Because It's the Cup

            It has been 120 years since Lord Stanley of Preston presented hockey with its most storied trophy. Astonishingly, the Stanley Cup has kept its shine despite visiting places such as Niagara Falls, a Kandahar war zone, and the bottom of Mario Lemieux’s pool; its shape, however, has been altered.

            The Cup was the size of a cereal bowl when it was originally donated. It was used as a “challenge cup,” which meant that it changed ownership only when the team in possession lost the next year’s league title or a champion from another league won a formal challenge.

Wikipedia

            Engraving the Cup was the responsibility of the winners. Teams would literally etch their name into history. But as the criteria for winning the Cup changed, space became limited and changes needed to be made.

            In, 1893 and 1909, two base rings were added and teams continued to engrave the Cup.  Some winners put only their name and year of victory on the trophy, while others added more detail such as the date and score of the Cup clinching game.

Wikipedia

            In 1927, when the National Hockey League became the owner of the Cup, it made engraving the trophy an annual tradition.  A new band was added to the bottom of the Cup each year. People began to refer to the trophy as the “Stovepipe Cup,” because of its elongated shape.

Wikipedia 

            Following World War II, a trustee to the league recognized the ugly and cumbersome shape of the trophy and recommended that the Cup be re-designed. It was suggested that a new base be made with a receptacle for a “golden book,” which would hold the name of the previous Cup winners. Luckily, the NHL did not like this idea.

            Eventually a thicker, more barrel shaped Cup was created. The names of the previous winners were still engraved on the trophy though there was more room for future victors. Teams began engraving the names of its players on the Cup along with the names its of coaches and managers.

New England Magazine      

            There are five bands on today’s cup and further expansion has been halted. When there is no more room to engrave names, the top band of the Cup is retired. Two bands have been retired and they currently reside in the Hockey Hall of Fame. The next band will likely be removed following the 2016-2017 season.