The Stanley Cup and Canada are celebrating milestones this year. It is the 125th anniversary of the Stanley Cup and the 150th birthday of Canada.
This trophy is a national treasure in Canada and if we get over to Rideau Hall, the residence of the Governor General of Canada on March 16th, we can see it up close and have our photos taken with the Cup. Some of you may know that there are actually three Stanley Cups: the original bowl of the "Dominion Hockey Challenge Cup", the authenticated "Presentation Cup", and the "Replica Cup" on display at the Hockey Hall of Fame. So which cup do you think we'll see on March 16th? And will it look like the current Stanley Cup?
Its shape is very distinctive - it has the nickname the 'Stovepipe Cup' as new bands were added to accommodate the latest team and winners starting in 1924. In 1958 the modern one-piece Cup was designed with a five-band barrel which could contain 13 winning teams per band. To prevent the Stanley Cup from growing, when the bottom band is full, the oldest band is removed and preserved in the Hockey Hall of Fame, and a new blank band added to the bottom. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously (chiefly by sportswriters) as Lord Stanley's Mug. The Stanley Cup is surrounded by numerous legends and traditions, the oldest of which is the celebratory drinking of champagne out of the cup by the winning team.
Today's abstract might be reminiscent of the Stanley Cup, or perhaps more like the CN Tower.
