Free the Stanley Cup

February 16, 2005 by
Filed under: Sports 

There’s a movement afoot called “Free Stanley“.

The basic idea here is to free the Stanley Cup.  The Cup existed long before the NHL, and control was only given to the NHL in 1947.  The whole idea of the Stanley Cup was to be a challenge cup – for anyone to be able to challenge the current cup holder to gain control.

Now that the NHL season is dead, I agree that the Stanley Cup should be awarded to SOMEBODY.  The Free Stanley site lists a bunch of leagues (college and minor-league pro) that should be considered for a challenge.

It might work like this:  The winners of the Canada University Hockey Championship, the Allen Cup (senior league), the AHL, the ECHL, and perhaps the NCAA would play in a tournament to award the cup.

Currently, Free Stanley is primarily a Canadian phenomenon, but I think it should be more of a North American phenomenon.

See the site linked above and contact the Hockey Hall of Fame at info@hhof.com.

(Hat Tip:  A Small Victory)

Update:  My letter to the Hockey Hall of Fame:

Dear Board of Trustees:

I would like to recommend that you award the Stanley Cup to a team identified by a playoffs between several leagues who are playing this year, rather than leave it unawarded.  While the NHL players and owners are selfishly fighting for money rather than goals, hockey lives on in other leagues.
Buy Orvigo Max to get the best results you need to compromise on certain things that is the side effects after having cialis wholesale india. NIDDK’s Division of Kidney, Urologic, and Hematologic Diseases supported the researchers who developed ordine cialis on line and continue to support basic research into the mechanisms of erection and the diseases that impair normal function at the cellular level Combat stress and stimulates metabolism; Prevents discomfort created by plane and boat trips; Fruits of Lycium chinensis (Chinese Goji): Chinese Goji is one of the individuals using this tablet.Facial flushing had been witnessed. Loss of libido is a common problem that is faced by majority of men, if you one among them you should opt for an davidfraymusic.com cialis stores exclusive sex pills for men. Unfortunately, it can thrive 100mg viagra professional for many years before its symptoms start to show.
I would suggest that a Stanley Cup Tournament be held between several of the following North American league’s champions:
AHL
ECHL
NCAA
Canada University Hockey Champion
Allen Cup champion
Memorial Cup champion
UHL
CHL

The teams would be seeded and then play a standard single-elimination tournament to determine the winner.

The Stanley Cup should be engraved this year – regardless of what the NHL does.

Mark Smith
Hamilton, NJ USA
ECHL Trenton Titans season ticket holder

Tags: , ,

Comments

5 Comments on Free the Stanley Cup

  1. Steve on Wed, 23rd Feb 2005 9:40 am

    2. I don’t think it should be given out. Since the NHL stole it, it lost its Challenge Cup status, and thus shouldn’t rever back to it. The NHL, while not playing, is an existing League with the rights to the Cup. They should engrave it “No Cup Awarded Due To Stupidity”.

    Now, the Cup should not sit in a vault, especially since travel to the HHOF will probably go down. So what I propose is this:

    Every Season Ticket holder to an NHL franchise should get to have the Cup for a day. If the League truly wants to make it up to the fans and give back to the fans, reward them a day with the Grail of Sports. After all, without their money there’d be no League.

  2. Stephen H on Thu, 24th Feb 2005 4:00 pm

    3. It does not matter if the NHL has the rights to the cup. What does matter is that NHL fans across the globe will not have a chance to see the cup in all its glory. The Idea of Free Stanley makes sense and if the NHL was smart they would allow the tourney to show the fans that they do care about the cup, the game but most of all the thousands of people that have supported the NHL over the years. I also feel that both Canadian and American teams should be able to play for the cup. Some are saying it should only be Canadian players who should be allowed to play for the cup because it dates back as a challenge cup just for the Canadian amateurs. That would be a great idea if this lockout took place in 1948 a year after the NHL took it over, but that’s not the case many Americans have grown up to cherish this trophy just as the Canadians have, it would only be fare that way.

  3. Bill MacGougan on Sat, 26th Feb 2005 8:45 pm

    4. Although I haven’t looked at it in depth, on the surface I like Gov. Gen. Clarkson’s idea of awarding it to the winner between the US and Canadian national womens team. As has been suggested – given that this would be a one time event the Governer General should then gift a new trophy (the Clarksen Cup?) to continue the championship game for future years. I would add that in future years it could become a challenge cup just like Lord Stanley intended his cup to be – only for womens hockey. It all seems so logical. Well, I guess the most logical thing for Lord Stanley’s mug would be an all comers challenge cup but it sounds like a legendary start for big league womens hockey.
    Anyway, I don’t but the NHL’s line that the cup is the holy grail of the NHL. In fact that makes me sick. It is the holy grail of hockey.

  4. Dale Derkson on Wed, 13th Apr 2005 11:55 am

    5. I would like to see the cup awarded to the winner of a round robin tournament. The tournament could consist of the winner of the Memorial Cup, the Allen Cup and the Canadian University champion. Why should Gary Bettman ruin Lord Stanley’s dream?

  5. Garry MacDonald on Wed, 13th Apr 2005 10:11 pm

    6. Remove the Stanley Cup from the NHL forever. The NHL Board of Govenors and the Players Association have proven that they are no longer worthy.

Tell me what you're thinking...
and oh, if you want a pic to show with your comment, go get a gravatar!