The Stanley Cup playoffs are the best time of the year for a hockey fan. Even though baseball is beginning, the flowers are blooming, and the weather is beginning to warm up, hockey continues all the way until June. As the playoffs are just around the corner, here is why the Stanley Cup playoffs are the best and why the Stanley Cup is the best trophy in sports.
The playoffs are the most grueling three months for the 16 teams that qualify. Each round is a best of seven series. And yet, when playing so many long, hard games exerting so much blood, sweat and tears, the players still give 110% and do not give up until the clock says zero. Also, hockey is the only sport in which anything can really happen. A team may be the one seed playing the eight seed, but the eight seed could win and any series in unpredictable. In sports like football and basketball in particular, you basically can predict who will win the game based on how good the team is. Although this can happen in any sport, hockey is a game of inches and even the slightest mistakes can hurt you and it doesn't matter what seed you are, these mistakes happen and games are won and lost because of it.
The Cup was first awarded in 1893 and was named after Frederick Stanley the 6th Governor General of Canada. Since it was originally awarded, it has been given out to 18 NHL teams spanning over 95 years. Lord Stanley's Cup. Those words give every hockey fan the chills. It is the most desired trophy in all of hockey and the best trophy in sports. Unlike the MLB's Commissioners Trophy, the NBA's Larry O'Brien Trophy and the NFL's Vince Lombardi Trophy, there is only one Stanley Cup that is awarded to the Stanley Cup Final Champion every year in the NHL. That is what makes the trophy that much more desirable. Since there is only one, you never want to give it up which makes the drive for the Stanley Cup so much better than any other trophy. The Stanley Cup literally has history etched into the trophy. Not only the fingerprints and lip marks of thousands of individuals who have won it before but concrete proof that you won the Cup. With every Stanley Cup Championship, the team, coaches, trainers, managers and everyone working with the team gets their name engraved on the side of the cup that will be there forever. Again, no other trophy does this. The trophy presentation at the conclusion of the cup finals is even better. The cup is lifted over the captain's head and is given a kiss. The team then passes the cup around and every player, coach and manager get a turn skating with the cup over its head and puckering up to Lord Stanley. You can even drink out of the cup which is yet another tradition that winners of the cup do. Many players enjoy beer, champagne, and even cereal out of the cup. Another attribute of the cup that can't be replicated with any other trophy. Although every sports championship is exciting to witness the happiness and jubilation of the players, no other sport has a trophy presentation like the NHL.
The passion of the fans, players and coaches is the most exciting part of the playoffs. All the buildings around the NHL have their own playoff traditions that add to the excitement of the game. The unison towel waving by the fans shows the unity of the city behind the team fighting for the cup. There also is no better sound than the chants of the fans trying to round up the boys to continue to fight. The fans are so loud and it is often hard to even hear the announcers on the TV. Just goes to show how much passion that hockey fans have and how exciting the NHL playoffs are. I cannot wait until April 13 when this year’s 16 teams will take the ice to begin the quest for the 2016 Stanley Cup Championship.
