Sometime over the next few days, either the Edmonton Oilers or the Florida Panthers will win the Stanley Cup. They get to hoist it over their heads and skate around the rink in victory. And they will be forever etched in the history books and have their names added to one of the most recognized prizes in all of sports. 

And one of the most interesting traditions is that each member of the winning team is allowed to spend the entire day with the trophy, to take it anywhere and celebrate as they see fit. And this has put the Cup into some unusual situations. For example:

• One thing the trophy’s handlers insist on is that the Cup shouldn’t get wet – although that didn’t stop the Pittsburgh Penguins. Now legendary photos show the team celebrating with the trophy in Canadian star Mario Lemieux’s swimming pool. 
• In 1994, a photo was taken of Kentucky Derby winner Go For Gin eating out of the trophy while at New York’s Belmont Park. New York Rangers star Eddie Olczyk was rumored to be behind the stunt, but he’s since denied responsibility.
• In 2018, Capitals defenseman Dmitry Orlov decided to celebrate with the trophy in his hometown, the southwestern Siberian city of Novokuznetsk. The Cup had to take a myriad of connecting flights to reach the destination and you can probably guess what happened. The trophy missed one of its flights and was left behind in Moscow. A helicopter was chartered in order to reclaim it quickly!

If you are a hockey fan, the link leads to several more interesting stories and facts about the Stanley Cup. And if you are not, it's still an interesting read about one of the most sought after prizes in sports.