If you’ve ever wondered how the Stanley Cup keeps adding names to it without getting any bigger, it’s because there are removable rings wrapping around the trophy that periodically replaced.

Of course, to say that the Stanley Cup has never gotten bigger wouldn’t be true. Its original form was much smaller and was more of a wide goblet than it is today. Here’s a photo of the original trophy.

Well, now that you’ve seen what it used to look like and what it looks like now (Keep in mind there were several transition stages in between those two eras), you can see what it would look like if the league hadn’t devised a plan to have removable sections. It looks bizarre and would be way too tall for players to carry around the ice like they do today.

…Let’s just say we’re happy that an alternative to continually growing the trophy was found. If not, that’s definitely the ugliest trophy in sports.