Stanley Cup 2026

Traditional TMs
Written By Justin Powley
Two hockey players standing next to a sport championship trophy and pointing at a chalkboard reading "Stanley Cup" - representing a blog post about Stanley Cup and NHL trademarks.

Trademark: Stanley Cup

First Used: 1893

Registered: 1970

Current Owner: NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE (UNINCORPORATED ASSOCIATION; CANADA) [1]

Trademark Type: collective mark; traditional trademark; word mark; design mark; non-traditional trademark; trade dress; configuration mark

Primarily Associated With: annual series of professional ice hockey contests to determine the world championship of professional ice hockey [2]

Brief (and likely incomplete) History:

The ice is resurfaced (likely by a ZAMBONI® brandice resurfacing machine) and the puck is ready to be dropped. Congratulations to the Vegas Golden Knights and Carolina Hurricanes for advancing to the 2026 STANLEY CUP® finals! Before the series starts on June 2, 2026, lets highlight some trademark registrations celebrating the NHL’s championship game, including those owned by Vegas and Carolina. Good luck to both teams!

The Stanley Cup is older than the NHL itself. Lord Stanley of Preston, then Governor General of Canada, donated the trophy in 1892 as a challenge cup for the “championship hockey club of the Dominion of Canada,” meaning it was originally intended for Canada’s top hockey club, not the winner of a professional league. The first winner was the Montreal Amateur Athletic Association in 1893, and for decades the Cup moved through a challenge system involving amateur and, later, professional teams.

The National Hockey League (NHL) was founded in November 26, 1917, when several owners from the suspended National Hockey Association met in Montreal to form a new league. Over time, competing leagues faded away, and since 1927 the Stanley Cup has been awarded exclusively to the NHL playoff champion. Today, it remains one of the most recognizable trophies in sports, famous for its engraved names, its traveling traditions, and the unforgettable image of players hoisting it over their heads after the final horn.

After the NHL assumed control of Stanley Cup competition after the 1925-26 season, the first NHL Stanley Cup champion in 1927 was the Ottawa Senators, coached by George Gill. The Montréal Canadiens hold the record for most Stanley Cup wins, with 23 wins in 33 appearances.

STANLEY CUP® is a registered word mark for an “annual series of professional ice hockey contests” [3], together with a variety of other goods like clothing, commemorative coins, medals, key chains, and jewelry [4]. The NHL also utilizes logos to advertise the Stanley Cup playoffs and finals, including the Stanley Cup Playoffs design mark [5] and the Stanley Cup Final design mark [6], each registered similarly for an “annual series of professional ice hockey contests.” Both logos are also registered in connection with a wide range of clothing [7].

NHL® [8], NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE® [9], and the NHL Logo [10] are registered collective membership marks, used by NHL teams to indicate membership in the NHL. The NHL® word mark is also a registered trademark for video game cartridges, clothing, commemorative coins, medals, trophies, jewelry, entertainment services, and retail store services, among other goods and services [11]. The NHL Logo design mark is also a registered trademark for association and entertainment services, motion picture films, magazines, and clothing, among others [12]. 

The Vegas Golden Knights are representing the NHL Western Conference and the Carolina Hurricanes are representing the NHL Eastern Conference. The NHL Western Conference Logo [13] and NHL Eastern Conference Logo [14] design marks are both registered trademarks in connection with “entertainment in the nature of hockey games.”

Both teams will be vying for the legendary Stanley Cup trophy. The three-dimensional configuration of the Stanley Cup Trophy is a registered, non-traditional trademark, including primarily in connection with “annual series of professional ice hockey contests to determine the world championship of professional ice hockey” [15], and also for commemorative coins, medals, key chains, and jewelry [16].

Interested in matchups from other years? Check out our post on the 2025 Stanley Cup, featuring the featuring the Edmonton Oilers and champion Florida Panthers.

Interested in learning more about other 2026 sporting events? Check out our 2026 posts on the College Football National Championship, Team USA in the Winter Olympics, Super Bowl, Final Four, and Masters (including the Masters 12th Hole and Masters Green Jacket).

Copyright © 2026 by Illustrated IP, LLC. All rights reserved.‍

[1] National Hockey League, https://www.nhl.com/.

[2] USPTO, U.S. Trademark Registration No. 888,872, available at https://tsdr.uspto.gov/#caseNumber=72326176&caseSearchType=US_APPLICATION&caseType=DEFAULT&searchType=statusSearch.

[3] Id.

[4] USPTO, U.S. Trademark Registration No. 2,422,903, available at https://tsdr.uspto.gov/#caseNumber=75749963&caseSearchType=US_APPLICATION&caseType=DEFAULT&searchType=statusSearch; USPTO, U.S. Trademark Registration No. 4,686,827, available at https://tsdr.uspto.gov/#caseNumber=86122961&caseSearchType=US_APPLICATION&caseType=DEFAULT&searchType=statusSearch.

[5] USPTO, U.S. Trademark Registration No. 3,922,822, available at https://tsdr.uspto.gov/#caseNumber=85078501&caseSearchType=US_APPLICATION&caseType=DEFAULT&searchType=statusSearch.

[6] USPTO, U.S. Trademark Registration No. 3,922,838, available at https://tsdr.uspto.gov/#caseNumber=85078622&caseSearchType=US_APPLICATION&caseType=DEFAULT&searchType=statusSearch.

[7] USPTO, U.S. Trademark Registration No. 3,922,828, available at https://tsdr.uspto.gov/#caseNumber=85078542&caseSearchType=US_APPLICATION&caseType=DEFAULT&searchType=statusSearch; USPTO, U.S. Trademark Registration No. 3,961,015, available at https://tsdr.uspto.gov/#caseNumber=85078712&caseSearchType=US_APPLICATION&caseType=DEFAULT&searchType=statusSearch.

[8] USPTO, U.S. Trademark Registration No. 883,569, available at https://tsdr.uspto.gov/#caseNumber=72315523&caseSearchType=US_APPLICATION&caseType=DEFAULT&searchType=statusSearch.

[9] USPTO, U.S. Trademark Registration No. 3,654,768, available at https://tsdr.uspto.gov/#caseNumber=78411327&caseSearchType=US_APPLICATION&caseType=DEFAULT&searchType=statusSearch.

[10] USPTO, U.S. Trademark Registration No. 891,762, available at https://tsdr.uspto.gov/#caseNumber=72314765&caseSearchType=US_APPLICATION&caseType=DEFAULT&searchType=statusSearch.

[11] USPTO, U.S. Trademark Registration No. 1,904,540, available at https://tsdr.uspto.gov/#caseNumber=74534765&caseSearchType=US_APPLICATION&caseType=DEFAULT&searchType=statusSearch; USPTO, U.S. Trademark Registration No. 1,960,563, available at https://tsdr.uspto.gov/#caseNumber=74702690&caseSearchType=US_APPLICATION&caseType=DEFAULT&searchType=statusSearch; USPTO, U.S. Trademark Registration No. 1,962,135, available at https://tsdr.uspto.gov/#caseNumber=74702717&caseSearchType=US_APPLICATION&caseType=DEFAULT&searchType=statusSearch; USPTO, U.S. Trademark Registration No. 3,611,692, available at https://tsdr.uspto.gov/#caseNumber=77561137&caseSearchType=US_APPLICATION&caseType=DEFAULT&searchType=statusSearch; USPTO, U.S. Trademark Registration No. 4,631,182, available at https://tsdr.uspto.gov/#caseNumber=86122828&caseSearchType=US_APPLICATION&caseType=DEFAULT&searchType=statusSearch.

[12] USPTO, U.S. Trademark Registration No. 897,099, available at https://tsdr.uspto.gov/#caseNumber=72328242&caseSearchType=US_APPLICATION&caseType=DEFAULT&searchType=statusSearch; USPTO, U.S. Trademark Registration No. 993,099, available at https://tsdr.uspto.gov/#caseNumber=72463381&caseSearchType=US_APPLICATION&caseType=DEFAULT&searchType=statusSearch; USPTO, U.S. Trademark Registration No. 1,678,612, available at https://tsdr.uspto.gov/#caseNumber=74060856&caseSearchType=US_APPLICATION&caseType=DEFAULT&searchType=statusSearch; USPTO, U.S. Trademark Registration No. 1,894,400, available at https://tsdr.uspto.gov/#caseNumber=74532014&caseSearchType=US_APPLICATION&caseType=DEFAULT&searchType=statusSearch.

[13] USPTO, U.S. Trademark Registration No. 1,911,854, available at https://tsdr.uspto.gov/#caseNumber=74473121&caseSearchType=US_APPLICATION&caseType=DEFAULT&searchType=statusSearch.

[14] USPTO, U.S. Trademark Registration No. 1,911,855, available at https://tsdr.uspto.gov/#caseNumber=74473122&caseSearchType=US_APPLICATION&caseType=DEFAULT&searchType=statusSearch.

[15] USPTO, U.S. Trademark Registration No. 1,793,016, available at https://tsdr.uspto.gov/#caseNumber=74348256&caseSearchType=US_APPLICATION&caseType=DEFAULT&searchType=statusSearch.

[16] USPTO, U.S. Trademark Registration No. 4,677,429, available at https://tsdr.uspto.gov/#caseNumber=86123096&caseSearchType=US_APPLICATION&caseType=DEFAULT&searchType=statusSearch.

Justin Powley
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