Having played hockey and having followed hockey since I was a young kid, no trophy fascinated me as much as the Stanley Cup. Each year, growing up in Brooklyn, I would say, "This is the year that the Rangers will drink from the Cup!!!" and every year they would find some way to fall short. Then came 1994 and the Rangers were Stanley Cup Champions. I had already left the NY area so I did not get a chance to see or be close to this magnificent trophy. Jump ahead 18 years and the Los Angeles Kings won the Stanley Cup and their fans probably felt the same way I did back in 1994.
We have cousins who have season tickets for the Kings. They called to tell us that on October 3, 2012, season ticket holders could come down and take pictures with the Cup. What was even better was that they could bring two guests. My wife and I were going to be their guests.
The Stanley Cup is like no other trophy, there is no new Stanley Cup made each year. Once you are crowned Stanley Cup Champion, you get to keep the trophy until a new champion is crowned. Players, coaches, management and staff have their names engraved on the trophy. Since 1914-15, the Stanley Cup has been awarded 94 times to 18 teams. The Montreal Canadians have won it 24 times.
When we get up to see the Cup, I look down to see the teams and the names. It was as if the hockey gods were looking down at me because the first team I see is, who else, the 1993-194 New York Rangers. I was very content to know that the Rangers actually won the Stanley Cup and it wasn't a figment of my imagination.
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