The Stanley Cup is back in Edmonton – though it’s unclear yet if it will stay.
Lord Stanley and cup-keeper Miragh Bitove stopped by CTV News Edmonton Saturday morning to share a bit about the storied award.
Miragh Bitove is the first woman to be a keeper of the coveted cup. She said it’s been a rewarding experience to travel with the trophy.
“It’s really genuine physical reactions that you see from people that are in the same room as it,” she said. “That part never gets old.
“We always see smiles on people’s faces.”
The last time Edmonton won the cup was in 1990 after the Oilers took out the Boston Bruins in Game 5. That game was the team’s only NHL final win – so far – without Wayne Gretzky.
The Stanley Cup is 125 years old. To solve the problem of space, a ring is removed from the widest part of the cup every 13 wins.
“It gets pressed flat in a vault at the Hockey Hall of Fame so you can go and visit it,” Bitove explained. “Then everybody moves up a rung and (we) put a blank one at the bottom, so you’ve got another 13 years to put on it.”
Any major damage to the cup is touched up by a silversmith each year, but Bitove said many of the smaller bumps and bruises remain over time – adding to its magic.
“If I was born in 1893 I’d probably have some dents and scratches too,” she added. “Every mark really tells the story of where it’s been.”
Bitove said the Stanley Cup is special, because unlike other sports trophies, all the players’ names are engraved.
Last year, for the first time ever, that was done with the winners present.
“We got to witness the players seeing their names engraved on the Stanley Cup for the first time in a room with their parents and grandparents,” Bitove said.
“I still get goosebumps thinking about it and those visceral reactions to something they’ve been dreaming about for their entire careers.”
The Oilers topped the Dallas Stars Friday in Game 5. If they win Sunday night they will advance to the Stanley Cup final for the first time since 2006.
The puck drops on Game 6 at Rogers Place Sunday at 6 p.m.