The Stanley Cup is the most prestigious trophy a hockey club can ever take home. The cup is practically older than the NHL and to this day, the Montreal Canadiens have the record of winning the most cups at 24. This is almost twice the Toronto Maple Leafs, who have taken the cup home 13 times. Here are other facts you might not have known about the Stanley Cup.
1. The Canadiens’ Back to Back Record
As if it was not enough that the Canadiens are the biggest Stanley Cup winners, they’re also the NHL team with the most back to back cups. Between 1956 and 1960, the club took home the Stanley Cup five times, back to back. No other team has done this ever since, though the New York Islanders almost challenged the record by winning four times between 1980 and 1983.
2. There are Several Stanley Cups
Given the prestige that comes with the Stanley Cup possession, you would think that the cup has never changed since its creation. However, just like the league’s constant changes, the cup has had several adjustments.
The original Stanley Cup bowl is an art to behold in the Hockey Hall of Fame, since the late 1960s. The decision to preserve the original cup in Toronto was made after it started getting fragile, as there was a need to maintain its historical value.
3. The Cup’s Rings are Detachable
It has been a customary practice for five names of championship winners to be engraved on the cup’s rings since 1958. After the ring is full, it is removed, preserved in the Hockey Hall of Fame and an empty ring replaces it. The names between the 1928-29 and 1953-54 leagues are not found on the current cup. Louise St Jacques is the current engraver of the cup’s rings and the creator of the replica to the presentation cup.