.la coupe stanley.

I’m not worthy of such a trophy. What I mean is; I didn’t even feel worthy seeing it, let alone having my photo snapped with it. If you don’t know the history of the Stanley Cup, it may be difficult to understand its significance, importance, and popularity. First off, the magnitude of it is much more than you can imagine.

Let me explain.

Established in 1893, the Stanley Cup (La Coupe Stanley) is a Hockey Championship trophy awarded annually to the NHL Championship Team. It is commonly referred to as The Cup, The Holy Grail, or (by sportswriters) as Lord Stanley's Mug. The Stanley Cup is surrounded by numerous legends and traditions, the oldest of which is the celebratory drinking of champagne out of the cup by the winning team. Unlike the trophies awarded by the other 3 major professional sports leagues: NBA, NFL, and MLB; a new Stanley Cup is not made each year. The Cup winners keep it until a new champion is crowned. It is the only trophy in the professional sports world that has the name of the winning players, coaches, management, and club staff engraved on its chalice. The original bowl was made of silver and has a dimension of 7.28 inches in height and 11.42 inches in diameter. Today, it has a height of 35.25 inches and weighs 34.5 lbs as more names have been added throughout the years. The Stanley Cup is the oldest professional Sports trophy in North America.

Here’s something that could possibly be just as amazing as The Cup itself:

To prevent The Cup from being dented and damaged too badly, the NHL hired a full-time bodyguard in 1995. “We don't play for a bunch of flags like they do in baseball, and you can't drink out of the Lombardi Trophy," says Mike Bolt, 39, the Keeper of the Cup, also known as the "Cup Cop". "It's dry until it's won, and then it goes off the wagon in a hurry". The Stanley Cup is the only trophy in all of sport that is passed along from player to player (of the winning team), each for a 24-hour period. It's the only trophy in all of sport that has 24-hour supervision and is accompanied by a full-time bodyguard (aka “Cup Cop”).

The Stanley Cup is a chalice made of silver and nickel alloy. It travels 300 days a year and in the past eight years, it has logged more than 750,000 miles in trips to Russia, the Czech Republic, Sweden, Finland, Japan, Austria, Germany, England, the Bahamas and the deserts of Afghanistan. "The Cup opens a lot of doors, and I get to ride its coattails." said Mr. Bolt. The Cup, said to be insured for $75,000, travels in its own case. It can be belted into a seat on a private jet, but it has ridden as baggage ever since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, and more than one Transportation Safety Administration official has ogled it after asking that the case be opened. Mr. Bolt always wears white gloves when he handles the Stanley Cup.

When a player gets his 24 hours with it, Mr. Bolt is right there with it. "The Cup and the keeper are one and the same." he said. That means sleeping in the same house, or trailer, with Brian Trottier (a Cup winner with the Islanders and the Penguins) in Saskatchewan. Going along as The Cup went jet skiing with the Detroit Red Wings' Steve Yzerman. Riding in a car behind it as The Cup was harnessed to the back of the Avalanche's Scott Parker's Harley. Going along in the helicopter Scott Niedermayer (a Cup winner with the New Jersey Devils and the Anaheim Ducks) hired to fly The Cup to the summit of Fisher Peak in British Columbia, about 9,300 feet above sea level. Or accompanying the Avalanche's Peter Forsberg in 1996 when The Cup flew to Europe for the first time. The roughhousing with The Cup has diminished with the bodyguard along. A request to take it sky diving, for example was denied. But reasonable creativity is allowed. "My job is to make sure The Cup is safe and secure, but we want the players to enjoy their moment with it." Mr. Bolt said. Incidentally, Mr. Bolt has never raised The Cup over his head. He reserves that right to those who have won it.

So, is that amazing or what? I almost feel like The Cup and Cup Cop should have a reality show. Wouldn’t that be cool to follow them around after a Championship, just to see what adventures they find? Well, I hope after this post you learned something new and give this trophy the respect is deserves!

I was lucky enough to see The Stanley Cup and Mr. Bolt with my very own eyes while I was in Montreal. I even had the pleasure of getting my photo taken with it before anyone in line that day. I was escorted to The Cup right after the unveiling ceremony to get my very own photo with what I feel is the coolest, most sacred, and stunning trophy ever.

Thank you NHL! -c