Can’t win the Stanley Cup? Just 3D-print one like this guy
Mat Crossen, left, shows off his 3D-printed Stanley Cup, which is assembled but still needs its final touches, including a paint job, by Lauren Hartman and Dave Primmer of the Art Den in London. Photo taken on Monday June 12, 2023. (Mike Hensen/The London Free Press)
Mat Crossen can still remember the first time he saw it.
Tall, silver and shining, it was hoisted by the National Hockey League champions, the New York Islanders, in the early 1980s.
The Stanley Cup, since he was a kid, has been Crossen’s own personal holy grail.
Now, the London hockey fan has it. Well, sort of.
Crossen, 53, has built his own full-scale 3D-printed Stanley Cup after 800 hours of print time and about $1,500 in materials, including buying two printers. He’s getting his hands on the final product just as the Vegas Golden Knights appear set to claim the real thing.
“I’ve always loved the Stanley Cup. When I was a kid I loved hockey. It’s a great sport,” said Crossen, who works as a system analyst at TD Bank. “The first time I saw it was when the Islanders won. It just stuck with me.”
The replica Cup was being painted with a chrome finish at the Art Den in London. Crossen hopes to have it at his Westmount home Tuesday night in case the Golden Knights win the real Cup, and he hasn’t ruled out drinking a beer from the bowl – just like the pros.
“I’m so excited for it to be ready. I’ll share it with my friends, take it to Kelsey’s or Boston Pizza and, yeah, I will probably drink from it,” he said with a laugh. “It’s such an amazing trophy.”
As for making the replica, the plan began last year when Crossen read about a Quebec man who created his own 3D-printed Stanley Cup. He bought the file and in January began to make his own.
3D printing is a complicated process for the uninitiated. Per one online explanation, it involves creating a three-dimensional object layer-by-layer using a computer-created design. Multiple layers of material are built up through the printing to create the 3D features.
His Stanley Cup prints in 34 pieces – each band around the Cup is in four pieces – and has to be assembled. It’s so detailed it includes the names and teams of past champions that are inscribed on the real Cup.
Crossen shares his hockey passion with his three daughters. All Boston Bruins fans, they have made it a goal to watch their favourite team at every NHL arena, and have only a few left.
“I just think seeing all the names on the Cup is amazing. I’m not sure where I will keep it in my apartment, but I will find a spot,” Crossen said.