The Wildest Things People Have Done With The Stanley Cup
For over 100 years, the Stanley Cup has been the most revered award in the National Hockey League. People have funny ways of showing their love for the trophy, like setting it on fire, punting it over a canal, and even forgetting it on the side of the road. Read on for some of the most outrageous things people have done with the Stanley Cup.
The Montreal Canadiens Left The Cup On The Side Of The Road!
One of the oldest stories in the Stanley Cup book is when the Montreal Canadiens left their 1924 trophy on the side of the road! The team's then-owner, Léo Dandurand, and three players were headed home from a celebratory party when their Model T Ford gave out.
Player Sprague Cleghorn placed the Stanley Cup on the side of the road to help push the car uphill. By the time everyone jumped in, they all had forgotten about the trophy! Luckily, it was still there when they returned to get it.
The Ottawa Silver Seven Kicked The Cup Over A Canal!
As is evident in this photograph, the Stanley Cup was much smaller in 1905. Still, that doesn't excuse the Ottawa Silver Seven from kicking the trophy over a canal!
Rumor has it that the team wanted to see if they could punt it over the Rideau Canal. Sports editor Bill Westwick claims that the real story wasn't that exciting; one team member tossed the trophy over a fence and another gave it a kick. Either way, it's still a rough way of handling the prize.
Kris Draper's Kid Made A Mess In The Cup
During Kris Draper's 17 seasons with the Detroit Red Wings, he brought home the Stanley Cup a total of four times! The victory that most stands out, though, was his 2008 win against the Boston Bruins.
Draper admitted to the Toronto Star that a week after bringing home this Stanley Cup trophy, his newborn relieved herself in it! They thought it would be cute to put her in the cup, but it turned out to be messier than anticipated.
One Fan Stole The Stanley Cup Out Of Its Case!
What do you do when your favorite team loses the Stanley Cup? You steal it out of the case before the winner is announced, of course! At least, that's what Montreal Canadiens fan Ken Kilander thought.
When he saw that the Chicago Blackhawks would win the 1961 championship, Kilander broke open the trophy case and stole the Stanley Cup! As would be expected, he didn't make it far before security got involved, and now the Cup isn't left unattended.
Maurice Richard Chipped His Teeth On The Cup
Maurice "Rocket" Richard was a legendary hockey player who took home the Stanley Cup a whopping eight times! One of those times, though, he ended up chipping his two front teeth while drinking from the trophy.
Many hockey players end up with chipped, or even missing, teeth, but it's usually from an incident that happened on the ice, not after a victory. The incident happed in 1957 after the Montreal Canadiens beat the Boston Bruins.
The New York Rangers Burned Papers In The Cup
Back in 1940, the New York Rangers beat the Toronto Maple Leafs and took home the Stanley Cup. If that weren't exciting enough, they also paid off their Madison Square Garden mortgage the same year.
In a celebratory mood, the team thought it'd be a good idea to burn the mortgage papers in the Stanley Cup. The trophy ended up catching on fire, which some believe started a curse on the team. They didn't win it again until 1994.
The Toronto Maple Leafs Threw The Stanley Cup Into A Fire
Considering that the New York Rangers had their Stanley Cup debacle after winning the Toronto Maple Leafs, you'd think the losers would have paid attention. Evidently, they did not because 20 years later, the Maple Leafs made the same mistake.
After winning the Stanley Cup in 1962, the Toronto Maple Leaf team members decided to celebrate at a bonfire. That seems innocent enough, that is, until they threw the trophy into the flames to use it as fuel!
Mario Lemieux Took The Stanley Cup Into The Pool
When Mario Lemieux and the rest of the Pittsburgh Penguins out-played the Minnesota North Stars in 1991, they decided to have a pool party to celebrate. It was there that Lemieux started the now-decades-long tradition of bringing the Stanley Cup into the pool.
After Lemieux's 2006 retirement, he celebrated the Penguins' 2009, 2016, and 2017 victories as the team's owner. Players followed in Lemieux's footsteps on the ice and in the pool, splashing around with the 35-pound trophy at every celebration.
Patrick Roy Also Pool-Dunked The Stanley Cup
Just two years after Mario Lemieux learned that the Stanley Cup doesn't, in fact, float in the pool, Patrick Roy decided to give it one more test. The then-Montreal Canadiens goaltender brought the team's 1993 Stanley Cup into the pool in a celebratory gesture.
Apparently, they didn't get the word about chlorine being less than ideal for the trophy's metal. Fortunately, the Cup is relatively durable so the pool parties haven't done too much damage.
Multiple Players Baptized Their Children In The Stanley Cup
In 1996, Colorado Avalanche defensemen Sylvain Lefebvre had two life-changing things happen: meeting his newborn and winning the Stanley Cup. He had the brilliant idea of celebrating both at once by baptizing his daughter in the Cup!
Some players have followed in Lefebrve's footsteps over the years. In 2008, Tomas Holmstrom of the Detroit Red Wings did the same thing for his daughter. Pictured here is Pittsburg Penguins player Josh Archibald watching his son's baptism in the Cup in 2017.
Guy Carbonneau Allegedly Dented The Stanley Cup
Guy Carbonneau proved that tossing the Stanley Cup into the pool isn't just risky because of the chlorine. When the hockey legend won the trophy in 1999 as part of the Dallas Stars, he thought it'd be fun to toss the reward into the pool.
Carbonneau put his own twist on the tradition by throwing it off a balcony! The problem is that he underestimated the distance, resulting in the Cup smacking onto the pavement. Rumor has it there's still a dent in the trophy.
The Pittsburgh Penguins' Phil Kessel Ate Hot Dogs Out Of The Cup
In 2017, Phil Kessel of the Pittsburgh Penguins made his fans laugh to tears when he decided to take the Stanley Cup out to the golf course to use as a hot dog stand.
To be fair, it was his second time winning the trophy, so the novelty had probably worn off to an extent. Plus, the trophy is the perfect height for him to eat off of! The moment has remained an ongoing joke ever since.
Clark Gillies Let His Dog Eat Out Of The Stanley Cup
Have you ever looked at the Stanley Cup and thought, "Man, the top part sure would make a perfect dog bowl"? Evidently, hockey champion Clark Gillies has, and he put his curiosity to the test after winning the trophy in 1980.
After the New York Islanders' victory over the Philadelphia Flyers, Gillies fed his dog out of the Stanley Cup! The best part is that when people started giving him flack, Gillies merely replied, "Why not? He's a good dog."
Ray Bourque Celebrated His Colorado Avalanche Win In Boston
After 21 seasons with the Boston Bruins, Ray Bourque headed over to the Colorado Avalanche where he won his first Stanley Cup. Bourque's reputation left him with many fans who were pleased with the win, even though it was for a Colorado team.
His following was so pronounced that when Bourque announced he'd be bringing the Cup to Boston to celebrate for a day, 20,000 people showed up to give their support! It may not have been the Boston Bruins, but it was still their favorite defenceman.
Eddie Olczyk Let A Racehorse Eat Out Of The Stanley Cup
As New York Rangers center Eddie Olczyk discovered, the Stanley Cup is just the right size to fit a horse's mouth in its top. The NHL champion decided that the best way to celebrate his 1994 victory over the Vancouver Canucks was to feed a horse with the trophy.
This wasn't just any horse, though. Eddie flew to Kentucky to feed the winner of the 1994 Kentucky Derby race. If any horse deserved to eat out of the Stanley Cup, it was a fellow champion.
Guy Lafleur Displayed The Stanley Cup On His Lawn
Guy Lafleur is such a legendary hockey player that he came out of retirement to play after being inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. If that weren't intimidating enough, he also won the Stanley Cup four times in a row from 1975 to 1979.
In case anyone missed all those wins, Lafleur decided to put the trophy on full display on his front lawn for all to see. It's a pretty bold move to leave something so valuable outside, but Lafleur was a bold kind of "guy."
Mark Messier Took The Stanley Cup To An Auto Shop
Mark Messier may have won the Stanley Cup six times over the course of his career, but he still looked like a kid in a toy store every time. Unfortunately, he also treated the trophy like a kid would their toy.
Messier had a habit of partying a little too hard with the trophy. He reportedly dented it not once, but twice. The humorous part is that he actually took it to an auto shop both times to repair the damage.
Patrick Kane Took The Stanley Cup To Niagara Falls
Patrick Kane was quick to prove his talent, landing the Stanley Cup-winning goal in just his third year in the National Hockey League. To celebrate, Patrick decided to do something no player had ever done before.
He took the trophy to Niagara Falls! Just imagine holding 35 pounds of slippery metal with mist blowing all over everything and a waterful threatening to eat up the trophy forever. Of course, Kane held on tight and managed not to drop it.
Steve Yzerman Showered With The Stanley Cup
It's clear by the way that Steve Yzerman is wrapping his arms around the Stanley Cup that this trophy meant the world to him. After the Detroit Red Wings player helped to defeat the Philadelphia Flyers, he was too excited to sleep.
He ended up partying all night and then showering with the Cup! Many players have slept with the trophy in their bed, but Yzerman may be the first to take it into the bathroom with him.
The Oilers Stole The Cup Out Of The Flyers' Dressing Room
Superstition can play a big role in sports, if for no other reason than the fact that some players trust in its ability to help them win. Case in point: the 1987 Stanley Cup championship.
The Philadelphia Flyers had the Cup in their locker room for good luck, so the Edmonton Oilers went in and snagged it when no one was looking. After two wins with the trophy's "help," the Flyers lost the next game and the Oilers took home the Stanley Cup!
Andrew Desjardins Ate Lucky Charms Out Of The Cup
After Andrew Desjardins helped the Chicago Blackhawks beat the Tampa Bay Lightning, he decided to do something a little less common with the Stanley Cup. While many players like to drink out of the cup, Andrew used it as a giant cereal bowl.
He loaded the trophy up with Lucky Charms and dug in! We have to imagine that Desjardins had been dreaming of this moment since he was young. What kid doesn't love trophies and sugary cereal?
Claude Lemieux Did A Stanley Cup Prank With Howard Stern
Claude Lemieux brought a whole new meaning to the New Jersey "Devils" when he teamed up with radio personality Howard Stern to do a Stanley Cup prank. Everyone in the studio played along as a co-host pretended to use the restroom into the Cup!
The 1995 prank had listeners absolutely beside themselves, and it was right in line with the humor of the show. Some people didn't appreciate the crude performance, but Lemieux was used to being scrutinized, given his feud with Kris Draper.
Doug Weight Let His Kids Eat Ice Cream From The Stanley Cup
When Doug Weight helped lead the Carolina Hurricanes to victory in 2006, he knew just how to make it special for the entire family. Weight filled the Stanley Cup up with ice cream and let his kids dive in!
A massive bowl of ice cream is any kid's dream, but especially when the bowl is such a prized possession that their famous dad worked hard to earn. Weight's Cup celebration is one of the more family-oriented things on this list.
Nick Bonino Ate Pasta Out Of The Stanley Cup
Nick Bonino decided to get in touch with his Italian roots to celebrate the Pittsburgh Penguins' 2016 victory over the San Jose Sharks. He filled the cup with one of the messiest foods to go into it: pasta.
Fortunately, marinara sauce doesn't stain metal the way it does Tupperware. Bonino went all out, mixing the pasta with tongs and shaving a fresh block of parmesan over the meal. After a season of hard work, he probably needed the carbs.
Derian Hatcher Brought The Stanley Cup To A Baseball Game
When it's a hockey player's turn to have the Stanley Cup for a day, they can take it just about anywhere, even to another game. That's what Derian Hatcher did when the Dallas Stars beat the Buffalo Sabres.
The athlete showed his love for local teams by holding the Stanley Cup overhead at a Texas Rangers game. To some it may have seemed questionable bringing a hockey trophy to a baseball stadium, but whatever helps the team win!
The Stanley Cup Was Almost Attacked In A War!
Mike Bolt can attest that being the Stanley Cup keeper is no easy task. That was especially true when the trusted guardian brought the trophy to Afghanistan in 2007 for a troop visit and photo-op.
Bolt was so adamant about keeping the Cup safe that he even showered with it, but then a missile alarm went off. The Cup-keeper assumed it was just a drill, but it was actually a real warning. Fortunately, both made it out safely.
The Montreal Wanderers' Cup Was Turned Into A Flower Pot
Back in 1907, the Montreal Wanderers beat the Kenora Thistles to bring home the Stanley Cup. The team had a photoshoot with the trophy at a photographer's house, but they forgot the prized possession when they left!
The photographer's mother thought that the Stanley Cup would make for a lovely pot, so she planted flowers in it. When the team went back to collect the valuable item they'd forgotten, they got more than just the trophy.
Someone Stole The Stanley Cup's Original Bowl And Collar
The original Stanley Cup isn't the huge one used today, but was a much smaller variation made in 1893. The bowl and collar of this historic trophy were added to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1962, but eight years later it was stolen.
Somehow, the criminal managed to get away with it. That is, until an anonymous tip led the authorities to the location of the missing pieces in 1977. The mysterious location was the storage room of a Toronto cleaning store!
Evgeni Malkin Took The Cup To A WWII Monument In Russia
After leading the Pittsburgh Penguins to victory against the Detroit Red Wings, Evgeni Malkin did something a lot of players do: he took the Stanley Cup home. In this case, that meant flying the trophy to Russia.
Flying the trophy internationally is amazing enough, but it gets more unique. While there, Malkin elected to do a photo op near a World War II monument in his hometown of Magnitogorsk. Perhaps it was meant to be a battle reference.
Hayden Panettiere Licked The Stanley Cup
To help stoke enthusiasm for the National Hockey League, the Stanley Cup appeared on the set of the drama series Heroes. Hayden Panettiere got to pose with the trophy for promotional purposes, and she ended up taking some sillier photos.
While it's typical for Stanley Cup winners to kiss the trophy, Hayden took this a step further by licking the thing. While she probably meant it as a joke, some fans weren't too fond of the actress taking the item's meaning so lightly.
