The Calder Cup is awarded to the best team in the AHL.
The timing is strange, as it ends after the NHL Stanley Cup playoffs have finished.
It’s an awkward ending to hockey season.
Last year, the Toronto Marlies won.
They beat the Texas Stars in Game 7.
They were the best team.
So they hoisted the Cup.
And they get championship rings.
Championship rings are an interesting thing.
They’re a North American sports phenomenon
(They don’t really exist in sports outside of Canada and the US.)
The rest of the world collects trophies.
We collect rings.
A ring means that you’re a champion.
That you’ve won.
But does it mean the same thing in the minors?
The goal of those leagues is to develop talent.
To become better players.
To make it to the majors.
If you’ve graduated to the NHL when you get your ring, fantastic!
They’re a testament to the grind
To improving your skill set,
To testing yourself,
To winning a championship,
To graduating to the next level.
But what if you’re not?
If you’re still pounded it out in the minors.
What does the ring mean then?
Is it a memento of past glory days?
A reminder that you already hit your peak.
Or is it motivation to keep grinding?
To trust the process.
Minor league championships are not the end goal.
They’re a step in the process.
Your startup secured Series A funding.
Your work won a Canadian marketing award.
Your company broke $100,000 in revenue.
Congratulations! Pop some fucking bottles and celebrate.
But you know that it's not the end goal.
You don’t want one round of funding … you want to build an industry leading business.
You don’t want to be the best in Canada … you want to make work with a global impact.
You’re not stopping at $100k … you want to hit $100 million.
That minor league championship - the ring - represents the grind.
The process.
The hard work that you’ve put in throughout the season.
And that you’ll have to continue to put in.
It takes character to win a championship.
You gain experience in high pressure situations.
You getting reps under your belt.
You build the belief that you can win.
That’s the meaning of a Calder Cup ring.
It’s recognition of the grind you’ve put in so far.
And a reminder of the work still to come.
- Christian