The Stanley Cup Trophy is steeped in a rich and quirky history, full of fascinating stories and traditions.

Hockey enthusiasts in Las Vegas (yes, the city of lights!) are going wild after the Vegas Golden Knights defeated the Florida Panthers 4-1 in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, becoming just the seventh team in NHL history to secure a championship in six seasons or fewer.

And most notably, the Golden Knights have claimed the coveted Stanley Cup. This iconic trophy, cherished by both players and fans, is steeped in an intriguing and eccentric legacy.

In 1892, the Cup was bought for just 10 guineas (roughly $50 at the time) and was donated by Lord Frederick Arthur Stanley, who was the Governor General of Canada from 1888 to 1893. The first Cup was presented to the champion hockey team of the Dominion of Canada league during the 1892-1893 season.

By 1910, control of the Stanley Cup passed to the National Hockey Association, and when the NHL was founded in 1926, the Cup became part of the league’s legacy. To this day, the Stanley Cup remains the oldest trophy that a professional athlete can compete for in North America.

We're Gonna Need a Bigger Bowl

When the NHL was formed in 1926, the Stanley Cup was just a simple bowl, measuring 7.3 inches (8.5 cm) high and 11.4 inches (29 cm) in diameter. However, those familiar with sports know that the Cup has since evolved into something much larger. Today, it stands nearly 3 feet tall (0.9 meters) and weighs approximately 35 pounds (16 kilograms).

The sheer size of the Stanley Cup is due to its tradition of engraving the names of all the winning players on it each season. Initially, names were etched into tiered rings at the base of the bowl. As the number of champions grew, additional collars or bands were added for space. When there was no more room, the old rings were retired to make room for new ones. You can view the original Stanley Cup and retired rings at Lord Stanley's Vault in the Esso Great Hall of the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto.

The Cup displayed outside the Hall of Fame is a replica of the original, featuring a bowl, three tiered rings, a collar, and five uniform bands. It's crafted from a durable silver and nickel alloy, designed to withstand plenty of, well, enthusiastic handling.

To the Winner, Goes the Cup ... Literally

Winning the Stanley Cup playoffs isn’t just about raising the Cup high for the perfect postgame snapshot. And it’s not just about having their names etched on the trophy for future generations to admire.

Somewhere along the way, someone came up with the brilliant idea to let every player on the winning team take the Stanley Cup home — for a full 24 hours.

Since NHL teams include players from all over the globe, the Cup has traveled to numerous countries, stopping in hometowns across North America, Europe, and Russia. (However, the NHL announced that the Stanley Cup will no longer visit Russia or Belarus due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.)

The Cup has been everywhere: from the Kentucky Derby to pool parties and parades, and it’s even served as a baptismal font. It also makes goodwill tours on behalf of the NHL, always accompanied by a Hockey Hall of Fame "minder" to keep it safe.

But the most incredible thing a player can do with the Cup is raise it high above their head in victorious celebration after a championship win — an achievement Wayne Gretzky managed to accomplish four times in just five seasons with the Edmonton Oilers between 1984 and 1988.

"Getting your name on that Stanley Cup is a rare honor, and it’s what makes winning it so special and so difficult," Gretzky said in an interview with NHL.com in 2017. "With the current parity among the 30 teams [now 32], it’s incredibly hard. So when you finally get to lift it, it’s truly worth the effort."