SEE IT: Stanley Cup gets massive dent during Tampa’s celebration originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
Not even the Capitals could inflict this much damage on poor Lord Stanley’s Cup during their title party around the city in 2018.
Year two, following Tampa Bay’s repeat has been double the amount of rambunctious celebrations for the Lightning, who won without fans in the Toronto bubble last season. Completing the back-to-back championship bid following a truncated offseason and an aggressive season schedule calls for even more of a celebration.
The Cup will head up to Montreal for restoration services and a breather from the Tampa bender this past week. The players will have it back for more scheduled fun this weekend, according to Tampa Bay Times reporter Eduardo A. Encina.
Of course, Lightning star Nikita Kucherov was ready from the Game 5 press conference where he was already in full party mode without a search and Bud Light can in hand. That kind of energy has only spilled over and then some, unfortunately for The Cup, not without a cost.
This kind of fun certainly calls the Caps’ infamous bender fresh back into the memory bank. Alex Ovechkin and company bathing in the cities’ fountains, beers being drank through shirts at the parade, and beers being drank while being paraded at local games. In fact, there was even a little dent seen on the Stanley Cup at one point during Washington’s celebrations — but certainly nothing near the kind of shape Tampa contorted.
At 34.5 pounds, Lord Stanley’s Cup is no paperless trophy like some of the cups and shrines handed out in the other leagues. All in all, though, NHL’s top prize has certainly taken a beaten over the years.
A quick transport above the border and a simple fix and the Stanley Cup will be back better than ever.