- By tradition, it is the only trophy in pro sports that has the name of the winning players, coaches, management, and club staff engraved on it. Through the years 3,489 names have appeared on the trophy.
- There are several misspellings and illegitimate names on the Cup. Many of them have never been corrected.
- One player, Jean Béliveau, is on the cup 17 times: 10 as a player and seven as management. Henri Richard has won the most Stanley Cups as a player, with 11.
- There are actually three Stanley Cups: the original bowl, the authenticated Cup, and the replica at the Hall of Fame. The original bowl purchased by Lord Stanley is currently displayed at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto, Ontario.
The Salt Lake Golden Eagles played in Utah from 1969 to 1994, winning the Central Hockey League’s Adams Cup in 1976, 1980 and 1981. In 1996 the Utah Grizzlies came to town, winning the Turner Cup in their first season, the International Hockey League version of the Stanley Cup.
Now the Utah Hockey Club is in its first season, with an outside shot at the NHL playoffs. And a shot at the storied Stanley Cup. Here are some Deseret News articles about the Stanley Cup:
“Utah hockey fans celebrate Stanley Cup visit”
“Trevor Lewis shows off the Stanley Cup to thousands of fans in Utah”
“Utah native, former Grizzlies player Trevor Lewis wins second Stanley Cup title”
“The Utah Jazz are making Stanley cup history”
“The NHL in Utah: (Almost) everything you need to know”
“Hockey fans say thanks for the memories”
