? What is the Stanley Cup
?What is the Stanley Cup and why was it given this name
The Stanley Cup, also known as the Dominion Hockey Challenge Cup, is a North American ice hockey trophy awarded annually since 1927 by the National Hockey League to the winning team.
The Stanley Cup was first awarded in 1892-1893 and is considered the oldest trophy in North American professional sports that can be won by professional athletes in North America. The cup's donor was the Governor General of Canada, Frederick Arthur, and Lord Stanley of Preston, in whose honor the cup was named. The cup was originally supposed to go to the Canadian team which was decided by a playoff, with the first winner being the Montreal Amateur Athletic Union. Amateurs competed for the cup in the early years, but as the number of professional teams increased, amateurs withdrew from the competition. The Cup became the sole property of the National Hockey League in 1926. The cup has changed in size and shape over the years. The current version of the trophy is made of silver and nickel alloy, stands about 3 feet tall and weighs about 35 pounds. The Vegas Golden Knights are 2022-2023 Stanley Cup champions after clinching their first title with a 9-3 win over the Florida Panthers in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final. In its sixth season, Vegas became the second-fastest team in the modern hockey era (since 1943–44) to win the Stanley Cup, a mark surpassed only by the Edmonton Oilers (fifth season in 1983–84). Six players who played for the Vegas Golden Knights during their inaugural campaign were on the Stanley Cup winning team: William Carrier, William Karlsson, Jonathan Marchessault, Brayden McNabb, Riley Smith and Shea Theodore. They were also with the team during its five-game loss to the Washington Capitals in the 2018 Stanley Cup Final. Vegas became the second team in as many years not to face elimination on its way to winning the Stanley Cup (also 2022 COL).
