The Stanley Cup has names, dents, legends, and enough strange adventures to fill an overtime marathon.
These 120 questions skate through hockey history, dynasties, famous goals, goaltenders, traditions, and the 2026 champions.
Meet the Stanley Cup
Q: What championship does the Stanley Cup represent today?
A: The NHL playoff championship.
Q: Who donated the original Stanley Cup?
A: Lord Stanley of Preston.
Q: What position did Lord Stanley hold in Canada?
A: Governor General.
Q: In what year was the Cup donated?
A: 1892.
Q: What was the trophy's original name?
A: The Dominion Hockey Challenge Cup.
Q: What household object did the original bowl resemble?
A: A punch bowl.
Q: What is the Stanley Cup often nicknamed?
A: Lord Stanley's Cup.
Q: What metals make up the current trophy?
A: Silver and nickel alloy.
Q: About how tall is the current Stanley Cup?
A: Nearly three feet.
Q: About how much does the current Stanley Cup weigh?
A: Nearly 35 pounds.
Q: What makes the Stanley Cup unusual among major sports trophies?
A: Winning names are engraved on it.
Q: Who was the first Stanley Cup champion?
A: The Montreal Amateur Athletic Association.
Q: In what year was the first champion recognized?
A: 1893.
Q: Did Lord Stanley ever attend a Stanley Cup presentation?
A: No.
Q: Since which season has the Cup gone to the NHL playoff champion?
A: 1926-27.
How the Playoffs Work
Q: How many games can a modern Stanley Cup playoff series last?
A: Seven.
Q: How many wins are needed to take a best-of-seven series?
A: Four.
Q: How many rounds make up the modern Stanley Cup Playoffs?
A: Four.
Q: What is the championship round called?
A: The Stanley Cup Final.
Q: Can a Stanley Cup playoff game end in a tie?
A: No.
Q: What follows regulation when a playoff game is tied?
A: Sudden-death overtime.
Q: How many skaters per team are used in playoff overtime, excluding goalies?
A: Five.
Q: What ends a playoff overtime period?
A: A goal.
Q: Are shootouts used in Stanley Cup playoff games?
A: No.
Q: What does sweeping a series mean?
A: Winning it without losing a game.
Q: What is a Game 7?
A: The deciding game of a tied best-of-seven series.
Q: What trophy goes to the Eastern Conference playoff champion?
A: The Prince of Wales Trophy.
Q: What trophy goes to the Western Conference playoff champion?
A: The Clarence S. Campbell Bowl.
Q: What individual trophy honors the playoff MVP?
A: The Conn Smythe Trophy.
Q: Who selects the Conn Smythe winner?
A: The Professional Hockey Writers Association.
Clubs and Dynasties
Q: Which franchise had the most NHL-era Stanley Cup wins through 2026?
A: The Montreal Canadiens.
Q: How many NHL-era Cups had Montreal won through 2026?
A: 23.
Q: Which franchise ranked second with 13 NHL-era Cups through 2026?
A: The Toronto Maple Leafs.
Q: Which U.S.-based franchise had won 11 Cups through 2026?
A: The Detroit Red Wings.
Q: Which team won five straight Cups from 1956 through 1960?
A: The Montreal Canadiens.
Q: Which team won four straight Cups from 1980 through 1983?
A: The New York Islanders.
Q: Which team won four Cups in five seasons from 1984 through 1988?
A: The Edmonton Oilers.
Q: Which team repeated as champion in 1997 and 1998?
A: The Detroit Red Wings.
Q: Which team won back-to-back Cups in 1991 and 1992?
A: The Pittsburgh Penguins.
Q: Which team repeated in 2016 and 2017?
A: The Pittsburgh Penguins.
Q: Which team repeated in 2020 and 2021?
A: The Tampa Bay Lightning.
Q: Which team repeated in 2024 and 2025?
A: The Florida Panthers.
Q: Which expansion team won its first Cup in 2023?
A: The Vegas Golden Knights.
Q: Which team ended a 52-season Cup drought in 1994?
A: The New York Rangers.
Q: Which team won its first Stanley Cup in 2018?
A: The Washington Capitals.
Famous Finals
Q: Which team overcame a 3-0 series deficit in the 1942 Final?
A: The Toronto Maple Leafs.
Q: Which team did Toronto defeat in that 1942 comeback?
A: The Detroit Red Wings.
Q: Who scored the overtime Cup winner for Boston in 1970?
A: Bobby Orr.
Q: What famous image followed Orr's 1970 goal?
A: Orr flying through the air.
Q: Which team did the New York Islanders defeat for their first Cup in 1980?
A: The Philadelphia Flyers.
Q: Who scored the Islanders' 1980 overtime Cup winner?
A: Bobby Nystrom.
Q: Which team did Edmonton defeat for its first Cup in 1984?
A: The New York Islanders.
Q: Who scored the 1994 Cup-winning goal for the Rangers?
A: Mark Messier.
Q: Which team did Colorado sweep in the 1996 Final?
A: The Florida Panthers.
Q: Who scored the triple-overtime Cup winner in 1996?
A: Uwe Krupp.
Q: Which team did Carolina defeat in seven games in 2006?
A: The Edmonton Oilers.
Q: Who scored Chicago's overtime Cup winner in 2010?
A: Patrick Kane.
Q: Which team did the St. Louis Blues defeat in 2019?
A: The Boston Bruins.
Q: Which team did Florida defeat in both the 2024 and 2025 Finals?
A: The Edmonton Oilers.
Q: Which team did Carolina defeat in the 2026 Final?
A: The Vegas Golden Knights.
Skating Legends
Q: Who captained the Edmonton Oilers to four Stanley Cups in the 1980s?
A: Wayne Gretzky.
Q: Who is known as Mr. Hockey?
A: Gordie Howe.
Q: Who is known as The Great One?
A: Wayne Gretzky.
Q: Who captained the Canadiens to four straight Cups from 1976 through 1979?
A: Yvan Cournoyer.
Q: Which defenseman won the Conn Smythe in 1970 and 1972?
A: Bobby Orr.
Q: Who was the first Conn Smythe winner in 1965?
A: Jean Béliveau.
Q: Who is the only three-time Conn Smythe winner through 2026?
A: Patrick Roy.
Q: Which Penguin won consecutive Conn Smythe trophies in 1991 and 1992?
A: Mario Lemieux.
Q: Who won consecutive Conn Smythe trophies in 2016 and 2017?
A: Sidney Crosby.
Q: Which captain first lifted the Cup for Washington in 2018?
A: Alex Ovechkin.
Q: Who captained Tampa Bay to the 2020 and 2021 Cups?
A: Steven Stamkos.
Q: Who captained Florida to its 2024 and 2025 championships?
A: Aleksander Barkov.
Q: Who captained Carolina to the 2026 championship?
A: Jordan Staal.
Q: Who coached Carolina to the 2026 Cup?
A: Rod Brind'Amour.
Q: What unusual Carolina distinction did Brind'Amour achieve?
A: He captained and later coached the franchise to Cup wins.
Goalies and Great Saves
Q: Which position wears a mask and guards the net?
A: Goaltender.
Q: Who popularized the goalie mask after wearing one in an NHL game in 1959?
A: Jacques Plante.
Q: Which goalie won the 1986 Conn Smythe at age 20?
A: Patrick Roy.
Q: Which goalie won four Cups with Montreal and Colorado?
A: Patrick Roy.
Q: Which goalie recorded three shutouts in the 2003 Final?
A: Jean-Sébastien Giguère.
Q: Which losing-team goalie won the 2003 Conn Smythe?
A: Jean-Sébastien Giguère.
Q: Which goalie led New Jersey to Cups in 1995, 2000, and 2003?
A: Martin Brodeur.
Q: Which goalie backstopped Detroit to the 2002 Cup at age 37?
A: Dominik Hašek.
Q: Which goalie led Boston to the 2011 Cup and won the Conn Smythe?
A: Tim Thomas.
Q: Which goalie led Los Angeles to the 2012 and 2014 Cups?
A: Jonathan Quick.
Q: Which goalie won the 2012 Conn Smythe?
A: Jonathan Quick.
Q: Which goalie backstopped Washington's 2018 championship?
A: Braden Holtby.
Q: What name is given to Holtby's crucial 2018 Final stop?
A: The Save.
Q: Which goalie helped Tampa Bay win in 2020 and 2021?
A: Andrei Vasilevskiy.
Q: Which three goalies share the NHL record of six Cup wins at the position?
A: Jacques Plante, Charlie Hodge, and Ken Dryden.
Cup Traditions
Q: Who normally receives the Cup first after a championship victory?
A: The winning team captain.
Q: Who presents the Cup to the captain?
A: The NHL commissioner.
Q: What do players traditionally do after receiving the Cup?
A: Skate a victory lap with it.
Q: How long does each winning player commonly receive with the Cup in summer?
A: One day.
Q: What beverage is famously drunk from the Cup?
A: Champagne.
Q: What food has occasionally been eaten from the Cup's bowl?
A: Many foods, including cereal and ice cream.
Q: Where are champions' names engraved?
A: On the Cup's bands.
Q: What happens when a lower band fills up?
A: The oldest band is removed and preserved.
Q: Where are retired Stanley Cup bands displayed?
A: The Hockey Hall of Fame.
Q: In what city is the Hockey Hall of Fame?
A: Toronto.
Q: What official accompanies the Cup during travel?
A: A Keeper of the Cup.
Q: Are spelling mistakes found on the Stanley Cup?
A: Yes.
Q: Can some engraving errors be corrected?
A: Yes.
Q: What superstition keeps many players from touching the Cup before winning it?
A: They believe touching it early brings bad luck.
Q: What trophy do players often avoid touching for the same reason?
A: Their conference championship trophy.
Recent Cup History
Q: Who won the Stanley Cup in 2020?
A: The Tampa Bay Lightning.
Q: Where was the 2020 Final played because of the pandemic?
A: Edmonton.
Q: Who won the Stanley Cup in 2021?
A: The Tampa Bay Lightning.
Q: Who ended Tampa Bay's bid for a third straight title in 2022?
A: The Colorado Avalanche.
Q: Who won the 2022 Conn Smythe Trophy?
A: Cale Makar.
Q: Who won the Stanley Cup in 2023?
A: The Vegas Golden Knights.
Q: Who won the 2023 Conn Smythe Trophy?
A: Jonathan Marchessault.
Q: Who won the Stanley Cup in 2024?
A: The Florida Panthers.
Q: How many games did the 2024 Final last?
A: Seven.
Q: Who won the 2024 Conn Smythe despite playing for the losing team?
A: Connor McDavid.
Q: Who won the Stanley Cup in 2025?
A: The Florida Panthers.
Q: Who won the 2025 Conn Smythe Trophy?
A: Sam Bennett.
Q: Who won the Stanley Cup in 2026?
A: The Carolina Hurricanes.
Q: In how many games did Carolina win the 2026 Final?
A: Six.
Q: Who won the 2026 Conn Smythe Trophy?
A: Jordan Staal.
You Hoisted the Trivia Cup
You survived all 120 questions without losing a skate blade. Take your victory lap and mind the trophy dents.
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