Donation of Stanley Cup

Date: March 18, 1892 • Location: London, United Kingdom

Canadian governor general Lord Stanley of Preston pledged to donate an award to Canada's top-ranked amateur ice hockey club, now known as the Stanley Cup, the oldest professional sports trophy in North America.

Frederick Arthur Stanley, 16th Earl of Derby, known as Lord Stanley of Preston from 1886 to 1893, was a British Conservative politician and military officer who served as Colonial Secretary from 1885 to 1886 and Governor General of Canada from 1888 to 1893. An avid sportsman, he built Stanley House Stables in England and presented Canada with the Stanley Cup, the championship trophy in ice hockey. He was also one of the original inductees of the Hockey Hall of Fame.