1. Who Won The 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs
2. Who Will Win The 2018 Stanley Cup Musical Guest
3. Who Will Win The 2018 Stanley Cup Champions

In mid-April, sixteen teams were all competing for a chance to hoist the most esteemed trophy in all of hockey, the Stanley Cup. Some teams were making their first ever postseason appearance, while others were making their usual trip to the playoffs. Now, here we are in the middle of May and with just four teams left, it is anyone’s guess at this point. Here’s a glimpse of the remaining teams in the fight for ultimate victory.

1. A Canadian team hasn't won the Stanley Cup since 1993, and if any team is going to end that drought in 2018-19, this is the team to do it. The Jets were the only team in the NHL to finish among the top five in both the most goals scored and the fewest goals against.
2. The 2018 Stanley Cup Finals are finally here! Who will win the 2018 Stanley Cup? The Vegas Golden Knights will faceoff with the Washington Capitals in a best of 7 series. The expansion Vegas Golden Knights won the Western Conference and will have home ice advantage for the Stanley Cup against the Eastern Conference Champion Washington Capitals.

First, the Vegas Golden Knights. This is their first season in franchise history and they are wasting no time making some noise. They were dominate throughout the regular season, but some insiders felt that they wouldn’t be as good in the playoffs. Well, the team proved otherwise. They swept the Los Angeles Kings in four games in the first round and defeated the San Jose Sharks in six games to get to the conference finals. They currently hold a 2-1 series leadover the Winnipeg Jets, and if they keep showcasing that they’re the real deal, they will hoist the cup next month.

Wilkins: Steve Yzerman has constructed arguably the NHL's deepest roster, with no weaknesses throughout the lineup. That's why the Lightning will win the Stanley Cup in 2018. While they didn't.

Second, the Winnipeg Jets. A whiteout indeed, this team is stunning not just the Western Conference, but a majority of hockey fans everywhere. They defeated the Minnesota Wild in five games in round one, following up with shocking last season’s Western Conference champions Nashville Predators, by defeating them in seven games in round two. Winnipeg is certainly the underdog and if they can beat the likes of Mike Fisher and P.K. Subban, can they beat everyone?

Third, the Washington Capitals. Everyone questioned if the Caps’ “second round curse” would end since they are used to getting knocked out so early in the playoffs. Captain Alex Ovechkin and his squad have finally broken that curse to reach the Eastern Conference finals. They defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets in six games and they truly surprised the world when they defeated the defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins, also in six games. Will this finally be the year Ovi gets his cup?

Fourth, the Tampa Bay Lightning. Head coach Jon Cooper has done a miraculous job coaching this team to the playoffs and the Russian rifle, Nikita Kucherov, had yet another unreal season for the Bolts. The boys in blue defeated both the New Jersey Devils and Boston Bruins in five games to reach this point. The Lightning have not won the cup since 2004 with the original dream team of Martin St. Louis, Brad Richards, Vincent LeCavalier, and Dave Andreychuk. Kucherov, Steven Stamkos, and Tyler Johnson are this generation’s version of that. Will they bring Tampa their long-awaited cup?

Four teams, one dream. As the Stanley Cup playoffs are soon drawing to a close, it is time to reflect on who is left and how unique each organization’s stories are. At this point, anything can happen and it’s going to be quite the fight to the finish. Who will have their names etched on the most glorious prize in the hockey world? Which captain will lead his team to victory? All we can do is watch, wait and see.

Among hockey fans (and on Twitter), he’s known as the Keeper of the Cup. But his real name is Phil Pritchard, he’s the curator at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto and he’s been taking care of the Stanley Cup — which is not its real name — for 30 years.

But he’s one of several people who travel with the Cup in the summer as the winning team and players pass it around, as well as during the NHL season when it visits a variety of events. He estimates that he personally travels with it for more than 100 days annually.

Ahead of the Stanley Cup Final between the Washington Capitals and the Vegas Golden Knights — which begins Monday in Las Vegas — For The Win spoke with Pritchard about what it’s like to take care of the Cup and his favorite memories with the most coveted trophy in sports.

This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.

So how did you first get to be in charge of taking care of the Stanley Cup?

I had to take it to a charity event just north of Toronto. It was my first week on the job in 1988, we had a very small staff and it was a Friday night. And our boss asked if someone wanted to take it up to Newmarket, Ontario for a charity event. And no one really said anything, so I said, “Well, I’m the new guy. Sure, I’ll go.” So I put up my hand, and I guess, in a way, I’ve been putting up my hand ever since.

Is there much upkeep involved in taking care of the Cup?

It’s amazing because it’s 125 years old this year, and it looks as great now as it did 20 years ago, 40 years ago, 60 years ago. Because it’s pure silver, the upkeep and preservation on it is huge. Every day we are cleaning it, no matter where we go. It looks unbelievable, but I guess I’m kind of biased.

How many pairs of white gloves do you have?

I’ve kept every pair that I’ve ever worn for some reason. I guess that’s the curatorial collector in me. So I have them all at home. I’m not sure what I’ll do with them, maybe bring them back here or throw them out. I go through a pair every two to three weeks. So I’ve got a lot.

They say it weighs 35 pounds except when you’re hoisting it. But do you ever feel like you’re lugging around a ball and chain?

In a way, it is that. We always kid ourselves that that’s our workout for the day when we’re carrying it. But the neat thing hockey has is its traditions, and one of them is you can pick it up and hoist it over your head once you’ve won it. I’ve never hoisted it over my head. I’ve carried it, obviously. But I really feel strongly that if you don’t win it, you don’t pick it up. It’s an honor to travel with it and carry it like that, but it’s there for the guys that have won it. If your name’s on it, you can pick it up any time.

What’s the craziest thing the Stanley Cup has been used for by a player?

When you go out to eastern Canada with fishing and seafood, someone always wants to put a lobster in it. When you go to Finland, Finnish culture’s all about saunas and outdoors, so we’re probably going to a sauna. In Russia, vodka is the cheers of choice, so vodka’s going to be drank out of it. We’ve been to Detroit numerous times, so octopus has been in there.

We’ve been backpacking in Colorado, a baby has been christened in it, we go to cemeteries for loved ones, it’s been used for raffles when you pick a name out of the Cup. I think it genuinely has a life of its own. It’s an inanimate object that’s lifelike, and people look at it that way.

What else has been eaten out of it?

Tomas Kopecky and the Blackhawks had won a few years ago, we took it back to his hometown in Slovakia. He always bragged that he was going to have his mom’s soup out of that. Translated into English, the soup is called “the inside of the stomach of a cow soup.” I don’t know how you say it in Slovakian, but that’s how he said it to me in English. And I didn’t eat the soup out of the Cup because I haven’t won it, but I did have the soup, and it was really good.

Is it challenging to travel with the Cup?

Because we’re in Toronto, we often cross borders and go into the United States or go overseas because a lot of players live over there, and we travel with them in the summer. So we work closely with the airlines, closely with the hotels, TSA, customs and all that to make sure every security point that we’re going to be traveling through knows we’re coming.

It’s kind of neat because the Cup gets checked like regular baggage, but it goes in a special compartment under most planes. And then we get off the plane and meet it at oversized baggage claim and the road show continues.

Like a set of golf clubs or a pair of skis?

Exactly. In a lot of places, depending on the airport, some of the grounds crewmen will bring it to you, but some of them will push it down the oversized ramp. The strollers, the golf clubs, the Stanley Cup.

Has it ever been lost traveling?

Unfortunately. We all know airline travel has changed over the years, so we have to make sure that happens. But unfortunately, sometimes it does miss its flight just like your luggage or my luggage does.

What other things have happened to it? Have you ever dropped it?

Never. Even if I did, I probably wouldn’t tell you. But it has been dropped before, and there are some dents in it. It’s really amazing because in the dressing room after it’s won, dressing rooms are designed for 40 people and there’s like 500 in there. Amazingly, it lives through another day.

How has it been dented, and are those things somehow taken out?

We’ve put it on a table and a leg has fallen out and the Cup has tipped over. Human error happens. It’s a lot tougher with social media, so everybody sees it. So by the time you’ve fixed the Cup, it’s already on social media or the news.

In 1993, it was the 100th anniversary of the Stanley Cup, and the Canadiens were hosting the All-Star Game. And during the pregame ceremony, Rocket Richard was a little older a the time and fell on the Cup. It caved in part of it. He was fine, but the Cup was kind of dented a bit in the barrel at the biggest part. In the back room with the zamboni guys and all their tools, we took the cup apart, knocked the dent from the inside out, and it was ready for display after the game.

Who Won The 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs

What’s your favorite thing to do with the Stanley Cup?

Walking out on the red carpet on the ice on the night it’s about to be presented is always special. To be part of that, it’s really unique, and we’re really fortunate to be close to something historic that’s happening.

The annoucer says, “Ladies and gentlemen, the Stanley Cup.” It’s pretty amazing to be standing at center ice with the Stanely Cup on the table, and there’s 20,000 people going crazy. You can see the look in the players’ eyes that have just won, and they’re waiting for the chance to hoist it over their head.

Who Will Win The 2018 Stanley Cup Musical Guest

What are you thinking about in that moment?

Who Will Win The 2018 Stanley Cup Champions

Honestly, my big thing is not to step on a television or radio wire because we don’t want to become a YouTube moment. But chills go up my spine every time I carry it because I’m walking around with sports’ greatest trophy. But once you’re out on the ice and see that passion. It’s exciting, it’s powerful and it’s emotional.