When the Colorado Avalanche won the Stanley Cup in 2022, it didn’t take long for the trophy to take a hit.
Just minutes after their 2022 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning, the team was getting ready for the traditional on-ice photo when forward Nicolas Aube-Kubel, skating with the Cup, took a tumble. In the excitement, he lost his balance and dropped the trophy, and just like that, it got dented.
The moment left teammates laughing, fans stunned, and cameras rolling. It was a celebration the Avalanche won’t forget — not just for the win, but for one of the most unexpected Cup moments in NHL history.
Nicolas Aube-Kubel Drops Stanley Cup, Adds Iconic Dent to Celebration History
Aube-Kubel, holding the Stanley Cup and skating toward center ice for the team photo after defeating the Lightning, tripped and fell, sending the trophy sliding across the ice. A noticeable dent appeared at the base of hockey’s most iconic prize.
“It didn’t even last five minutes,” joked Phil Pritchard, the Hockey Hall of Fame’s Keeper of the Cup. “There’s a dent at the bottom already — right in the middle of the team photo.”
Nicholas Aube-Kubel takes a tumble with the #StanleyCup 😬@Avalanche | #GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/bvQJJIyH7K
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) June 27, 2022
The damage wasn’t major, but it was visible. Pritchard confirmed the Cup would be repaired before heading out on its annual post-championship tour.
The Stanley Cup has been through a lot over the years — it’s been dropped in pools, forgotten at parties, and even dented in transit. But Aube-Kubel’s fall was unique because of the timing and how public it was. It happened in front of the full arena, broadcast cameras, and the whole team, making it an instant viral moment.
In classic athlete fashion, Aube-Kubel embraced it. He later got a tattoo of the Stanley Cup on his thigh — complete with an avalanche wrapped around it and, most importantly, a small dent at the base.
Nicolas Aube-Kubel got a tattoo of the Stanley Cup and made sure to include the dent. 😂
📸: IG/paulberkey pic.twitter.com/hhEtF1Jlh2
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) August 31, 2022
It’s a cheeky nod to the slip-up that turned into one of the funniest and most unforgettable moments in Stanley Cup celebration history.
The moment now sits alongside other legendary post-Cup memories — like the Washington Capitals’ 2018 celebration, where players including Braden Holtby, Jakub Vrana and Devante Smith-Pelly also got tattoos to commemorate their win.
Or another famous Colorado moment, when NHL Hall of Famer Ray Bourque finally hoisted the Cup after 22 years of pursuit.
