Chronology of Stanley Cup engravings
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This is a chronology of Stanley Cup engravings. A unique feature of the Stanley Cup is that, with few exceptions in the past, it is the only trophy in professional sports that has the name of every member of the winning team engraved upon it.
This has not always been the case. When he first donated the Cup in 1892, one of Lord Stanley of Preston's original conditions was that each team could, at their own expense, add a ring on the Cup to commemorate their Cup victory (the first year being an exception). Lord Stanley's original trophy was simply a silver bowl minted with the words "Dominion Hockey Challenge Cup" on one side of the outside rim, and "From Stanley of Preston" with his family's coat of arms on the other side.
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[edit] Challenge Cup Era
During the Challenge Cup Era from 1893-1914, teams had to add their names to the trophy at their own expense. Initially, there was only one ring, the one added by the first Cup champion Montreal HC. Clubs then engraved their team names, usually in the form "[TEAM NAME] [YEAR WON]", on that one ring until it was full in 1902. With no room to engrave their names (perhaps unwilling to pay for a second band to the Cup), teams started leaving their mark on the bowl its self. A second ring was finally added by the Ottawa Senators in 1909. However, for some unknown reasons, some teams during this era never bothered to engrave their names on the Cup.
| Month/Year | Winning Team | Engravings Added | Location Added |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1893 | Montreal HC | "Montreal AAA" | A new base ring that the team attaches to the bottom of the original bowl |
| 1894 | Montreal HC | "Montreal 1894" | 1893 base ring |
| 1895 | Montreal Victorias | "Victorias of Montreal 1895" | |
| February 1896 | Winnipeg Victorias | "Victorias of Winnipeg 1895" * | |
| December 1896 | Montreal Victorias | "Victorias of Montreal 1896 Winnipeg Feb 20th" |
|
| 1897 | Montreal Victorias | "Victorias of Montreal 1897" | |
| 1898 | Montreal Victorias | "Victorias of Montreal 1898" | |
| February 1899 | Montreal Victorias | "Victorias of Montreal 1898 Montreal Feb 15th & 18th" |
|
| March 1899 | Montreal Shamrocks | "Shamrocks of Montreal 1898 Montreal 4th & 14th March" |
|
| February 1900 | Montreal Shamrocks | "Shamrocks of Montreal 1898 Montreal 4th & 14th March" |
|
| March 1900 | Montreal Shamrocks | Did not add an engraving | |
| 1901 | Winnipeg Victorias | "Victorias of Winnipeg 1901 Montreal Jan 29th & 30th" |
1893 base ring |
| January 1902 | Winnipeg Victorias | "Victorias of Winnipeg 1901 / Winnipeg Jan 21st & 23rd [sic]" | |
| March 1902 | Montreal HC | "Montreal 1902 / Winnipeg Mar 13th 15th 17th" | |
| February 1903 | Montreal HC | "Montreal 1903 / Montreal Jan 29th 30th Feb 2nd 4th" | Outside of bowl |
| March 7-10, 1903 | Ottawa HC | "Ottawa 1903 / Ottawa vs. Vics." | |
| March 12-14, 1903 | Ottawa HC | "Ottawa 1903 / Ottawa vs. Rat Portage" | |
| January 1904 | Ottawa HC | "Ottawa 1904 / Ottawa vs. Winnpeg R.C." | |
| February 1904 | Ottawa HC | "Ottawa 1904 / Ottawa vs. Marlboro" | |
| March 2, 1904 | Ottawa HC | "Ottawa 1904 / Ottawa vs. Wanderers" | |
| March 9-11, 1904 | Ottawa HC | "Ottawa 1904 / Ottawa vs. Brandon" | |
| January 1905 | Ottawa HC | "Ottawa 1905 / Ottawa vs. Dawson" | |
| March 1905 | Ottawa HC | "Ottawa 1905 / Ottawa vs. Kenora" | |
| February 1906 | Ottawa HC | "Ottawa 1906 / Ottawa vs. Queens / Ottawa vs. Smith Falls" | |
| March 6-8, 1906 | Ottawa HC | ||
| March 14-17, 1906 | Montreal Wanderers | "Montreal March 15-17 Wanderers vs. Ottawa Score 12-10" | |
| December 1906 | Montreal Wanderers | "Montreal December 27-29 Wanderers vs. New Glasgow 10-3 6-2" | |
| January 1907 | Kenora Thistles | " Thistles of Kenora 12 Wanderers 8/Montreal Jan 17th & 21st 1907 (Inside the rim of the Bowl) | |
| March 1907 | Montreal Wanderers | "Wanderers Defeated Kenora 12 to 8 March 25th 1907", plus all of the players' names | Inside of the bowl |
| January 1908 | Montreal Wanderers | Did not add an engraving | |
| March 10-12, 1908 | Montreal Wanderers | ||
| March 14, 1908 | Montreal Wanderers | ||
| December 1908 | Montreal Wanderers | ||
| 1909 | Ottawa Senators | "Ottawa 1909" | A new base ring that the team attaches to the bottom of the 1893 base ring |
| January 5-7, 1910 | Ottawa Senators | "Ottawa 1910 / Ottawa vs. Galt / Ottawa vs. Edmonton" | 1909 base ring |
| January 18-20, 1910 | Ottawa Senators | ||
| March 1910 | Montreal Wanderers | Did not add an engraving | |
| March 13, 1911 | Ottawa Senators | ||
| March 16, 1911 | Ottawa Senators | ||
| 1912 | Quebec Bulldogs | "Quebec / 1911-1912 / Defeated Moncton / 9-2 & 8-0" | 1909 base ring |
| 1913 | Quebec Bulldogs | "Quebec / 1912-1913 / Defeated Sydney / 14-3 & 6-2" | |
| 1914 | Toronto Blueshirts | "Torontos / 1913-15 / Defeated Victorias B.C. / 3 Straight Games" | |
(*) Note: The Winnipeg Victorias engraved "1895" instead of "1896" because they won their Stanley Cup Challenge against Montreal prior to the end of the 1896 season.
[edit] The "World Series" Era
Before the 1914-15 season, a new agreement was reached in which the respective champions of the NHA and the Pacific Coast Hockey Association would face each other for the Cup, similar to baseball's World Series played between the American League and National League champions.
This agreement effectively ended the Challenge Cup rule in which a new champion was crowned after it won the title of the previous champion's league. However, the 1915 Ottawa Senators, the 1916 Portland Rosebuds, and the 1918 Vancouver Millionaires all engraved their names on the Cup even though they did not officially win it under the new system.
The NHA dissolved in 1917, and the National Hockey League (NHL) took its place. Then after the Western Canada Hockey League (WCHL) was born in 1921, it was agreed that all three league champions would play for the Cup. The PCHA and the WCHL later merged to form the Western Hockey League (WHL) in 1924.
- † - Engraved their name on the Cup despite only winning the title of the previous champion's league.
| Season | Winning Team | Engravings Added | Location Added |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1914-15 | Ottawa Senators† | "Ottawa / NHA Champions / 1914-15" | 1909 base ring |
| Vancouver Millionaires | "Vancouver, B.C. / 1914-15 / Defeated Ottawa / 3 Straight Games" | ||
| Vancouver 8 of 10 players' names, plus playing-manager | Along the flutted sides of the inside of the bowl | ||
| 1915-16 | Portland Rosebuds† | "Portland Ore. / PCHA Champions / 1915-16" | 1909 base ring |
| Montreal Canadiens | "Canadian [sic] / NHA & World's Champions / Defeated Portland / 1915-16" | ||
| 1916-17 | Seattle Metropolitans | "Seattle / World's Champions / Defeated Canadians [sic] / 1917" | |
| 1917-18 | Vancouver Millionaires† | "Vancouver / Defeated Seattle / 1917-18 / Score 1-0" | |
| Toronto Arenas | Did not add an engraving | ||
| 1918-19 | Not awarded due to the flu epidemic. | ||
| 1919-20 | Ottawa Senators | Did not add an engraving | |
| 1920-21 | Ottawa Senators | ||
| 1921-22 | Toronto St. Patricks | ||
| 1922-23 | Ottawa Senators | ||
| 1923-24 | Montreal Canadiens | "Canadiens of Montreal / World's Champions / Defeated / Ottawa Vancouver Calgary / Two Straight Games Each", plus players', trainer and executives names | A new band that is added between the two base rings |
| 1924-25 | Victoria Cougars | Won / By / 'Cougars' Victoria, B.C. 1925" | A new angled ring added between the bowl and the 1893 base ring |
| 1925-26 | Montreal Maroons | "Won / By Montreal 'Maroons' 1925-26", plus the names of players and team executives | A new ring added between the bowl and Victoria's 1925 ring; only one half of the ring is used |
[edit] The NHL takes over the Cup, and the "Stovepipe"
After the WHL folded in 1926, the Cup has been awarded to the NHL champions. Since then, the engraving of the team and its players has been an annual tradition that has not been broken. Originally, a new band was added almost every year, causing the Cup to grow in size. Thus, it became commonly referred to as the "Stovepipe Cup" due to its resemblance to the exhaust pipe of a stove. (It was also occassionally called the "cigar" cup or the "elephant's leg" cup for similar reasons.)
| Season | Winning Team | Engravings Added | Location Added |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1926-27 | Ottawa Senators | "Won By / Ottawa Senators / 1926-27", plus full team roster | A new ring added between Victoria's 1925 ring and the 1893 base ring |
| 1927-28 | New York Rangers | "New York Rangers / 1927-28", plus full team roster | A new ring added directly below the bowl |
| 1928-29 | Boston Bruins | "Won By / Boston Bruins / 1928-29", plus most players, President, Manager, Trainer. Not enough room to include every winning member. | The open half of Ottawa's 1927 ring |
| 1929-30 | Montreal Canadiens | "World's Champions / Canadiens of Montreal / 1930", player roster, team directors, 2 trainers, and playoff scores from the team's postseason rounds | Over the next 10 years, 10 new rings were added to top of the trophy. In 1932-33 New York Rangers added 2 rings, so Chicago did not need as a ring in 1933-34. |
| 1930-31 | Montreal Canadiens | "World's Champions / Canadiens of Montreal / 1931", full team roster (2 players missing), team directors, 2 trainers, dates and playoff scores from the team's postseason rounds | |
| 1931-32 | Toronto Maple Leafs | "Toronto Maple Leafs / 1931-32 / World's Champions", full roster, non-players, and the team mascot (42 names in all) | |
| 1932-33 | New York Rangers | "New York Rangers Professional Hockey Club / World's Champions and Winners of the / Stanley Cup - 1932-33" and full roster, manager, and trainer on first ring. On the second ring they included the following: "1933 Marked the seventh consecutive year in which Lester Patrick had piloted the Rangers to the National Hockey League Playoffs". | |
| 1933-34 | Chicago Blackhawks | "Chicago National Hockey Team, Inc. / The Black Hawks / 1933-34", full player roster, president, manager-coach, and team trainer. No room for playoff scores. | |
| 1934-35 | Montreal Maroons | "Montreal Professional Hockey Club / Winners / 1934-35" and full roster, 4 executives, and trainer. | |
| 1935-36 | Detroit Red Wings | "Detroit Red Wings / 1935-36", full roster with player positions, 5 executives, 1 trainer and playoff scores | |
| 1936-37 | Detroit Red Wings | "Detroit Red Wings / 1936-37", full roster with player positions, 4 executives, 1 trainer and scores from the finals | |
| 1937-38 | Chicago Blackhawks | "Chicago National Hockey Team, Inc. / The Black Hawks / 1937-38", player roster (2 players missing), 4 executives, 1 trainer, and playoff scores from the team's postseason rounds | |
| 1938-39 | Boston Bruins | "Boston Bruins / 1938-39", full roster, 3 executives, and playoff scores from the team's postseason rounds | |
| 1939-40 | New York Rangers | "The New York Rangers 1939-40" | A new, larger ring that is added to the top of the stovepipe |
| 1940-41 | Boston Bruins | "Boston Bruins 1940-1 [sic]" and full roster | The 1940 larger ring |
| 1941-42 | Toronto Maple Leafs | "Toronto Maple Leafs 1941-2 [sic]" and full roster | |
| 1942-43 | Detroit Red Wings | "Detroit Red Wings 1942-3 [sic]" and full roster | |
| 1943-44 | Montreal Canadiens | "Canadiens of Montreal 1943-4 [sic]" and full roster | |
| 1944-45 | Toronto Maple Leafs | "Toronto Maple Leafs 1944-45" and full roster | |
| 1945-46 | Montreal Canadiens | "Canadiens of Montreal 1944-46" and full roster | |
| 1946-47 | Toronto Maple Leafs | "Toronto Maple Leafs 1946-47" and full roster | Engravings were postponed, pending the Cup redesign (see below) |
[edit] The 1948 redesign
Because the Stovepipe Cup became impractical due to its ever increasing height, the NHL decided to redesign the trophy. The base of the Stovepipe Cup (all of the bands prior to the New York Rangers' 1928 ring) was moved back to the top directly under the bowl. Underneath this came a new shoulder collar onto which only the names of the previous winning teams were engraved, including those teams during the Challenge Cup Era that did not engrave their names on the Cup themselves. The cancelled 1919 Stanley Cup Finals was also acknowledged with "1919/Montreal Canadiens/Seattle Metropolitans/Series Not Completed". Room was left on the new collar for future teams.
All of the 1927-28 to 1945-46 rings from the Stovepipe Cup were eventually taken to the Hockey Hall of Fame. In its place, nine bands of various heights were attached below the new collar, forming a vastly expanded barrel-like body. The first five from the top listed teams and rosters that were previously engraved on the various stovepipe rings. The sixth band was left blank for future use. Underneath that was a replica of the wide 1940 band from the Stovepipe Cup, but expanded to allow room for a few more teams. The 1946-47 Cup champion Toronto Maple Leafs, who had to wait a year because of the redesign, were also added to the wide band. Finally, two more narrow blank bands were added to the bottom of the trophy.
- Unless otherwise noted, all of the following teams also engraved their full rosters on the stated location, and put their club name on the shoulder collar.
| Season | Winning Team | Engravings Added | Location Added |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1947-48 | Toronto Maple Leafs | "Toronto Maple Leafs 1947-48" | Band 7 (The wider, expanded band) |
| 1948-49 | Toronto Maple Leafs | "Toronto Maple Leafs 1948-49" | |
| 1949-50 | Detroit Red Wings | "Detroit Red Wings 1949-50" | |
| 1950-51 | Toronto Maple Leafs | "Toronto Maple Leafs 1950-51" | |
| 1951-52 | Detroit Red Wings | "Detroit Red Wings 1951-52" | Band 8 (second from the bottom) |
| 1952-53 | Montreal Canadiens | "Canadiens of Montreal 1952-53" | |
| 1953-54 | Detroit Red Wings | "Detroit Red Wings 1953-54" | Band 9 |
| 1954-55 | Detroit Red Wings | "Detroit Red Wings 1954-55" | |
| 1955-56 | Montreal Canadiens | "Montreal 'Canadiens' 1955-56" | Band 6 beside 1938-39 Boston Bruins |
[edit] The 1957 redesign
As soon as the 1956 Montreal Canadiens added their names to the Cup, all of the various narrow and wide bands of the trophy's barrel was full. Therefore, they were replaced with five symmetrical bands, each of which could contain 13 winning teams. The winning teams and rosters from 1927-28 to 1939-40 were engraved on the first band, the 1940-41 to 1952-53 champions on the second band, and the 1953-54 winners onward on the third band.
Although the bands were originally designed to fill up during the Cup's centennial year, the names of the 1964-65 Montreal Canadiens were engraved over a larger area than allotted (and thus there are 12 teams on that band instead of 13). Also the Cup underwent several minor alterations, namely the retirement of the collar in 1963 and the bowl in 1969 in favor of duplicates because the originals became too brittle.
- Unless otherwise noted, all of the following teams also engraved their full rosters on the stated location, and put their club name on the shoulder collar.
| Season | Winning Team | Engravings Added | Location Added |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1956-57 | Montreal Canadiens | "Montreal Canadiens 1956-57" | Band 3 |
| 1957-58 | Montreal Canadiens | "Montreal Canadiens 1957-58" | |
| 1958-59 | Montreal Canadiens | "Montreal Canadiens 1958-59" | |
| 1959-60 | Montreal Canadiens | "Montreal Canadiens 1959-60" | |
| 1960-61 | Chicago Blackhawks | "Chicago Black Hawks 1960-61" | |
| 1961-62 | Toronto Maple Leafs | "Toronto Maple Leafs 1961-62" | |
| 1962-63 | Toronto Maple Leafs | "Toronto Maple Leaes [sic] 1962-63" | |
| 1963-64 | Toronto Maple Leafs | "Toronto Maple Leafs 1963-64" | |
| 1964-65 | Montreal Canadiens | "Montreal Canadiens 1964-65"* | |
| 1965-66 | Montreal Canadiens | "Montreal Canadiene [sic] 1965-66" | Band 4 |
| 1966-67 | Toronto Maple Leafs | "Toronto Maple Leafs 1966-67" | |
| 1967-68 | Montreal Canadiens | "Club De Hockey Canadien 1967-68" | |
| 1968-69 | Montreal Canadiens | "Club De Hockey Canadien 1968-69" | |
| 1969-70 | Boston Bruins | "Boston Bruins 1969-70" | |
| 1970-71 | Montreal Canadiens | "Club. De. Hockey. Canadien. 1970.71" | |
| 1971-72 | Boston Bruins | "Bqstqn [sic] Bruins 1971-72" | |
| 1972-73 | Montreal Canadiens | "Club De Hockey Canadien 1972-73" | |
| 1973-74 | Philadelphia Flyers | "Philadelphia Flyers 1973-74" | |
| 1974-75 | Philadelphia Flyers | "Philadelphia Flyers 1974-75" | |
| 1975-76 | Montreal Canadiens | "Club De Hockey Canadien 1975-76" | |
| 1976-77 | Montreal Canadiens | "Club De Hockey Canadien 1976-77" | |
| 1977-78 | Montreal Canadiens | "Club De Hockey Canadien 1977-78" | |
| 1978-79 | Montreal Canadiens | "Club De Hockey Canadien 1978-79" | Band 5 |
| 1979-80 | New York Islanders | "New York Islanders 1979-80" | |
| 1980-81 | New York Islanders | "New York Ilanders [sic] 1979-80" | |
| 1981-82 | New York Islanders | "New York Islanders 1981-82" | |
| 1982-83 | New York Islanders | "New York Islanders 1982-83" | |
| 1983-84 | Edmonton Oilers | "Edmonton Oilers 1983-84" | |
| 1984-85 | Edmonton Oilers | "Edmonton Oilers 1984-85" | |
| 1985-86 | Montreal Canadiens | "Club De Hockey Canadien 1985-86" | |
| 1986-87 | Edmonton Oilers | "Edmonton Oilers 1986-87" | |
| 1987-88 | Edmonton Oilers | "Edmonton Oilers 1987-88" | |
| 1988-89 | Calgary Flames | "Calgary Flames 1988-89" | |
| 1989-90 | Edmonton Oilers | "Edmonton Oilers 1989-90" | |
| 1990-91 | Pittsburgh Penguins | "Pittsburgh Penguins 1990-91" |
[edit] The top ring is retired
After the bands were finally all filled, the top band of the large barrel, with the 1927-28 to 1939-40 champions, was taken to the Hockey Hall of Fame, and a new blank band was introduced at the bottom so the size of the Stanley Cup would not grow further.
One year later, the shoulder collar listing the names of the previous winners was also filled to capacity, but it was decided to keep it on the trophy, unchanged in perpetuity.
| Season | Winning Team | Engravings Added | Location Added |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991-92 | Pittsburgh Penguins†† | "[TEAM NAME] [SEASON WON]" and full rosters | The new bottom band |
| 1992-93 | Montreal Canadiens | ||
| 1993-94 | New York Rangers | ||
| 1994-95 | New Jersey Devils | ||
| 1995-96 | Colorado Avalanche | ||
| 1996-97 | Detroit Red Wings | ||
| 1997-98 | Detroit Red Wings | ||
| 1998-99 | Dallas Stars | ||
| 1999-00 | New Jersey Devils | ||
| 2000-01 | Colorado Avalanche | ||
| 2001-02 | Detroit Red Wings | ||
| 2002-03 | New Jersey Devils | ||
| 2003-04 | Tampa Bay Lightning |
- †† - Last team to engrave their club name on the shoulder collar.
[edit] A second ring is retired
The band listing the 1940-41 to 1952-53 Cup winners was scheduled to be retired following the crowning of the 2004-05 champions. However, that season was cancelled because of a labour dispute. The ring was finally taken to the Hockey Hall of Fame one year later after the 2005-06 champion Carolina Hurricanes were crowned. In addition to listing the names of the Hurricanes on the new bottom ring, it was decided to also acknowledge the cancelled 2004-05 season.
| Season | Winning Team | Engravings Added |
|---|---|---|
| 2004-05 | Not awarded due to 2004-05 NHL lockout. | "2004-05 Season Not Played" |
| 2005-06 | Carolina Hurricanes | "[TEAM NAME] [SEASON WON]" and full rosters |
| 2006-07 | Anaheim Ducks | |
| 2007-08 | Detroit Red Wings Scheduled to be engraved in Fall 2008 |
[edit] References
- Stanley Cup Engraving Facts, Firsts, and Faux Pas. Hockey Hall of Fame. Retrieved on 2006-07-08.
- Stanley Cup Journal:46. Hockey Hall of Fame (2003-10-09). Retrieved on 2006-07-08.
- Stanley Cup Journals 2004:44. Hockey Hall of Fame. Retrieved on 2006-07-08.
- Podnieks, Andrew; Hockey Hall of Fame (2004). Lord Stanley's Cup. Triumph Books, 9-15. ISBN 1-55168-261-3.
- Diamond, Dan; Eric Zweig, and James Duplacey (2003). The Ultimate Prize: The Stanley Cup. Andrews McMeel Publishing, 3-8. ISBN 0-7407-3830-5.
- Strike Up The Bands: The Stanley Cup is Stripped of a Ring; Cancelled 2004-05 Season Recognized. Hockey Hall of Fame. Retrieved on 2007-02-19.
