Lord Stanley's Cup is the oldest trophy in North American professional sports, having been donated by the Governor General of Canada, Lord Stanley Preston, all the way back in 1892. It initially served as the award for amateur ice hockey clubs before the NHA (now NHL) and PCHA agreed to make it the trophy for the winner of a championship bout between their respective champions.
It wasn't until 1926 that the Stanley Cup became the championship trophy for NHL teams following the folding of the WHL. Between 1915 and 1926, the Stanley Cup trophy was awarded to the winner of the NHL and the Pacific Coast Hockey Association, before the NHL took full ownership of it after the 1925-26 season. Today, it's the most prestigious trophy in professional ice hockey.
