The fate of the Montreal Canadiens was sealed Thursday night when they were eliminated by the New York Rangers in the sixth game of the Eastern Conference Finals. Despite the loss, the progress the team made this year has helped renew faith in a franchise that has been without a Stanley Cup in 20 years.
But for the safety of the fabled championship trophy donated by Lord Stanley of Preston, a Habs drought may not be a bad thing.
The tales of damage and dings to the famed chalice are legendary, and the Canadiens, winners of 24 Stanley Cups in their history, are far from immune. In fact, there was one occasion where Les Habitants could have definitely benefited from roadside assistance, courtesy of Dr. Hook.
Back in 1924, the Canadiens were celebrating their latest Stanley Cup victory over the Calgary Tigers. A group of players – and the Stanley Cup – were en route to owner/general manager Leo Dandurand’s home for a a celebration when their vehicle got a flat tire.
This is where, perhaps, the team should have called for a fix, rather than working on their own. Instead, the players got out of the card and did the work themselves.
Amidst the drama over fixing their flat, however, the team quickly got back in their car and drove off to Dandurand’s, leaving the Cup on the side of the road.
One can only imagine the stories that hockey historians would share today had the Cup not been recovered soon after. While the trophy wasn’t in its recognizable form today, it still was an impressive silver presentation bowl at this time and easily could have been stolen.
The moral of the story?
First, when you have a flat, the last thing to do is take your valuables out of the car if you’re going to DIY getting back on the road.
And second, don’t take chances – if you encounter a flat, calling for roadside assistance when you’re at all unsure of what to do is your best course of action.