The Stanley Cup

Us with The Cup in December, 2006

The Stanley Cup is a trophy awarded annually to the playoff champion club of the National Hockey League. It was donated by the Governor General of Canada Lord Stanley of Preston in 1892, and is the oldest professional sports trophy in North America.

Each member of a team that wins it gets to "have it" for one day. Babies have been baptized in it, cereal as been eaten from it, party drinks and chocolate milk have been served from it. It was once dropped in the Rideau Canal by members of the 1905 Ottawa Senators, and tossed into the swimming pools of Mario Lemieux's and Patrick Roy's swimming pools.

You can learn all about it at the Hockey Hall of Fame.

In June, 2001 and again in December, 2006, we got to see it in Raleigh at the RBC Center. It is indeed as impressive as everyone says!

According to legend, you are only supposed to touch it if you win it; if you touch it before winning it, you'll be jinxed and will never win it!

We saw it up close the first time in June, 2001