What league has the right to award the Stanley cup if the season is locked out?

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RandomJetsFan

Registered User
Apr 19, 2014
184
30
manitoba
Was reading a thread about lockouts made me remember there was a news story I can't remember if it was CTV or CBC but I was a wee lad. Anyways what league was it that was awarded the rights to the Stanley cup? That's if the NHL ever faced a full season lockout again again I was a kid when I saw that news story.
 
Stanley Cup belongs to Canadian people. Its not a property of some league.

In theory yes but I remember someone saying that in the 40's the Stanley Cup Trustees ended up caving to the NHL and revised the original conditions of the trustee agreement to basically give the NHL full reign over the trophy. It's a big reason why the WHA was not granted the right to challenge for the Cup and they weren't willing or didn't have the funds to challenge any further.

It would likely take someone with deep pockets and a strong legal team to challenge the NHL and the trustees to be able to challenge for the Cup like was originally intended and given the NHL's hold on it and their hold on professional hockey in North America it's unlikely that anyone will be able to challenge the NHL on professional hockey in North America let alone challenge for the right to play for the Cup. The only way I can ever see the Cup and the NHL splitting is if the NHL folds as a league.
 
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It was a travesty that the Stanley Cup was not awared in 2005. If the pro league couldn't get their shit together to play an effing season then they should have opened to the door to an old school challenge playdown by whover wanted to play.
 
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In theory yes but I remember someone saying that in the 40's the Stanley Cup Trustees ended up caving to the NHL and revised the original conditions of the trustee agreement to basically give the NHL full reign over the trophy. It's a big reason why the WHA was not granted the right to challenge for the Cup and they weren't willing or didn't have the funds to challenge any further.

It would likely take someone with deep pockets and a strong legal team to challenge the NHL and the trustees to be able to challenge for the Cup like was originally intended and given the NHL's hold on it and their hold on professional hockey in North America it's unlikely that anyone will be able to challenge the NHL on professional hockey in North America let alone challenge for the right to play for the Cup. The only way I can ever see the Cup and the NHL splitting is if the NHL folds as a league.

This is correct, and there’s no realistic chance that anyone would successfully challenge the NHL’s authority over the Cup. The Trustees made a clear, binding agreement which has been in force for close to 80 years.

The only scenarios where the Cup could be taken away from the NHL would be if another league actually surpassed it as the top pro league in the world, or if the NHL ceases to exist. A labor stoppage won’t get it done, not even if it drags on for multiple years.
 
This is correct, and there’s no realistic chance that anyone would successfully challenge the NHL’s authority over the Cup. The Trustees made a clear, binding agreement which has been in force for close to 80 years.

The only scenarios where the Cup could be taken away from the NHL would be if another league actually surpassed it as the top pro league in the world, or if the NHL ceases to exist. A labor stoppage won’t get it done, not even if it drags on for multiple years.

They did finally amend the agreement slightly after the calls for the cup trustees to award the 2005 Stanley Cup to a non-NHL team (which obviously never happened), but by the time that was finally resolved, the NHL had already resumed play, so in the eyes of the cup trustees, it was moot. In the event that the NHL does not award the cup, for whatever reason, the trustees may award the cup to someone else. However, when the league locked out the players again in 2012, the trustees specifically said that while the amendment does allow for the possibility of awarding the cup to a non-NHL team, they're not obliged to do so, and that they were unlikely to had the entire 12-13 season not been played.
 
They did finally amend the agreement slightly after the calls for the cup trustees to award the 2005 Stanley Cup to a non-NHL team (which obviously never happened), but by the time that was finally resolved, the NHL had already resumed play, so in the eyes of the cup trustees, it was moot. In the event that the NHL does not award the cup, for whatever reason, the trustees may award the cup to someone else. However, when the league locked out the players again in 2012, the trustees specifically said that while the amendment does allow for the possibility of awarding the cup to a non-NHL team, they're not obliged to do so, and that they were unlikely to had the entire 12-13 season not been played.

One other factor in all of this — the trustees are extreme NHL insiders. Lanny MacDonald is the first trustee in some time who was not a 40+ year NHL executive. When MacDonald or Meagher retire, it wouldn’t be a surprise if Colin Campbell were next in line.

These guys are chosen specifically to keep the NHL in the driver’s seat and ensure there won’t be a WHA-like scenario to threaten their custody of the Cup.
 
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Thanks for some of the answers I wasn't sure but from what Im seeing so far it comes down to the trustees to uphold the non NHL team ruling.......so much for the beer league dream of hoisting the cup that way
 
Thanks for some of the answers I wasn't sure but from what Im seeing so far it comes down to the trustees to uphold the non NHL team ruling.......so much for the beer league dream of hoisting the cup that way

I suspect that their thinking in the 2006 settlement was along the lines of, “so you’re telling us we can have a lockout but still host some gimmick tournament with non-NHL players to drum up revenue outside the CBA? Noted.”
 
Probably, they would not award the Stanley Cup unless the lockout goes for 5 years or something

Then, I dunno I'd do CHL maybe? Or maybe the NHLPA would hold a tournament?
 
It's unlikely we ever lose a full season again, but if we do I suspect it goes to the PWHL.

Yeah this seems like the most likely scenario if another lockout or stoppage of some sort was to happen while the PWHL continues play. The NHL has worked closely with the PWHL, they work with a lot of the same broadcast corps. Seems like a move that could benefit all involved if it were to happen.
 

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