on this day in....

today in 1892, Lord Stanley of Preston purchase, then donated a silver rose bowl.  he then inscribed it "Dominion Hockey Challenge Cup" on one side of the outside rim and "From Stanley of Preston" on the other.  that bowl we know now as the Stanley Cup.  at a banquet in Ottawa on this night, the Ottawa Hockey Club was honored.  Lord Stanley's sons, Arthur and Algemon persuaded their dad to donate a trophy as a"visible sign of the hockey championship. Stanley had sent this message to the banquet:

I have for some time been thinking that it would be a good thing if there were a challenge cup which should be held from year to year by the champion hockey team in the Dominion [of Canada].

There does not appear to be any such outward sign of a championship at present, and considering the general interest which matches now elicit, and the importance of having the game played fairly and under rules generally recognized, I am willing to give a cup which shall be held from year to year by the winning team.

I am not quite certain that the present regulations governing the arrangement of matches give entire satisfaction, and it would be worth considering whether they could not be arranged so that each team would play once at home and once at the place where their opponents hail from. 

Ottawa was declared champion and a trophy was born.

also on this day, in 1945, Maurice Richard became the first player to score 50 goals in a season.  he scored his 50th in Montreal's, and his, 50th game of the season. his 50th goal tied the game at two, as Montreal beat Boston 4-2.

and on this day in 2000, Ray Bourque became the first defenseman to score 400 goals in Colorado's 4-3 loss to Detroit.  so that is some of today in history.