The Stanley cup, history and tradition

The Stanley Cup is played by 16 National Hockey League teams that playoff for spots. Although the teams that normally win the Stanley Cup are the teams with the best winning percentages. However, that does not mean that a team with a low winning percentage cannot win the Stanley Cup. It has been done twice throughout history.

Winning the Stanley Cup is the most honored award among NHL teams. The Stanley Cup dates back to 1892. During this time the Governor General of Canada proclaimed that there should be a challenge cup held each year among champion teams. The Governor General, Lord Stanley then created what is today known as the Stanley Cup.

Lord Stanley purchased a cup and assigned two trustees to the cup. Each year when a hockey team won the cup they would be presented with the cup to latter return it to the trustees to have it awarded to the next team. Each team that won the Stanley Cup would then have their name and year engraved on the silver ring fitted on the cup.

Today, the Stanley Cup is not only one of the highest awards that a hockey team could receive it is a reward that is sought throughout the league.

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