Seattle’s connection with the Stanley Cup

With Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final set for Tuesday, the Florida Panthers are on the verge of winning their second straight championship. The Edmonton Oilers are once again facing elimination and must win to force a Game 7—just like last year. This article isn’t about the teams currently battling for the Cup, though. It’s about Seattle’s unique ties to the most iconic trophy in sports, both through its early hockey history and the Cup’s visits to the city.

The magic of the Stanley Cup

Every year, when there’s a chance the Stanley Cup might be awarded, excitement takes hold. The on-ice celebration, the tradition, the prestige—it all feels magical. I don’t have a strong rooting interest between Florida or Edmonton, but I’ll be watching. If Edmonton wins tonight and we get another Game 7? Even better.

A quick Stanley Cup primer

The current version of the Stanley Cup was redesigned in 1948 and features five bands, each engraved with past champions. Up to 52 names—players and staff—can be engraved with each winning team. The Cup has only gone unawarded twice: in 2005 due to the NHL lockout, and in 1919 due to the Spanish flu.

Every 13 years, the top band is removed and retired to the Hockey Hall of Fame (HHOF) in Toronto, and a new one is added to the bottom. Three bands have been retired so far, covering the years 1927 to 1964.

There are actually three Stanley Cups:

• The original bowl, donated in 1892 by Lord Stanley, began being phased out in 1963 and was fully retired in 1970.
• The presentation cup was created in 1963 and awarded to champions each year.
• The permanent cup is a replica that remains on display at the HHOF when the presentation cup is on the road.

Seattle and the Stanley Cup

Most Kraken fans know the Seattle Metropolitans were the first U.S.-based team to win the Stanley Cup, beating the Montreal Canadiens 3-1 in a best-of-five series in 1917. Seattle reached the Cup Final three times (1917, 1919, and 1920).

Back then, the championship was played between the winners of the Pacific Coast Hockey Association (PCHA) and the National Hockey League (NHL). Each league had different rules, most notably: the PCHA allowed seven players on the ice (six skaters and a goalie), while the NHL allowed only six. The home team’s rules were used for Game 1, and the leagues alternated rules for each game after that.

Seattle went 4-2 under PCHA rules and 3-4-1 under NHL rules in its 14 Stanley Cup Final games.

1917

The Canadiens didn’t even bring the Cup with them on the five-day train ride to Seattle, assuming they’d win. After losing Game 1, the Metropolitans rolled off three straight wins and took the championship. Montreal’s goalie? George Vezina—yes, that Vezina. Seattle scored 23 goals on him in four games.

1919

Seattle and Montreal met again. Seattle led the series 2-1 before Game 4 ended in a thrilling 0-0 double-overtime tie. With players fatigued and the Spanish flu outbreak worsening, the game was declared a draw. Montreal then won Game 5 in overtime, coming back from a 3-0 deficit. Because Game 4 ended in a tie and did not produce a winner, Game 5 was played under NHL rules. A Game 6 was planned to decide the series under PCHA rules, but it was never played due to the outbreak.

The Spanish flu ravaged Montreal’s roster, and the teams agreed to cancel Game 6. Canadiens defenseman Joe Hall died in Seattle days later.

Seattle also played the series without its top scorer, Bernie Morris, a Canadian citizen who had been arrested for draft evasion. While the legal battle played out, Morris remained incarcerated and missed the entire series. Maybe, just maybe, Seattle could have had a second Stanley Cup championship if Morris had been allowed to play.

1920

Seattle traveled to Ottawa for a best-of-five series. Warm weather produced poor ice conditions, and after the first three games in Ottawa, the final two were moved to Toronto. The Metropolitans pushed the series to a deciding Game 5 and even led 1-0 before surrendering six straight goals to the Senators. Despite Ottawa winning the Cup, Ottawa chose not to engrave its name on the trophy. The Senators were retroactively added to the Cup’s collar in the 1948 redesign.

The Stanley Cup in Seattle

The Stanley Cup has visited Seattle multiple times in the modern era:

• 2004: Tampa Bay Lightning amateur scout Glen Zacharias, a former Seattle Thunderbirds scout, brought the Cup to a Thunderbirds game at KeyArena. I’ve played hockey recreationally for more than 30 years, so when I got a chance to touch the Cup, I absolutely did. Some NHL players hold a superstition that they will not touch the Stanley Cup unless they win it, so if Seattle never wins it, you can blame me. This means, though, that the Stanley Cup has been under the roof of Climate Pledge Arena.
• 2017: On the 100th anniversary of Seattle’s 1917 championship, the Cup returned to the city. It toured multiple locations, including the original site of the Seattle Ice Arena at 5th and University.
• 2024 Winter Classic: During the Kraken’s 3-0 shutout win over Vegas, the NHL fan village hosted the Cup. The longest line in the village? A photo opportunity with Lord Stanley’s Cup.

I’ve seen the Cup three times: once at the HHOF in Toronto, once after the Anaheim Ducks won in 2007, and once at a Thunderbirds game. Every time, it takes my breath away.

If you plan to watch the Cup presentation this year, a tip for Xfinity users: Canadian channel CBUT usually carries extended coverage of the presentation.

Wrap-up trivia

Here are a few trivia questions on the Stanley Cup. Comment below with your answers:

1. How many times is Seattle engraved on the Stanley Cup?
2. What U.S. city was the first to be engraved on the Stanley Cup?
3. What was the nickname for the cup design used from 1932-1947, before the current version created in 1948?

Now that the Seattle Kraken exist, seeing them lift the Stanley Cup live is officially a bucket list goal.

Comment below with your stories and memories of the Stanley Cup.