Stanley Cup

American  

noun

Ice Hockey.

1. a trophy emblematic since 1926 of the championship of the National Hockey League, composed of Canadian and U.S. professional teams.

2. the best-of-seven-games series in which the champion of the Prince of Wales Conference and that from the Clarence S. Campbell Conference oppose each other for this trophy.

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Stanley Cup British  

noun

1. (in North America) the trophy presented annually to the champions of the National Hockey League

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Etymology

Origin of Stanley Cup

Named after Frederick Arthur, Lord Stanley of Preston (1841–1908), governor general of Canada, who donated the trophy for the best amateur team of the 1893–94 season

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Stanley Cup

Players who appeared in at least 41 regular-season games or one Stanley Cup Final game automatically make the cut, and teams can petition the commissioner for permission to include other players.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026

A total of 53 names have been engraved onto the Stanley Cup to represent the 2026 champions.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026

By Sunday night, however, Bussi had transformed into the most important piece of the Hurricanes roster—and a Stanley Cup champion.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 15, 2026

Jordan Staal has scored in every Stanley Cup Final game, including the decisive Game 4 goal, putting the Hurricanes near a title.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 13, 2026

Seattle sports had once risen briefly to international prominence, in 1917, when the city’s professional hockey team, the Metropolitans, became the first American team to win the Stanley Cup, defeating the Montreal Canadiens.

From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown