Cut Stanley

In North America, the Cut Stanley (in English: in Stanley Cup ), called in the beginning in Dominion Hockey Challenge Cup , is decreed each year by the National league of hockey to the champion team of the eliminatory Séries. She is regarded as the emblem of supremacy to the hockey in this area. The Stanley Cut became today the symbol more respected professional hockey and remains the oldest trophy of North America, all confused professional sports.

History

Origins

The Stanley Cut, at the origin a bowl with silver salad of a value of 10 books, was given in 1892 by Frederick Arthur Stanley, first baron Stanley de Preston, 16th count de Derby during the last year of its mandate as general governor of the Canada. It was to be used as trophy decreed each year with the “club of hockey champion of the Dominion”. For her obtaining, any Canadian team could defy her détenteurs.
Lord Stanley had enacted some rules concerning this cut:

the Cut represented the championship of the league to which the holder team belonged.
the Cut could become the property of no team at any time.
the guards of the Cut had the last word concerning the possible arguments in connection with which was the holder.
the candidates with the Cut were to have gained the championship of their own league.
the championships (where the Cut could change league) would be decided either at the end of one only match, two matches on the whole of the goals, or in a series two-of-three, according to the desire of the two implied teams. All the matches were to take place on the skating rink of the champions defending on dates and hours approved by the guards of the Cut.
the product of the sale of tickets of the matches of championship was to be also distributed between the two participating teams.
a league could not contribute for the Cut twice during the same season.
the champions of the Cut had the responsibility to turn over the cut in good state when its guards theirs would ask.
the champions could add a ring of money to the Cut to commemorate their victory.

The Cut was in an original manner decreed in 1893 with the athletic Association amateur of Montreal (AAA) the champions of the Association of hockey amateur (AHA), the best league of hockey of the time.

First years

The first eliminatory match for obtaining the Stanley Cut took place the March 17th 1894, and the first decisive match took place the March 22nd same year. This season saw four of five teams AHA to finish it with equality for the championship with an assessment of 5-3-0. This created a problem for the leaders of the Association of hockey amateur and for the guards of the Cut in the designation of a champion team since no formula aiming at deciding between the teams in the event of equality was then in place. After long discussions and the withdrawal of the team of Quebec of the race to the championship, it was agreed that a tournament with three teams would take place in Montreal with the club of Ottawa obtaining one leave-to pass for the final (it was the only “abroad” playing club). The first final of the Stanley Cut of the history saw athletic Association amateur Montreal to register a victory of 3-1.

The following year saw the first challenge being launched for obtaining the Cut, by the club Queen' S University. It was however not without causing a controversy. The March 8th 1895, the Victorias of Montreal gained the championship of the league, and consequently the Stanley Cut. However, earlier during the season, a match of challenge had been decided between the champions of the previous year, that is to say the AAA of Montreal and the university team. This match had been planned for the March 9th 1895. The guards of the Cut ruled that, if athletic Association amateur gained this match, that would mean the sacring of Victorias. The AAA was going finally to gain the match on the mark of 5-1, which meant that their local rivals were crowned champions.

The first challenge launched successfully was it by the Victorias de Winnipeg, the champions of the in [[Manitoba Hockey League]] . The February 14th 1896, the team manitobaine bleached the champions by the mark of 2-0. For the first time, the Cut was decreed with a team apart from the AHA and of the town of Montreal. Their reign was however short: Victorias of Montreal, by gaining the championship of the AHA, required a match revenge. In what was described like the match of hockey more waited time, Victorias of Montreal overcame Victorias de Winnipeg by the mark of 6-5, the December 30th 1896.

The first series two-of-three was to take place in 1897 between the champions of the AMA, Victorias of Montreal and those of the Central Canada Hockey Association, the Capitals of Ottawa. The series however finished after only one match, after Victorias had shown their clear supremacy by carrying it 14-2. It was necessary to await 1899 before seeing a series two-of-three being actually played (even if Victorias de Winnipeg declared fixed price for the second match - and conceding the championship - following a discussed decision of the referee), and 1900 to see a series two-of-three deciding with the regular one.

1899 also saw the possession of the Cut being defended by two teams. Victorias of Montreal and the new champions of the AHA, the Shamrocks of Montreal defended their title against Victorias de Winnipeg and the club Queen' S University respectively.

The final of January 1902 was the first where the Ligue of Amateure Hockey of Canada (LHAC-CAHL), in the past the Association of hockey amateur, was not implied.

The championship of 1903 was the first in which a match had to be begun again. The January 31st, the twelve strokes of midnight occurred whereas the pointing of the second left was always equal, 2 to 2 after 27 minutes of prolongation between Victorias de Winnipeg of the AAA of Montreal. By respect for the Jewish players who were to observe the Sabbath, the match was rejoué the February 2nd and saw Winnipeg carrying it 4-2 to equalize the series. One month later, athletic Association amateur finished third with the classification of the LHAC with the first two teams with equality. The Stanley Cut was thus decreed with gaining of a series of two matches on the whole of the points between Victorias of Montreal and the Silver Seven of Ottawa. Silver Seven, by gaining the title, were forced to defend it later two days against the Thistles de Rat Bearing, a challenge which they easily gained.

The January 30th 1904, a regular part between Silver Seven and Victorias of Montreal began late in the evening and the two teams agreed to stop the match at midnight whereas Silver Seven carried out by the mark from 4 to 1. The LHAC on the other hand ordered the resumption of the match instead of accepting of it the pointing at the time of its stop. The debate which followed caused the defection of Silver Seven of the LHAC. The LHAC hoped that, the team of left Ottawa, the Cut would return to her Québécois team, but the guards of the Cut decided some differently. For a time, Silver Seven of Ottawa did not belong to any league before affiliating with in '' [[Federal Amateur League Hockey]] '' in 1905. This year saw one of the most legendary challenges of the Stanley Cut. The Nuggets of Dawson City traversed more: 4000 miles (6400 kilometers) since the Yukon to the Canadian capital and arrived first the match day before only of the series. Tiredness made of Nuggets an easy prey for Silver Seven. The second match of the series saw to be established several still unequalled marks of the history of the Stanley Cut. Frank McGee marked 14 goals in a victory of 23-2, more the victorious wide variation of all the matches for obtaining the Stanley Cut.

The year 1906 saw the creation of the Eastern Canada Amateur Hockey Association and, in December the first professional players took part in the competition pout obtaining the Cut Stanley and gained it. Until 1910, when the guards of the Cut decided that only the players having played for a team of the league in regular season could take part in it, it was frequent to see the champions and the applicants to call upon professionals for the series of championship. The Trolley Leaguers of Toronto were the first team of hockey entirely made of professionals to take part in the competition for obtaining the Cut, in 1908. The Coupe Allan replaced the Stanley Cut then for the players amateurs of Canada and the Stanley Cut then became the emblem of the supremacy of professional hockey.

1909 saw the departure of the AAA and Victorias of Montreal, the two remaining amateurs teams within the ECAHA, making it possible this league to give up the word “amateur” of its name to become an entirely professional league. The following year, under the name of Canadian Hockey Association (CHA), the league banishes Wanderers of Montreal. The owners of Wanderers with others founded the National association of hockey (ANH). A sharp competition then occurred between the ANH and the CHA and involved the disappearance of the CHA in January 1910. The Senators of Ottawa as well as Shamrocks of Montreal thus changed league. With Wanderers and Senators 'ANH was going quickly to impose itself as being the best league of Canada.

In 1912, the guards of the Cut decided that the defense of the Cut would take place only at the end of the regular season of the champion team. Previously, a challenge could be launched constantly with the champion team, depend on the conditions of ice since there was no artificial ice at the time, and it often happened that a team has to defend her title several times during the year.

New challenges

In 1914, the Aristocrats of Victoria of the Pacific Coast Hockey Association (PCHA) defied in officially the champions, the Blueshirts of Toronto, in a series of matches of exhibition. It was going to result from it an agreement between the NHA and the PCHA according to which the champions of the two leagues would clash for obtaining the Stanley Cut. This agreement, in its broad outlines is remained in place until in 1926. The final of the Stanley Cut was going to alternate between the east and the west of the country each year while the payments different from the NHA and the PCHA would alternate with each part. The Millionaires of Vancouver were going to gain the first official final after this agreement three matches with zero against the Senators of Ottawa in 1915.

The year 1916 saw the first American team belonging to a league compétitionnant for the Stanley Cut: the Rosebuds de Portland. They were also the first American team to take part in a final of the Stanley Cut this same year which saw the Canadian of Montreal gaining the first championship of their history. The following year saw the first American team, the Metropolitans of Seattle, to accommodate and gain a final of the Stanley Cut. 1918 saw the dissolution of the NHA and its replacement by the National league of hockey (LNH). The eliminating heats remained unchanged until in 1922, year of the training of the Western Canada Hockey League (WCHL). The champions of two of the leagues should clash to determine which would have the right to face the champion of the third league. In 1924, following an argument with knowing so only one or the two champions of the leagues of the west were to be sent in the east to face of them the champions, the Maroons of Vancouver of the PCHA and the Tigers of Calgary of the WCHL clashed to determine which would have right to reach directly the finale while the other should play against the Maroons of Montreal in semi-final.

1925 saw the fusion of the PCHA and the WCHL to form the Western Hockey League. Its disappearance the following year meant the exclusive takeover of the championship of the Stanley Cut by the LNH.

The Stanley Cut since 1926

The Cut was decreed at each year since 1893, except in 1919 and 2005. In 1919, the epidemic of Spanish Grippe forced the cancellation of the finale between the Canadians of Montreal and Seattle. The series was equal two victories and null on each side when the death of Joe Hall of the Canadians following this disease occurred which assigned also several other players. In 2005, the lockout struck the national league during all the season 2004-2005.

The National league was going to adopt the format four-of-seven for the final of 1939. This format is always used today.

The year 1942 saw the appearance of the red line in the center of the skating rink, and consequently what is regarded as modern hockey. This year, the Maple Leafs of Toronto were the first team of the history to overcome a deficit of 0-3 for finally gaining the Stanley Cut in seven parts against the Red Wings de Détroit. Maple Leafs of Toronto were also the first team to gain the Cut three seasons of sharpened in 1947, 1948 and 1949, exploit which they repeated between 1962 and 1964. Between 1956 and 1960 the Canadians of Montreal gained the cut five seasons of at a stretch, an unequalled performance, in addition to taking part in all the finales of the decade. They came to a conquest close renewing this exploit by gaining four consecutive Cuts between 1976 and 1979, just like the Islanders of New York between 1980 and 1983.

With 24 conquests of the Stanley Cut, the Canadians of Montreal are those which generally gained it, Maple Leafs of Toronto follow with 13 victories. Red Wings de Detroit with 10 successes come to the third rank while being to the first rank from the American clubs.

To engrave its name on the Stanley Cut

There exist three specimens of the Stanley Cut today:

cut with the original bowl, preciously preserved at the Temple of re-elected hockey
“the original one”, presented to the team champion
that intended for public appearances and various promotions.

The Cut makes 88 cm (35" today; 1/4) and weighs nearly 14,6 kg (32 lbs). To have its name engraved on Cut Stanley, today, player must to play minimum of 41 parts with team during season regular, that is to say at least half of matches, (while taking obviously for asset that it still makes part of the team when this one gains the Cut) or to have taken share with at least a match of the finales. The LNH can also accept other reasons after a study case-by-case.

List gaining Stanley Cut and finalists

The section below presents the list of the series whose Stanley Cut was the stake, that they are the challenges of the first years of existence of the Cut or the eliminatory series of the modern era. It does not include however the teams which gained the Stanley Cut by gaining the championship of their leagues even if several of them had to defend their title after to be crowned champions. All the teams listed after 1918 belong to the National league of hockey, unless otherwise specified.

Before the LNH

Since the beginning of the LNH

Honnor rolls

Current teams

Late teams

References and notes

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