Stanley Cup Has Some Flaws, But It's Perfect In Eyes Of Fans
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - Even though the NHL playoffs are still a couple of months away, the Stanley Cup is back in Pittsburgh this weekend.
It is the first time fans will be able to see the names of the 2016 Pittsburgh Penguins team stamped in silver.
But, not everything is perfect when it comes to the legendary sports trophy.
The historic piece of silver knows how to draw a crowd, but for all its beauty, the Stanley Cup is not without its flaws.
"The Toronto Maple Leafs is spelled Toronto Maple Leaes. An E and F. I can see how the guy at the time -- maybe he had some bad eyes," Keeper of the Cup Mike Bolt said.
When Edmonton won its first Stanley Cup, the owner had his dad's name put on it. The league was not amused.
"Peter Pocklington put his dad's name on there, but it is X'ed out. That is the easiest way to tell the two Stanley Cups apart. This is the official one behind me. The one that goes on the ice, the one the players hoist, the one they get to take home. There is a second version, a replica for a better word, the one that sits on display in the Hockey Hall of Fame when this one is traveling," Bolt said.
And then there is a missing "S" and a couple of random Qs.
"The Islanders one for sure. I mean it's spelled New York Ilanders in 80-81. To leave out the 'S' in Islander is a pretty big spelling mistake. You look it Boston. It is spelled with B-Q-S-T-Q-N. Q and an O look pretty similar. Each letter is hand punched in there," Bolt said.
Bolt toured with the Penguins as they toted the Cup around, which included Nick Bonino's trip to visit his grandparents.
"He made his grandmother's pasta that she always makes for him. It was a tuna pasta. He brought it up to the retirement home. He poured the pasta right into the Cup and shaved the parmesan right into the Cup, and it was really cool. It was a nice family moment, and they were so proud of their grandson for obviously winning the Cup and for cooking up such a good meal," Bolt said.
KDKA-TV's Rick Dayton asked to take the Cup outside of our studio for a quick walk around the block. They didn't get very far before fans took notice.
"Everyone just associates the Cup with perseverance and hard work, and it's a global sport too, right?" Nick Hankin said.
"This was not what I was expecting to do on my Friday morning. It's pretty exciting," Lene Samuelsen said.
Soon after surprising a few fans, the Stanley Cup was locked safely in its case to be transported to its next destination.
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