Stanley Cup engravings to be replaced

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One of sport’s most iconic trophies is about to undergo a major refurbishment, in readiness for the next generation of ice-hockey champions.

The 126 year old trophy will have the top band of names removed, this will allow room for further names to be added without making the trophy any larger.

The trophy was donated by Lord Stanley in 1892 and the bowl originally stood only seven inches high. Today the trophy is a massive three foot tall, and resembles a large tiered wedding cake, presenting a problem for winning teams who traditionally skate round the rink holding the trophy aloft. Any bigger and this tradition would not be able to happen.

Each year, all the winning players names are added to the bands, resulting in the trophies over-grown size. By replacing engraved bands with new ones, the trophy can remain the same size.

This process is repeated every 13 years, and a player’s name will be on the cup for 65 years. The removed bands are carefully flattened out and put on display at the Hockey Hall of Fame. Over the years the black base has suffered some damage from enthusiastic winners, acquiring several chips and dents. The engraved names also show signs of misspellings and one name has actually been scratched out.

Nevertheless, the Stanley Cup is a unique and much sought after trophy and unlike other engraved awards, bears the name of every member of the winning team, if only for a certain number of years.

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