LORD STANLEY

Congratulations to the Los Angeles Kings, winners of the NHL’s Stanley Cup! In their 45-year history, this is the first time they have achieved the coveted trophy.

But who is this Lord Stanley?

Lord Stanley was the Governor General of Canada who donated the trophy in 1892. Originally inscribed the Dominion Hockey Challenge Cup, the trophy started out as an award for Canada's top-ranking amateur ice hockey club in the Amateur Hockey Association of Canada.

In 1915, the National Hockey Association (NHA) and the Pacific Coast Hockey Association, (PCHA) by mutual agreement, agreed to have the winner of each league play for the trophy. By a series of league mergers and teams and leagues folding, in 1926 it became the trophy of the National Hockey League (NHL).

Since the 1914-1915 season: the cup has not been awarded twice: in 1919 because of a Spanish Flu epidemic and once in 2005 because of the NHL Lockout.

The original six teams comprised of Montreal, Toronto, Detroit, Chicago, Boston and New York. The Montreal Canadiens, considered the New York Yankees of hockey, have appeared 34 times playing for the cup, winning 24 of them. At one point, from 1951 through 1960 they appeared consecutively 10 years in a row! That is an amazing .706 percentage! Detroit has appeared 24 times winning 11 and Toronto 21 times winning 13.

NEVER WINNING THE CUP

The teams that have never played for the cup are: Winnipeg Jets/Phoenix Coyotes, Pittsburg Penguins, Washington Capitals, Hartford Whalers/Carolina Hurricanes, Kansas City Scouts/Colorado Rockies/New Jersey Devils, San Jose Sharks and the Quebec Nordiques.

That’s all I wrote, folks!