Hockey and trust law aren’t usually discussed concurrently. But, an associate at law firm Hull and Hull recently asked a question that brought the two together.

He wondered, “Who owns the Stanley Cup?” after seeing an article about where the legendary cup would go to if the season were indeed cancelled due to the ongoing lockout.

Read: Advice for the ice, for more on how athletes can deal with the financial repercussions of lockouts

After some research, he found out the Stanley Cup isn’t owned by the NHL at all. It’s held by a charitable trust, and Lord Stanley of Preston provided the trustees of the cup with five instructions.

These include:

  • The winners shall return the Cup in good order when required by the trustees
  • It will forever remain a challenge cup, and not the property of one team

Read more on how the Cup is owned and used.

Also read: Financial tips for NHL’s new drafts and CFL players becoming advisors