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Every kid dreams of winning it, but only a select few have gotten to hoist it. 

The Stanley Cup is regarded as one of the most iconic trophies in sports. It’s easily recognizable due to its shape and size, and no championship teams celebrate with the trophy like hockey players do. 

While other professional leagues hand out a different trophy every year, the Stanley Cup is one of a kind. The same piece of hardware is given to the championship club every year, allowing teams the opportunity to properly celebrate with it before it has to be handed off to the next team that wins the NHL title. 

The name is extremely well-known in the sports world, but where does it actually come from?

MORE: Stanley Cup winners: Complete list of every NHL champion

The Sporting News explains the history behind the name for the Stanley Cup. 

Why is it called the Stanley Cup?

The Stanley Cup is named after Lord Stanley of Preston, the Governor General of Canada in 1892. 

He purchased a decorative cup that was eventually donated in order for it to be awarded to the top amateur hockey team in Canada. Stanley and his family had fallen in love with the sport of hockey after viewing games at the 1889 Winter Carnival in Montreal. 

The Cup bounced around a number of leagues before the NHL took a firm hold of professional hockey in North America. By 1926, the Cup was only given out to NHL teams and in 1947, the NHL reached an agreement with Cup trustee J. Cooper Smeaton to grant total control of the Stanley Cup to the NHL. 

How old is the Stanley Cup?

The Stanley Cup was first awarded in the 1892–93 season. 

It is the oldest trophy that can be won by professional athletes in North America.

How much does the Stanley Cup weigh?

The Stanley Cup weighs 34.5 pounds, or 15.5 kilograms. 

It is 35.25 inches tall, which is 89.64 centimeters. 

How many Stanley Cups are there?

There are technically three Stanley Cups. 

The first one, the original one purchased by Lord Stanley, was awarded until 1970. Clarence Campbell, who was the president of the NHL at the time, felt as though the original was becoming too brittle to be passed around to championship teams. Now that Cup, which is referred to as the Dominion Hockey Challenge Cup, is on display in the Hockey Hall of Fame. 

The current cup, called the Presentation Cup, is the trophy that is given out to the championship teams. There is a Hockey Hall of Fame seal at the bottom that confirms its authenticity. 

The final cup is a replica of the Presentation Cup. It was created in 1993 to be used as a stand-in at the Hall of Fame when the Presentation Cup is not available. 

Stanley Cup winners year by year

The Avalanche entered the 2023 playoffs as the defending champs after defeating the Lightning last year. 

The Lightning have been to three consecutive Stanley Cup Finals, winning in 2020 and 2021 before falling to the Avs last year. 

Here is a look at every winner of the Stanley Cup since 1927. 

Season Winner Series Runner-up
2022 Colorado Avalanche 4-2 Tampa Bay Lightning
2021 Tampa Bay Lightning 4-1 Montreal Canadiens
2020 Tampa Bay Lightning 4-2 Dallas Stars
2019 St. Louis Blues 4-3 Boston Bruins
2018 Washington Capitals 4-1 Vegas Golden Knights
2017 Pittsburgh Penguins 4-2 Nashville Predators
2016 Pittsburgh Penguins 4-2 San Jose Sharks
2015 Chicago Blackhawks 4-2 Tampa Bay Lightning
2014 Los Angeles Kings 4-2 New York Rangers
2013 Chicago Blackhawks 4-2 Boston Bruins
2012 Los Angeles Kings 4-2 New Jersey Devils
2011 Boston Bruins 4-3 Vancouver Canucks
2010 Chicago Blackhawks 4-2 Philadelphia Flyers
2009 Pittsburgh Penguins 4-3 Detroit Red Wings
2008 Detroit Red Wings 4-2 Pittsburgh Penguins
2007 Anaheim Ducks 4-1 Ottawa Senators
2006 Carolina Hurricanes 4-3 Edmonton Oilers
2005 — (Lockout)
2004 Tampa Bay Lightning 4-3 Calgary Flames
2003 New Jersey Devils 4-3 Mighty Ducks of Anaheim
2002 Detroit Red Wings 4-1 Carolina Hurricanes
2001 Colorado Avalanche 4-3 New Jersey Devils
2000 New Jersey Devils 4-2 Dallas Stars
1999 Dallas Stars 4-2 Buffalo Sabres
1998 Detroit Red Wings 4-0 Washington Capitals
1997 Detroit Red Wings 4-0 Philadelphia Flyers
1996 Colorado Avalanche 4-0 Florida Panthers
1995 New Jersey Devils 4-0 Detroit Red Wings
1994 New York Rangers 4-3 Vancouver Canucks
1993 Montreal Canadiens 4-1 Los Angeles Kings
1992 Pittsburgh Penguins 4-0 Chicago Blackhawks
1991 Pittsburgh Penguins 4-2 Minnesota North Stars
1990 Edmonton Oilers 4-1 Boston Bruins
1989 Calgary Flames 4-2 Montreal Canadiens
1988 Edmonton Oilers 4-0 Boston Bruins
1987 Edmonton Oilers 4-3 Philadelphia Flyers
1986 Montreal Canadiens 4-1 Calgary Flames
1985 Edmonton Oilers 4-1 Philadelphia Flyers
1984 Edmonton Oilers 4-1 New York Islanders
1983 New York Islanders 4-0 Edmonton Oilers
1982 New York Islanders 4-0 Vancouver Canucks
1981 New York Islanders 4-1 Minnesota North Stars
1980 New York Islanders 4-1 Philadelphia Flyers
1979 Montreal Canadiens 4-1 New York Rangers
1978 Montreal Canadiens 4-2 Boston Bruins
1977 Montreal Canadiens 4-0 Boston Bruins
1976 Montreal Canadiens 4-0 Philadelphia Flyers
1975 Philadelphia Flyers 4-2 Buffalo Sabres
1974 Philadelphia Flyers 4-2 Boston Bruins
1973 Montreal Canadiens 4-2 Chicago Black Hawks
1972 Boston Bruins 4-2 New York Rangers
1971 Montreal Canadiens 4-3 Chicago Black Hawks
1970 Boston Bruins 4-0 St. Louis Blues
1969 Montreal Canadiens 4-0 St. Louis Blues
1968 Montreal Canadiens 4-0 St. Louis Blues
1967 Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 Montreal Canadiens
1966 Montreal Canadiens 4-2 Detroit Red Wings
1965 Montreal Canadiens 4-3 Chicago Black Hawks
1964 Toronto Maple Leafs 4-3 Detroit Red Wings
1963 Toronto Maple Leafs 4-1 Detroit Red Wings
1962 Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 Chicago Black Hawks
1961 Chicago Black Hawks 4-2 Detroit Red Wings
1960 Montreal Canadiens 4-0 Toronto Maple Leafs
1959 Montreal Canadiens 4-1 Toronto Maple Leafs
1958 Montreal Canadiens 4-2 Boston Bruins
1957 Montreal Canadiens 4-1 Boston Bruins
1956 Montreal Canadiens 4-1 Detroit Red Wings
1955 Detroit Red Wings 4-3 Montreal Canadiens
1954 Detroit Red Wings 4-3 Montreal Canadiens
1953 Montreal Canadiens 4-1 Boston Bruins
1952 Detroit Red Wings 4-0 Montreal Canadiens
1951 Toronto Maple Leafs 4-1 Montreal Canadiens
1950 Detroit Red Wings 4-3 New York Rangers
1949 Toronto Maple Leafs 4-0 Detroit Red Wings
1948 Toronto Maple Leafs 4-0 Detroit Red Wings
1947 Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 Montreal Canadiens
1946 Montreal Canadiens 4-1 Boston Bruins
1945 Toronto Maple Leafs 4-3 Detroit Red Wings
1944 Montreal Canadiens 4-0 Chicago Black Hawks
1943 Detroit Red Wings 4-0 Boston Bruins
1942 Toronto Maple Leafs 4-3 Detroit Red Wings
1941 Boston Bruins 4-0 Detroit Red Wings
1940 New York Rangers 4-2 Toronto Maple Leafs
1939 Boston Bruins 4-1 Toronto Maple Leafs
1938 Chicago Black Hawks 3-1 Toronto Maple Leafs
1937 Detroit Red Wings 3-2 New York Rangers
1936 Detroit Red Wings 3-1 Toronto Maple Leafs
1935 Montreal Maroons 3-0 Toronto Maple Leafs
1934 Chicago Black Hawks 3-1 Detroit Red Wings
1933 New York Rangers 3-1 Toronto Maple Leafs
1932 Toronto Maple Leafs 3-0 New York Rangers
1931 Montreal Canadiens 3-2 Chicago Black Hawks
1930 Montreal Canadiens 2-0 Boston Bruins
1929 Boston Bruins 2-0 New York Rangers
1928 New York Rangers 3-2 Montreal Maroons
1927 Ottawa Senators 2-0 Boston Bruins

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