The Stanley Cup (lang-frLa Coupe Stanley) is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League (NHL) playoffs (Season structure of the NHL) champion. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanleys Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously (chiefly by sportswriters) as Lord Stanleys Mug. The Stanley Cup is surrounded by numerous legends and traditions (Traditions and anecdotes associated with the Stanley Cup), the oldest of which is the celebratory drinking of champagne (Champagne (wine)) out of the cup by the winning team. Unlike the trophies awarded by the other three major professional sports leagues (Major professional sports leagues of the United States and Canada) of North America, a new Stanley Cup is not made each year; Cup winners keep it until a new champion is crowned. It is unusual among trophies, in that it has the names of all of the winning players, coaches, management, and club staff engraved on its chalice (Chalice (cup)). The original bowl was made of silver and has a dimension of 18.5 centimeters (7.28 inches) in height and 29 centimeters (11.42 inches) in diameter. The current Stanley Cup, topped with a copy of the original bowl, is made of silver and nickel alloy. Today, it has a height of 89.54 centimeters (35.25 inches) and weighs 15.5 kilograms (34.5 lb / 2 st 6� lb).

Originally inscribed the Dominion Hockey Challenge Cup, the trophy was donated in 1892 by then Governor General of Canada the Lord Stanley of Preston (Frederick Stanley, 16th Earl of Derby), as an award for Canadas top-ranking amateur ice hockey club. In 1915, the two professional ice hockey organizations, the National Hockey Association (NHA) and the Pacific Coast Hockey Association (PCHA), reached a gentlemens agreement in which their respective champions would face each other for the Stanley Cup. After a series of league mergers and folds, the Cup became the de facto championship trophy of the NHL in 1926. The Cup later became the de jure NHL championship prize in 1947.