# Hockey Fans: Who Was Stanley?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hockey-fans-who-was-stanley/357213>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 18, 2006, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hockey-fans-who-was-stanley/357213 "2006-05-18T03:02:55Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\
**Post date:** [May 18, 2006, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hockey-fans-who-was-stanley/357213/1 "2006-05-18T03:02:55Z")

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Why is the prized trophy of the NHL called the “Stanley Cup”?

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**Author:** ![brianjedi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@brianjedi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brianjedi)\
**Post date:** [May 18, 2006, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hockey-fans-who-was-stanley/357213/2 "2006-05-18T03:10:10Z")

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Lord Stanley (I forget which one) was Governor-General of Canada just prior to the turn of the 20th century, and purchased the original bowl to be awarded to the “championship hockey club of the Dominion of Canada.”

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**Author:** ![Governor\_Quinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d26b3c/32.png) [@Governor\_Quinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Governor_Quinn)\
**Post date:** [May 18, 2006, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hockey-fans-who-was-stanley/357213/3 "2006-05-18T03:23:53Z")

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> [@brianjedi](#):
>
> Lord Stanley (I forget which one)

[This one](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_Arthur_Stanley%2C_16th_Earl_of_Derby)

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**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\
**Post date:** [May 18, 2006, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hockey-fans-who-was-stanley/357213/4 "2006-05-18T03:29:29Z")

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The relevant GG was the Lord Stanley who later became the 16th Earl of Derby. Lord Stanley was the title by which he was known while he was GG, but it was only a courtesy title held while he was heir to the earldom.

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**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\
**Post date:** [May 18, 2006, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hockey-fans-who-was-stanley/357213/5 "2006-05-18T03:40:23Z")

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> [@Cunctator](#):
>
> Lord Stanley was the title by which he was known while he was GG, but it was only a courtesy title held while he was heir to the earldom.

My mistake. This title was actually granted to him in his own right as Lord Stanley of Preston. The older courtesy title is Lord Stanley of Bickerstaffe.

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**Author:** ![Declan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Declan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Declan)\
**Post date:** [May 18, 2006, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hockey-fans-who-was-stanley/357213/6 "2006-05-18T06:04:05Z")

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> [@Jinx](#):
>
> Why is the prized trophy of the NHL called the “Stanley Cup”?

Your next question should be who is peter puck

Declan