The year 2017 marks the National Hockey League's centennial season.
That year will also see Rocket Richard and Gordie Howe's names disappear from the Stanley Cup.
Same goes for Bobby Hull, Stan Mikita, Doug Harvey and Ted Lindsay.
That's right. Soon when we look at all the names on the Stanley Cup, many of the name of the greatest hockey legends will not be on it. Unthinkable, isn't it? But it is also inevitable.
That's right. Soon when we look at all the names on the Stanley Cup, many of the name of the greatest hockey legends will not be on it. Unthinkable, isn't it? But it is also inevitable.
Earl Zukerman, one of the founding members of the Society of International Hockey Research, explains:
Then there are five main bands on the body of the cup where more recent names have been engraved. The historic bands never change, but the oldest of the five main bands is retired when a new ring is added to make room for new names.
A ring holds 13 cup winners. Last ring was added after the 2004-05 season which removed the 1940–41 to 1952–53 cup winners.
The next retirement is scheduled for 2016-17.
That means all teams up to and including the 1966 Montreal Canadiens will be removed. Richard last won the Stanley Cup in 1960, while Howe last won in 1955.
Perhaps one day they will have enough retired bands, which are currently on display at the Hockey Hall of Fame, to reconstruct a "new" Stanley Cup.
4 comments:
what happens to the retired bands? are they on display anywhere?
Yes, the retired bands are on display at the Hockey Hall of Fame.
They are on display at the hockey hall of fame in Toronto. After the next ring gets removed (in 14 years) Toronto's name won't be on there once!
Interesting, glad I saw your site
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