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Avalanche damage Stanley Cup moments after winning it

The Stanley Cup has been known to take a beating over the years, but the Colorado Avalanche may have set a new record Sunday night.

Colorado defeated the Tampa Bay Lighting 2-1 to capture the Cup for the first time since 2001, and on the way to the team photo with virtually the whole squad waiting for him, Nicolas Aube-Kubel dropped the Cup, much to the bemused delight of his teammates.

Here’s one angle of Aube-Kubel’s fumble:

Although Aube-Kubel will likely get roasted by his teammates in the years to come, the Cup has been prone to dangerous excursions throughout its history. It was thrown into Mario Lemieux’s pool in the 1990s, who again took it swimming after the Pittsburgh Penguins won in 2009. Pat Maroon dented the trophy last year as the Lightning celebrated their second consecutive victory, and Lord Stanley's mug has gone on a few different trips with Mark Messier.

The Avalanche wasted no time denting the Stanley Cup. (Screen grab via @Sportsnet/Twitter)
The Avalanche wasted no time denting the Stanley Cup. (Screen grab via @Sportsnet/Twitter)

The Cup has been dented and sent for repairs so many times, that after a cursory glance at Wikipedia, there is a laundry list of all its mishaps, spanning several decades.

Aube-Kubel may have set a new record, but perhaps this is just a way of adhering to a well-established tradition. We'll see what the Avalanche have in store at their parade this week and in the ensuing summer celebrations.

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