# How long before the Stanley Cup runs out of room? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 7, 2007, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-before-the-stanley-cup-runs-out-of-room/407150 "2007-06-07T17:23:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2007, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-before-the-stanley-cup-runs-out-of-room/407150/1 "2007-06-07T17:23:18Z")
Every time a team wins the Stanley Cup, the names of its players and personnel are engraved on the Cup for eternity. At some point, the Cup will run out of room for more names. Has anyone estimated when this will occur, assuming that the engraving letter size stays the same? ---
**Author:** ![St.Urho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8e7dd6/32.png) [@St.Urho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/St.Urho)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2007, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-before-the-stanley-cup-runs-out-of-room/407150/2 "2007-06-07T17:24:41Z")
There’s already been several rings of names removed from the Cup. They are kept at the Hockey Hall of Fame. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2007, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-before-the-stanley-cup-runs-out-of-room/407150/3 "2007-06-07T17:47:56Z")
[Here](http://www.hhof.com/html/newsSCbands.shtml) is an article from the Hockey Hall of Fame website about the most recent band to be retired and including pictures of it. ---
**Author:** ![Rysto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecccb3/32.png) [@Rysto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysto)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2007, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-before-the-stanley-cup-runs-out-of-room/407150/4 "2007-06-07T18:12:17Z")
-16 years. ---
**Author:** ![anson2995](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c77e96/32.png) [@anson2995](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anson2995)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2007, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-before-the-stanley-cup-runs-out-of-room/407150/5 "2007-06-07T19:04:45Z")
From the article Dewey Finn cited… > [@](#): > > The next ring will be replaced following the 2016-17 season when the bottom ring will be filled with the missed 2004-05 season as well as the subsequent twelve Stanley Cup winners. At that time, the twelve winners on that ring will be retired. Yes, ordinarily it takes thirteen teams to fill a ring but the Montreal Canadiens of 1964-65 took two spaces for their engraving. Those removed at that time will begin with the Detroit Red Wings of 1953-54 and continue through to and include those same 1964-65 Canadiens. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2007, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-before-the-stanley-cup-runs-out-of-room/407150/6 "2007-06-07T19:29:41Z")
[QUOTE=Dewey Finn] [Here](http://www.hhof.com/html/newsSCbands.shtml) is an article from the Hockey Hall of Fame website about the most recent band to be retired and including pictures of it. [/QUOTE] I loathe hockey, and I must say that was one of the best and most informative sports articles I have ever read. Fascinating. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2007, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-before-the-stanley-cup-runs-out-of-room/407150/7 "2007-06-07T19:34:58Z")
The other interesting thing about the Stanley Cup is that each member of the winning team gets to take it home for 24 hours. Some players just take it home while others take it to a children’s hospital, and it’s also traveled a lot elsewhere. There was a story on CBS New Sunday Morning that described this tradition and included the guy who is the chaperone for the Cup. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2007, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-before-the-stanley-cup-runs-out-of-room/407150/8 "2007-06-07T20:45:07Z")
[QUOTE=Dewey Finn] The other interesting thing about the Stanley Cup is that each member of the winning team gets to take it home for 24 hours. Some players just take it home while others take it to a children’s hospital, and it’s also traveled a lot elsewhere. There was a story on CBS New Sunday Morning that described this tradition and included the guy who is the chaperone for the Cup. [/QUOTE] But is it true that you’re not a real hockey player until you fill the Stanley Cup with beer and chug the whole thing? ---
**Author:** ![Rysto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecccb3/32.png) [@Rysto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysto)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2007, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-before-the-stanley-cup-runs-out-of-room/407150/9 "2007-06-07T21:12:06Z")
Only players ignorant of the Cup’s history drink from it. Those who respect history know that several babies have peed in the Cup over the years. :o ---
**Author:** ![Raygun99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Raygun99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raygun99)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2007, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-before-the-stanley-cup-runs-out-of-room/407150/10 "2007-06-07T21:30:34Z")
Well it’s not like they don’t _clean_ it… ---
**Author:** ![dogbutler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dogbutler/32/428_2.png) [@dogbutler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dogbutler)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2007, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-before-the-stanley-cup-runs-out-of-room/407150/11 "2007-06-08T00:55:16Z")
[QUOTE=friedo] But is it true that you’re not a real hockey player until you fill the Stanley Cup with beer and chug the whole thing? [/QUOTE] Capacity: 14 beers. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2007, 7:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-before-the-stanley-cup-runs-out-of-room/407150/12 "2007-06-08T07:45:06Z")
In the raucus days of the Oilers dynasty, legend has it that the cup had almost been lost a couple of times because drunken players left it in a bar or otherwise misplaced it. For such a valuable artifact, it’s amazing that the players are just able to pack it up and haul it around with them. I imagine it’s had a lot of dings and dents repaired over the years. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2007, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-before-the-stanley-cup-runs-out-of-room/407150/13 "2007-06-08T12:51:09Z")
[Much worse than that has been done to it.](http://www.geocities.com/szczepanczyk/stanley.html)