Stanley Cup ring
Championship ring awarded to Stanley Cup winners.
The Stanley Cup ring is a championship ring presented each year in the National Hockey League (NHL) to the club that wins the Stanley Cup Final, a best-of-seven series that decides the season’s champion. Along with the players on the winning roster, rings are given to coaches, trainers, scouts, executives, and other team staff. Teams also frequently award rings to players who were part of the club during the season but do not meet the requirements to have their names engraved on the Stanley Cup itself. The player with the most rings is Henri Richard, who earned 11 as a player.
The Stanley Cup trophy was first awarded in 1893, when the Montreal Hockey Club won that year’s championship. After that initial victory, rings were not given again until the Ottawa Senators won the 1927 Stanley Cup Final. Some championship teams did not hand out rings at all: Montreal’s second title came with watches instead, and the 1915 champion Vancouver Millionaires issued medallions. For many years, teams provided no rings, and players had to purchase them on their own. In the 1950s, the Detroit Red Wings won the Cup four times, but players received silverware or a dinner rather than rings; rings were eventually given to those players by the team more than five decades later. During the 1960s, the Toronto Maple Leafs won four Cups, but players originally got only one ring, with diamonds removed and enlarged for each subsequent win. In 1971, the Montreal Canadiens gave television sets instead of rings. Since 1972, every winning team has handed out more Stanley Cup rings than the number of names engraved on the trophy. In 2011, Boston Bruins owner Jeremy Jacobs distributed a record 504 rings to anyone connected with the team. The 2018 Washington Capitals gave out 152 rings—100 more than the 52 members allowed to have their names on the Cup.
Each ring typically costs between $20,000 and $25,000.
The list of NHL players with the most Stanley Cup rings counts only those won as a player.
- Most rings by a player
- Henri Richard with 11 total championship rings
- Earliest ring award
- 1927 Stanley Cup Final (Ottawa Senators)
- Record rings given
- 504 rings by Boston Bruins owner Jeremy Jacobs in 2011
- Rings given by 2018 capitals
- 152 rings
- Typical ring cost
- $20,000 to $25,000
Lore & Background
The Stanley Cup was established in 1893, when the Montreal Hockey Club won the 1893 Stanley Cup championship. Since that championship, the rings weren't given again until the Ottawa Senators won the 1927 Stanley Cup Final. There have been cases in which championship teams have not awarded rings to its players, such as the Montreal Hockey Club's second championship (which gave out watches) and the 1915 champions, the Vancouver Millionaires (which issued medallions).
For many years teams did not give any rings at all and players had to buy them for themselves. In the 1950s the Detroit Red Wings won the Stanley Cup four times, but players were given silverware or bought a dinner instead of rings. Players were eventually given rings by the team more than fifty years later. In the 1960s the Toronto Maple Leafs won the Stanley Cup four times, but players were originally only given one ring with diamonds that were removed and enlarged for each subsequent win. In 1971 the Montreal Canadiens gave players television sets instead of rings. Since 1972, every winning team has awarded more Stanley Cup Rings than the number of names engraved on the Stanley Cup. In 2011 Boston Bruins owner Jeremy Jacobs gave out a record 504 Stanley Cup rings to anyone connected with the team. The 2018 Washington Capitals gave out 152 rings, 100 more rings than the 52 members allowed to get their names on the Stanley Cup.
Reader's Guide
The Stanley Cup ring is notable as a physical symbol of winning the NHL championship, distinct from the Stanley Cup itself. The article notes that the tradition of awarding rings has been inconsistent: the first ring was given in 1927, decades after the Cup's 1893 establishment, and many early champions gave alternative items such as watches or medallions. For years, teams did not provide rings at all, and players had to buy their own. Even in the 1950s and 1960s, winning teams like the Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs gave non-ring items or modified a single ring. The practice became standard only after 1972, with teams consistently awarding more rings than the number of names engraved on the Cup. The record for most rings given is 504 by the 2011 Boston Bruins, while the 2018 Washington Capitals gave 152 rings. The most rings won by a single player is 11 by Henri Richard. Each ring typically costs between $20,000 and $25,000.
More in NHL Trophies and Awards 1-24
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