OT Chance to hold the Stanley Cup

I have only ever posed with it with my hand still and inch or so away hovering over it. Not mine to touch. 

Lord Stanley would probably be happy if you touched his cup.

In 1998 I had the opportunity to take pictures with the Cup, and I touched it and kissed it. I think it's pretty normal to do so, I'm not a professional hockey player, so it was my only opportunity.

If your a little stitious I wouldn’t touch it, but whatever man go for it! 

DON"T TOUCH IT!!!!

I've touched AND photographed Lord Stanley's Cup. So, like famed groundskeeper Carl Spackler, I've got that goin' for me which is nice!

If I ever get a chance to hold the Stanley Cup, I'm not gonna treat it like it's got cooties just because I wasn't born with the talent to play professional hockey.  Go bobbing for apples in it if that's your thing.  If some hockey player or insane hockey fan thinks you shouldn't touch it because you didn't win it, they're being assholes.

I have touched it. It’s only superstitious for hockey players not to touch it. Normal fans have no such unwritten rules. 

If you have some free time try to chat up the hanlders.  Because they always travel with the cup they usually have some outrageous stories of the players when they each get their few days with it.  

Touch the cup and enjoy it.  Its  a rarity.

I got to touch the beat up version they skate with at the HOF when I was younger. Very cool experience. 

It's the best trophy in all of sports IMO.  Touch it and take a pic or two.  I would recommend getting at least a few pics of the legendary names engraved on the cup.  Once in a lifetime opportunity.

Not poor form at all. I have hosted the cup a couple of time. In high school, I was food friends with Holland’s daughter

makes for one hell of Christmas card 

You only touch the Cup once you've won the Cup!

Touch it.  Feel it up.  Look for the names you want to see.  Kiss it.  But do not - DO NOT - attempt to pick it up.  The handlers will not like that.

Way back in 1998, when the Wings swept the Caps, I was able to grope the cup for a good 45 minutes.  Before game 3 in Washington, a friend and I went into DC to The Phone Booth (then the Verizon Center) during our lunch 'hour', because the Cup was on display.  We were the only ones there, except for the handler and security, for ~40 minutes.  One or two others showed up, but each left after only a few minutes.  My friend was from Philly, and the two of us ogled that thing way more than we should have otherwise been allowed.  What a great memory!

OP, you are not a hockey player, so do what you want - you are not bound by hockey's unwritten rules or historical precedent.

(However, if you do play professional hockey in any form, you probably shouldn't as it would be in bad form...)

Do it! My dad has drunk booze from it. He just happened to be in Chelios' bar some years ago after the Wings had won it. Whichever player had it for that time decided to take it to the bar that night and a bunch of people got drinks from it.

Warning: incoming “cool story bro”

Right around 1997 I was tailgating for a football game outside of Yost and out comes Aaron Ward rolling a big case. It was obvious what was on the inside, so we simply asked if he could get Lord Stanley out and if we could hold it.  He said ok. So I got to hold the Stanley Cup 

/cool story bro 

Pray to the BEAVER for guidance.

# BEAVER WISDOM.

# EXPECT VICTORY 

I could have held the cup in 2002 after waiting in line for over an hour to get to see and pose with it but didn't even touch it. It is a HUGE regret of mine... I've played two seasons of hockey in my entire life, I'm not an NHL player or w/e. 

I say touch it!

you better post a pic, or it didn't happen.

go wings! 

Lifelong hockey player here...touch the Cup!  Unless you are a professional hockey player who needs to earn that chance, you should go for it.  Get your pictures (definitely find the Wings on there). 

I got the opportunity to touch it outside Yost during my freshman year after the Wings' last Cup. 

Smack it up, flip it, rub it down ..... whatever.  You're (presumably) not a professional hockey player hoping to make it in the NHL so yea.  Also, wear a Konstantinov jersey

Superstitiously, it’s bad luck to touch the Cup if you haven’t won it. 

Unless you're a professional hockey player, you take any opportunity you have to touch or raise the cup. 

If you feel like touching it touch it, if you are allowed .

That whole, dont touch it until you win it , does not apply to fans , who cant win it .

You can touch it, but only after you've prostrated yourself in front of it and then sacrificed a live animal to Lord Stanley.

When my wife was taking some doctor test in Chicago her classmates went to a bar, Chicago just won it and it was at the bar. They don't like hockey at all but they molested it and took a pic. That thing goes around.

It isn't the holy grail.  I was at an event at neighbor's business and people held it, kissed, and we even put a baby sit on the top for pictures.

The “Don’t Touch the Cup Unless You Win It” superstition only applies to hockey players seeking to win it.

I you’re just a big hockey fan who can’t skate for his life (like me) I see no problem in touching it. I have on two separate occasions.

I got to drink champagne out of the cup a long time ago. It was an unforgettable experience.  My family got invited to a Stanley Cup party by a player that was on the team that won it one year.  We had been at the party all day and no one had been allowed to even touch the cup.  We took a lot of pictures next to it, but we were not allowed to touch it.  Late at night as we were getting ready to go, I realized that the player who had the cup for the day was pouring champagne into it.  I made a beeline to where it was happening and got in on the action.  The player and his brother held the cup and everyone there took a turn drinking out of it.  My wife was outside at the car with our kids wondering where in the world I was.  I felt bad that she missed it, but I'll never forget it.  We toasted Lord Stanley!!

Do what ever you want with it.  In the summer of 2001 after the Avalanche won the cup, one of the players' brother was a member at the same golf course as I.  He brought the cup through the clubhouse.  At first everything was polite pictures and kisses.  After a few hours and several drinks I had the opportunity to drink beer from the top of it.  Middle aged women were rubbing their boobs on it. This goes back almost 20 years, but I don't remember any handlers with the cup.  There must have been someone but I don't remember anyone setting rules or stopping any behavior.  I suspect if it's on a publicity tour it'll be much more locked down.  The point is, do whatever you want or are allowed to do.  On a side note, what a cool tradition (if it still exists) to give each player on the team some private time with the cup.

In 2001 I hoisted it above my head. Have also had my picture taken with it a couple of times

We had the same thing at work a few years back.  One of my co-workers got a pic of him kissing it, so I can tell you it has been done. :)

I don’t remember if I touched it but I played hockey with lidstrom’s kid for quite a few years when I was younger. One year happened to be in 02 when they won. They had a party at meadowbrook country club and invited everyone on the team and their families which was awesome. That was also the year he won the conn smythe so we got to see both. Quite a few red wings there. It sucks that I was only 5 and didn’t take advantage of being able to meet all of those legends. I was more concerned about running around with my teammates. It was cool for my family, specifically my one brother who was a teenager and diehard wings fan. They also had a party in 08 for the cup win but I couldn’t go to it. I had a baseball game or something and I thought it wasn’t that big of a deal since I had already seen the cup. Looking back now, I totally would have gone. 

Had the good fortune of drinking like a fish out of the cup in '97 and placing my sons diapered ass in it in '98.  Good times.

So my grandfather has his name on it multiple times, and one of my closest friends growing up does as well.  I’ve been *awfully* lucky to be with that thing a LOT (so much so that the CupCops would say “I remember you....”) and in a lot of fun places (I was IN the Wings’ parade in ‘97, and was in Times Square with a team celebrating it a few years later, among others) and have been the guy pouring beer out of it into other people’s mouths.

So with that perspective I say ... touch it.  It is a magical thing.  You will always regret missing the opportunity if you opt out (I know others who have really been bummed out later on that they made that choice).  Just my two cents....