The
Stanley Cup is an
ice hockey club
trophy, awarded annually to the
National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the
Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as
The Cup,
Lord Stanley's Cup,
The Holy Grail, or facetiously 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 three
major professional sports leagues of North America, a new Stanley Cup is not made each year; winners keep it until a new champion is crowned. It is unusual among trophies, in that it has the names of all of the winning players, coaches, management, and club staff engraved on its
chalice. The original bowl was made of silver and is 18.5 centimetres in height and 29 centimetres in diameter. The current Stanley Cup, topped with a copy of the original bowl, is made of a silver and nickel
alloy; it has a height of 89.54 centimetres and weighs 15.5 kilograms.