ChronoFive
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Setting the scene
Canada's top amateur hockey clubs competed in loose regional leagues, and Lord Stanley of Preston, then Governor General, wanted a trophy to crown the country's best team.
What happened
The Stanley Cup was first awarded in 1893 to the Montreal Hockey Club; it later became the championship prize for the National Hockey League after professional teams took control of the trophy.
Why it still matters
No other North American trophy carries the same engraved history—each winner's name literally rings the bowl. Memorable detail: Stanley never saw a championship game before donating the cup.
Background
It later became the NHL's championship trophy.