Who donated the trophy that became the NHL's Stanley Cup?

Lord Stanley donated the trophy that became the NHL's Stanley Cup.

Frederick Arthur Stanley, the 16th Earl of Derby, was Canada's governor general from 1888 to 1893. He presented the silver bowl in 1892 for Canada's top amateur hockey club. The first championship was awarded in 1893 to the Montreal Hockey Club.

The trophy was originally called the Dominion Hockey Challenge Cup. It later became known as the Stanley Cup and eventually became the championship prize of the National Hockey League. The NHL assumed exclusive control of the Cup in 1947.

A common mix-up is confusing Lord Stanley with the teams or leagues that first competed for the trophy. His sons helped popularize ice hockey in Ottawa, but the cup itself was his donation. The original bowl is now displayed in the Hockey Hall of Fame, while championship teams receive a presentation version.