The Stanley Cup

While the NHL playoffs were going on last spring I was reading a book published by the Federal government about the first 100 years of Canada. Being one of our national sports, hockey was discussed and more importantly how the Stanley cup became the trophy given to the best NHL team each year was also mentioned.

Here’s a little history lesson: the Stanley Cup “was donated in 1892 by Sir Frederick Arthur Stanley, Lord Stanley of Preston and son of the Earl of Derby…to be presented to ‘the championship hockey club of the Dominion of Canada.’” This trophy was first given out to amateur hockey clubs since there was no professional league then. Once a professional league was started, the Stanley Cup was taken for the league champions, after much debate I’m sure. Somehow this league evolved into, or was taken over by another league, and became the National Hockey League (this aspect isn’t too important to my rant).

So the NHL continues to use the Stanley Cup as its annual award. Let’s look at this a little more closely now. The NHL has pretty much been taken over by the USA, at least the business side has been, and did they not also want nothing to do with England a couple hundred years ago? I am not a history expert or anything, but did the USA not battle England for their independence.
“In 1814 we took a little trip
Along with Colonel Jackson down the mighty Mississip.
We took a little bacon and we took a little beans
And we caught the bloody British in the town of New Orleans”
I’m sure these lyrics by Johnny Horton (The Battle of New Orleans) reference the war.

So the USA wants nothing to do with England, the NHL has been taken over by the USA and the Stanley Cup was given to Canada for the best Canadian hockey club by an English Lord, why does the NHL still get to use the Stanley Cup? Why does the USA still want it? Do they think every time an American based team (at least half full of Canadians) wins the Stanley Cup it is like a small victory over England?

Whatever the reason is, I say the Stanley Cup should be returned to Canada, where it belongs, and have the NHL find some other piece of metal to play for.

But as it turns out (if you check out the website referenced above) the original Stanley Cup is sitting in a vault the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto, Canada! The Stanley Cup that the NHL teams play for is just an imitation of a Canadian treasure. Ha!