Another spring has boiled down to this. After four grueling rounds that included scintillating saves, great goals and teeth-chattering hits, the Los Angeles Kings enter Wednesday night up 3-0 with a chance to defeat the New York Rangers for the Stanley Cup while the Blueshirts hope to get into the series with their first victory and to send it back to Los Angeles for Game 5.
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Whether or not the Kings hoist the Cup on Madison Square Garden ice Wednesday night, the trophy is prepared for another summer of adventures -- or misadventures -- once this series is over. While the Stanley Cup is highly regarded as the best trophy in sports, it isn't always treated as well as it is revered.
We here at Sports World News will go back in time and share some of the best stories surrounding the Stanley Cup that have been passed on through many outlets throughout the years. Before the Kings or Rangers hoist Lord Stanley's Cup to close out the spring and enter into the summer, let's take a look at some of the crazy adventures the best trophy in sports has been through.
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1905 Ottawa Senators-Dropkicking Through Ottawa: While most people who win the Cup decide to plant a kiss on it and hoist it triumphantly, that wasn't the case for an unspecified member of the Ottawa Senators, who attempted to dropkick the trophy across Rideau Canal in Ontario in 1905. The kick across failed, and the Cup wasn't retrieved until the following day. Thankfully, the canal was frozen over.
1924 Montreal Canadiens-Leaving Lord Stanley On The Side Of The Road: In 1924, the Habs hoisted the Stanley Cup and members of the team were on the way to Leo Danduran's house to celebrate. The players endured a flat tire and after fixing it, they forgot the Cup on the side of the road and drove off. The Cup was eventually recovered right where they left it.
1925 Victoria Cougars-Scratching The Cup: After manager-coach Lester Patrick guided the Victoria Cougars to the Cup, his sons Lynn and Muzz discovered the trophy in the family basement and decided to scratch their names onto it with a nail. The two would get their names engraved on the trophy for real in 1940, when they won it all as members of the Rangers.
1940 New York Rangers-Burning The Mortgage: The Rangers won the Stanley Cup in 1940, the same year that the Madison Square Garden mortgage was paid. Team management celebrated both triumphs by burning the mortgage papers in the Cup. The Blueshirts wouldn't hoist Lord Stanley's Cup for another 54 years, with some fans citing this incident as a curse and the reason for the team's shortcomings for over five decades afterwards.
1961 Montreal Canadiens-Fan Interference: The Canadiens were losing the final game of a playoff series with the Chicago Blackhawks at Chicago Stadium when an upset Habs fan decided to leave his seat and run down to the lobby. The fan then broke through the glass showcase that the Cup was displayed on, hoisted the Cup in the air and made a swift exit before being arrested.
1962 Toronto Maple Leafs-Fiery Celebration: The Maple Leafs chose to celebrate their 1962 Cup victory like every other team: they partied. The only problem was the party got out of hand when the Cup fell into a bon fire the team had started and was badly damaged. Repairs were eventually made at the cost of the team.
1994 New York Rangers-Messy Celebration And Horse Play: In 1994, the Rangers made a mess of Lord Stanley's Cup. Following a parade in their honor, members of the 1994 Blueshirts took the Cup to McSorley's Ale House and locked the doors while letting fans hoist it and drink beer out of it. The trophy had to be taken back by the league for some repairs on the following day. Later that summer, some players brought the Cup to Belmont Park and let Kentucky Derby winner Go For Gin use it as a feedbag.
1996 Colorado Avalanche-Baptized In The Holy Grail: The Cup, also known as "The Holy Grail," has been used for some disgusting and terrible things over the years, but Avalanche player Sylvain Lefebvre had different ideas for it in 1996. Lefebvre had his daughter baptized in the Cup when he had his day with it.
1999 Dallas Stars-New Pool Float: During a pool party to celebrate the Stars' Cup win at defenseman Craig Ludwig's house, Guy Carbonneau attempted to throw the trophy from the upstairs deck into the house's pool down below. The throw apparently missed and the Cup hit the lip of the pool's edge, causing a dent. The keeper of the Cup has since denied that this happened, though it is unclear what actually caused the dent.
2008 Detroit Red Wings-A No.2 For The No. 1 Team: While an Avalanche player had his daughter baptized in the Cup in 1996, much the opposite happened when Kris Draper celebrated the Wings' 2008 triumph. Draper's daughter reportedly defecated in the Cup when he put her in the top bowl. It didn't stop Draper from drinking out of it after it was thoroughly cleaned.
Throughout the years, the Stanley Cup has been on a wild ride, and the Kings have a chance to add to the history of the Stanley Cup by hoisting it Wednesday night, while the Rangers will look to get back into the series.
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