Lord Stanley's cup is not exclusive property of the NHL. In fact the trophy is much older than the league. So should we give it to the best team in the AHL or let it take a break this year?
Nice idea, but the Cup does belong to the NHL under an agreement made in the 1940s with Lord Stanley's estate, unless a court rules that the NHL breached its agreement (the whole freestanley.com movement...).
Having read the brief commissioned by the folks who want the Cup awarded this year, I don't think they're going to get anywhere. The trustees can argue (IMO with complete justification) that giving out the trophy to the AHL would diminish the prestige of the trophy.
No for the simple reason that the players that would win the Cup would not have been of calibre to even make a team, much less a championship team before or after the lockout. Why stop at the AHL? Why not give it to the Russian or Swedish champion? Or the amateur Canadian champion? Or the best junior team? etc. Because it is now a trophy for the best NHL team (ie best of the best) and just because the league is locked out doesn't mean that the Cup should move around to lesser leagues and players.
