Errors Engraved in Precious Metal

The Los Angeles Times reports on spelling errors that have made their way onto the Stanley Cup:

Spelling isn’t that grate in hoky

Dear Engraver, make that T-e-e-m-u S-e-l-a-n-n-e.

The Anaheim Ducks' names will be inscribed on the Stanley Cup later this year, but the execution isn't always perfect.

In 1963, the Toronto Maple Leafs' name was misspelled as Maple Leaes.

The 1972 Boston Bruins came out as the Bqstqn Bruins, and the 1981 New York Islanders as the Ilanders.

Detroit Red Wings Coach Tommy Ivan's last name came out as Nivan in 1952, and forward Alex Delvecchio's as Belvecchio.

The Montreal Canadiens' Bob Gainey was listed as Gainy in 1975, but his name was correct the other four times he won.

Pity poor Jacques Plante, though. He won five consecutive Cups with the Canadiens from 1956-60, and his name is spelled differently each time.

In 1984, owner Peter Pocklington of the Edmonton Oilers tried to pull a fast one, including the name of his father, Basil Pocklington, who was not affiliated with the Oilers, on the official list.

The NHL ordered the name removed, and an engraver covered it with 16 Xs.

Any mistakes involving the Ducks are likely to be fixed.

The last two errors — when the name of Colorado's Adam Deadmarsh was listed as Deadmarch in 1996 and the Detroit Red Wings' Manny Legace as Lagace in 2002 —
were both corrected.

But just imagine the life of an engraver: no backspace, no spell-check.

— Los Angeles Times

While this is all amusing enough, what REALLY cracks us up is the "correct" spelling of the Maple Leafs [sic]. It's Leaves. LEAVES. L-E-A-V-E-S. Perhaps the engraver couldn't bring himself to perpetuate that error.