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Same grit, different year: The trophy since 1975

THIRTY-FIVE YEARS seems like a long time, doesn't it? Since the Flyers last won a Stanley Cup in 1975, the famed trophy has been awarded 33 times to 13 franchises in 12 cities. (There was no champion in 2005, because of the lockout.)

THIRTY-FIVE YEARS seems like a long time, doesn't it?

Since the Flyers last won a Stanley Cup in 1975, the famed trophy has been awarded 33 times to 13 franchises in 12 cities. (There was no champion in 2005, because of the lockout.)

There have been 1,405 names engraved on the Cup since '75, according to legendsofhockey.net, not counting the name of Bazil Pocklington, who had his name crossed out. Edmonton Oilers owner Peter Pocklington had his father's name included when he submitted the list to the NHL in 1984. The league found out and had the name removed. There are 16 X's in its place.

One of the best traditions associated with the Stanley Cup did not start - at least officially - until 20 years after the Flyers' victory. Now, each player, along with a representative of the Hockey Hall of Fame who travels with the trophy, is allowed to have the Cup for a day and take it wherever he wants.

The Montreal Canadiens have hoisted six of their NHL-record 23 Cups over that span (1976-79, '86 and '93), while the Oilers, led by Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier, won five (1984-85, 1987-88,'90).

New York has enjoyed five championships - four by the Islanders during their dynasty from 1980 to '83 and one by the Rangers in '94 that ended a 54-year title drought, the longest dry spell in NHL history.

Add three titles each by the New Jersey Devils (1995, 2000, 2003) and Pittsburgh Penguins (1991-92, 2009) and that makes 11 total championships, with at least one by every team in the Atlantic Division, except the Flyers.

The Detroit Red Wings (1997-98, 2002, 2008) and the Colorado Avalanche (1996, 2001) are the other franchises to capture multiple Stanley Cups since 1975.

Many of the names on the Cup in '75 are no longer there. In 1991, the five bands along the barrel were filled, so the top band with the earliest winners was removed and sent to the Hall of Fame. A new band was added to the bottom for more recent names.

The Cup is 35 1/4 inches tall and weighs 34 1/2 pounds.

Messier amassed six rings and has his name engraved six times on the Cup.

Among the current Flyers players, only Chris Pronger (Anaheim, 2007) has his name on the Cup.

He would love to add the names of his teammates to the current total of 2,163. *