#844 The Stanley Cup runneth over with smiles

The Stanley Cup trophy. What more can or should be said? It is probably the best trophy in all of sport. The Stanley Cup is the championship trophy awarded annually to the National Hockey League (NHL) playoff winner at the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. The current Stanley Cup, topped with a copy of the original bowl, is made of a nickel and silver alloy; it is 89.54 centimeters (35.25 inches) tall and weighs in at 15.5 kilograms (34.5 lb). Unlike trophies awarded by the other major professional sports leagues of North America, a new Stanley Cup is not made each year; the winning team keeps the Stanley Cup trophy until a new champion is crowned. The cup-winning team gets to keep the Stanley Cup trophy for 100 days and decides who gets to spend time with the trophy and for how long. Most players get the cup for a single day. One man, Philip Pritchard, known as The Keeper of the Cup, accompanies the Stanley Cup on its travels. Talk about a dream job! You can read about Philip Pritchard and his job as The Keeper here.

(If you would like to learn more about the history of the Stanley Cup, you can do so at the Hockey Hall of Fame website.)

There are many traditions and anecdotes associated with the Stanley Cup but the one that makes me smile the most is the tradition at the final game of the Stanley Cup Finals series where each of the players hoists the cup above their head and skates around the ice rink.

These men have generally been playing hockey all their lives and dream of this moment. Check out the looks on their faces-

For many it is the culmination of a life long dream. It may be the only time they get to skate with the cup and the amount of emotion going through their bodies is truly amazing and makes me smile each year.

Have you ever seen the Stanley Cup trophy in person? Tell us about your experience. We would love to hear from you. Click here to leave a comment and share your opinion and experience. Would love to hear from you.