Stanley Cup arrives in Las Vegas as Golden Knights take on Florida Panthers

LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) - The Stanley Cup is now making the rounds in Las Vegas as the Vegas Golden Knights begin their Stanley Cup Final series on Saturday. The “Keeper of the Cup” wheeled the cup into FOX5 studios on Thursday.

“Any time you bring it out of the box, or you’re rolling it into an event, people are very, very excited,” said Mike Bolt with the Hockey Hall of Fame.

The Stanley Cup in Las Vegas is one of three cups. The original was created as a silver punch bowl in England in the 1850′s. The bowl was purchased in London by Governor General of Canada, Frederick Arthur Stanley.

The original sits in a glass case in the Hockey Hall of Fame in Canada. There is also a replica cup. The cup in Las Vegas is a Presentation Cup, which is the actual cup teams hoist after winning the Stanley Cup Final.

“It’s an artifact. This is a 131-year-old trophy. And you always handle any artifact with white gloves,” said Bolt.

However, Bolt says fans can touch the cup with their bare hands. They can also kiss or hug the cup. However, Bolt says no one can hoist the cup, except for those who earn it by winning the Stanley Cup Final series.

Stanley donated the original to be used as a trophy for his children’s amateur hockey league in 1892. The cup was acquired by the National Hockey League in 1910. It is the only professional trophy of which the name of every team member is hand stamped onto bands. Every 13 years bands are removed and stored to make way for new cup winners.

The cup will now travel between Las Vegas and Florida as the Stanley Cup Final takes place. Mike Bolt says keep an eye out for the cup while it’s in Las Vegas.

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