Set with 557 diamonds and 81 custom-cut blue sapphires, the Tampa Bay Lightning's 2020 Stanley Cup Championship ring boasts a gem total weight of 25 carats, the most in Jostens' history. Players and coaches finally received their highly anticipated 2020 rings on Friday night — 47 games into the 2021 season.
Normally, the team would have raised its championship banner and distributed the rings at the 2021 home opener, but the Lightning decided to hold off on the presentations until fans could participate at Tampa Bay's Amalie Arena.
Certainly, the 2020 season was like no other in NHL history. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the team played the entirety of the playoffs in the isolation of hub-cities for 65 days. Despite being separated from family, friends and fans by thousands of miles, the Tampa Bay Lightning persevered and overcame the most difficult of circumstances to be crowned the NHL’s 2020 Stanley Cup Champions.
On Friday night, the players and coaches got their first glimpse of the blingiest ring ever designed by Jostens. The 25 carats of gemstones is the highest total weight of any championship ring, in any sport, in Jostens' 124-year history.
Crafted in 14-karat white gold, the ring top features the iconic Lightning logo rendered in blue sapphires. The bolt of the logo features 12 custom-cut sapphires, which are intricately hand-set with an additional 18 custom-cut sapphires completing the logo. There are 24 diamonds brilliantly encircling the edge of the team's logo.
The Cup itself is crafted with 79 diamonds. In an interesting twist, Jostens engineered the Stanley Cup and Lightning logo to lift up from the face to reveal the word "STOCKHOLM," a nod to the city in Sweden where the Lightning participated in the NHL's Global Series. During the trip, the team won both games versus the Buffalo Sabres and also found their team identity. The inside of the Stanley Cup also features two crossed hockey sticks with a hockey puck — rendered as a singular black diamond — between them.
Encircling the logo and Cup are an additional 27 custom-cut blue sapphires, symbolic of the 27 seasons the Lightning organization has been a part of the NHL leading up to their 2020 Stanley Cup victory.
An additional 146 pavé-set diamonds adorn the ring top and flow down the edges. Along both the top and bottom edges of the ring are 12 custom-cut sapphires set in a detailed wave pattern. These waves pay tribute to Tampa Bay, which is known for its proximity to the beautiful waters of the Gulf of Mexico.
The left side of the ring features the words STANLEY CUP and the right side displays CHAMPIONS, set in raised white gold against a contrasting background of Lightning blue.
The left side of the ring also features the recipient's name created from white gold and accented with the same Lightning blue in the background. Below the name is the player's number set in diamonds within a circle that has the details of a hockey net in the background.
The right side of the ring displays the championship year date of 2020, which is separated by a banner featuring the motto "DISTANT THUNDER," which was adopted by the team to recognize their fans during their 2020 playoff run. The right side also includes the team name and Lightning logo.
The sides of the ring are adorned with diamonds that cascade down from the top of the ring and wrap around the palm side which displays the words "GRAVY TRAIN," the title of the team's locker room victory song for the season. In total, there are 308 diamonds hand-set on the sides of the rings alone. This first-of-its-kind presentation for Jostens results in a ring that shines with brilliance from every angle.
The interior of the ring contains the Lightning logo in custom blue ceramic with the results of each of the team's 2020 playoff round victories to the right side. To the left of the logo is 216:14, the total number of overtime minutes endured by the Lightning during the playoffs and the most of any NHL team in a single post-season. The overtime minutes were equivalent to playing nearly four extra regulation games. The Lightning was also the first team in NHL history to reach the Stanley Cup Final after clinching their other three series via overtime wins.
As an added detail of personalization, Jostens included each player's signature on the interior palm side.
Credits: Images courtesy of Jostens.