Battle shaping up over Lord Stanley’s Cup

The National Hockey League season may be on ice, as owners and players continue the lockout.  But hockey fans are launching a legal battle to see that there’s a Stanley Cup awarded this year anyway.  And it’s going to raise an interesting question of interpretation.

The Cup, you see, predates the NHL; its original trust deed says it is to be awarded to the best team in the Dominion of Canada.  Since 1927 the Cup (left) has been awarded to the NHL champion, and in 1947 the trustees turned it over to the NHL. But the league doesn’t own the cup.

Arguably, since the NHL champion (even if based in the U.S.) does play at least some of its games in Canada, it might logically be considered the best team in Canada.  But since the NHL isn’t playing isn’t playing this year, its teams can’t be the year’s best.  So fans are hoping to get some hockey this year with a playoff of all the other Canadian leagues that are still playing.  Their site, freestanley.com, has received 70,000 hits since it opened its doors a few weeks ago.