#39: The Stanley Cup
The only constant in the world is change, and the same is true for sports. Different sports have seen many different iterations over the years, and it’s no different for awards and trophies. The Stanley Cup is one of the most famous sports awards. In fact, it’s the oldest existing trophy awarded to a franchise in all of North America. However, it used to go by a different name.
When the Stanley Cup was first commissioned in 1892, it was called the Dominion Hockey Challenge Cup. It was popularly called the Stanly Cup because Lord Stanley of Preston created the trophy and the tradition. The first Stanley Cup was awarded in 1893. It had the phrase “Dominion Hockey Challenge Cup” engraved on the side. They awarded this original trophy to hockey teams until 1970.