Hockey betting fans know that the original Stanley Cup betting trophy was retired in 1969 because it had become brittle and easily damaged. In the early days of Stanley Cup history, players added their names to the NHL Stanley Cup by scratching them onto the original bowl with a knife or a nail. From the 1890s to the 1930s, various bands were added to the bottom of the bowl to hold the names of the NHL Stanley Cup winning teams and their players.