The “Stanley Cup”, as it has become now known, was contemplated by the Governor General of Canada in 1892. It was first awarded in 1893. Lord Stanley was then the appointed representative of the British Queen to Canada. It seems that this position was a gold mine for trophies as also the “Earl of Grey” held this title previously as did the “Earl of Minto” and “Lord Byng”.
For the foreign reader, the Grey Cup is the trophy given to the winner of the Canadian Football League. The Minto Cup is awarded to the champion lacrosse team. NHL viewers will know that the Lady Byng trophy is given to the most gentlemanly player in the league.
Lord Stanley was far from an instant hit when he arrived in Canada. One of his first decisions in 1890 was to cancel the tradition of the annual state ball at Government House. He was said to be “indisposed” but the press of the day reported, as stated in the New York Times on February 11, 1890 that the:
..members of vice regal household are averse to having the vulgar crowd of common people invade the privileged precincts of the vice regal residence.
Stanley was described as a man of “highly aristocratic propensities”. He was said to favour persons who could boast of “high English ancestry” and was accused of “English aristocratic snobbishness”. Stanley was alleged to have befriended a man who had been discharged from his employment for “fast habits”, yet nonetheless invited to Rideau Hall, home of the Governor General, because his father was Chief Justice in England. The general tone was one of disdain to him. The New York Times article concluded:
Expressions equally strong (as in opposition to him -ed) came from all sides and Lord Stanley has his position to-day exceedingly warm and uncomfortable.
Lord Stanley himself was not quite the avid hockey fan as one might expect. However, his two sons, Arthur and Algernon were. They formed a team in Ottawa called the Ottawa Rideau Rebels. It was his two sons who urged their father to create this trophy.
Lord Stanley proceeded to make his name an iconic hockey touchstone by donating a trophy that, ironically enough, does not show his name anywhere on the hardware at all. The name engraved on the trophy is “The Dominion Hockey Challenge Cup”. The terms of the trust which he created are reviewed here.
Lord Stanley returned to England in July of 1893. He never saw a championship game following the creation of the award, nor did he ever award the trophy. He did see the Montreal Victorias play the Montreal Hockey Club in 1888.
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