2011 NHL Stanley Cup Final: 5 Reasons Why It's the Only Trophy That Matters
Later this week, the Boston Bruins and the Vancouver Canucks will embark on a quest to capture the Stanley Cup.
There will be many games full of high-octane action, intensity and excitement. However, the Stanley Cup stands in a class of its own, and it is the only trophy that matters when it comes to the NHL and Hockey in general.
Here are five reasons why at the end of the year, the Stanley Cup is the only trophy that matters.
It Is a Championship Trophy
1 of 6
Obviously, it is a championship trophy but still this needs to be acknowledged.There are tons of trophies in the NHL. They range from the Hart Trophy all the way to the Vezina Trophy. There are also trophies awarded to the winners of each conference and for the team with the best record overall.
The Prince of Wales and Clarence Campbell Trophy are all good and well and symbolize great achievements. Yes, they are technically classified championship trophies, but in reality, they are no more than conference trophies.
Nobody likes to come in second place and the loser in the Stanley Cup Finals is only remembered as a conference champion.
To better illustrate this, I will reference the 2010 Winter Olympics. For the losing team, it will be like Team USA making it to the Olympic Gold Medal game.
Each team going in is a silver medalist (Conference Champion), and the winner gets the gold medal (Stanley Cup).
The Stanley Cup is true symbol and mark of an elite NHL player and champion.
There Is Only One
2 of 6
There is only one Stanley Cup that is currently in circulation. The Stanley Cup that will be presented to Henrik Sedin or Zdeno Chara will be the same cup that was presented to greats like Mark Messier, Steve Yzerman, Mario Lemeiux, Wayne Gretzky, Gordie Howe, Henri Richard and countless others.
There is a certain mystique about this trophy. Each Hart, Norris, Vezina or Art Ross winner receives their own trophy. However, this is not the case with the Stanley Cup.
There is such a rich and illustrious history associated with the cup that makes it so special and magical.
There are countless videos that illustrate the level of excitement that range from Gretzky lifting the trophy for the third time in a row all the way to Ray Bourque lifting it for the very first time after playing in the league for 20-plus years.
The Difficulty Associated with Winning the Cup
3 of 6
Trophies like the Maurice Richard, Art Ross and William J. Jennings, are awarded to players based on statistical excellence.
While it takes talent and skill for a player to lead the NHL in goals, points or goals allowed average, the Stanley Cup is an animal in itself.
After completing a grueling 82-game schedule, teams must run the gauntlet by defeating three teams in their conference in series that could run as long as seven games. Then after a maximum additional 21 games, the conference champions square off in a winner take all series.
This schedule is most grueling on goaltenders because they are expected to play at an elite level night in and night out.
The Stanley Cup is definitely the toughest championship to win in all of sports.
.png?w=256 "Stanley Cup Playoffs Predictions")
"The Whole Is Greater Than the Sum of Its Parts"
4 of 6
Many awards in professional sports shout out me, me, me. The Stanley Cup symbolizes the culmination of the team's long journey. It is a long road that starts when the season is over. During the offseason, players train and rest up. Then in August, players get back into the grind and fight for a spot on the team in training camp. In September, the preseason starts, and a buzz begins to circulate. And finally from October onward, the goal is laid out and the target is set.
From that moment on, each player is pulling their own weight and is working towards the common goal of becoming a Stanley Cup champion.
Even though the Stanley Cup appears like it weighs a ton, it feels lighter than air once hoisted above a player's head because all of the burden and hard work leading up to that moment slides off their shoulders.
It takes a team of players all dedicated and focuses to win the Stanley Cup. It can not be done alone, and it only makes the candid moments between players afterwards so much sweeter.
It Is a Party Trophy
5 of 6
The Stanley Cup is known to be a real party trophy. Over the years, many a cocktail has been mixed in the Stanley Cup. Even in more recent years, ice cream sundaes have been enjoyed in the Stanley Cup by players and their children.
The Stanley Cup has even ended up in a riverbank after some self-induced drunkenness by some off the players.
If you polled the players and asked them about their favorite part about being a Stanley Cup champion, nine out of 10 of them would say that spending a day with the Cup is the best part.
When Alexei Kovalev won the Stanley Cup as a member of the New York Rangers back in 1994, he took the home to his native Russia and brought it to Red Square in Moscow.
Other players have taken the cup to their homes, former schools and countless other locales that span the globe.
The Stanley Cup is certainly a trophy with a lot of character and history, and it is recognized world wide.
Comments, Questions, Concerns,Gripes ?
6 of 6
Comments, questions, concerns?
For more Stanley Cup playoffs and NHL news updates and alerts,
Also check out some of my other articles including
2011 Stanley Cup Finals: Tim Thomas vs Roberto Luongo
.png?w=480 "Stanley Cup Playoffs Predictions")
.jpg?w=600 "Could Leafs Trade for McDavid in 2027? 🤔")
