The J. P. Bickell Memorial Award is named after the late Toronto businessman and hockey executive J. P. Bickell. The award was created by the Maple Leaf Gardens board of directors to honor Mr. Bickell's involvement as owner, president, chairman and director of the club from 1924 - 1951. Mr. Bickell was part of seven Stanley cup victories, his name appearing 6 times. His name did not appear on the cup in 1942 while he was serving in the war overseas.
Produced in 1953, the award was valued at $10,000, which makes it one of the costliest of all sports trophies, the Bickell Memorial Cup consists entirely of 14-karat gold on a silver base. The replica, which will become the property of the player given the award, also will be of 14-karat gold, and is valued at $500.[1]
The inscription on the cup reads;
THE JP BICKELL MEMORIAL CUP PRESENTED BY MAPLE LEAF GARDENS LIMITED IN RESPECTFUL MEMORY OF JP BICKELL ESQUIRE AND IN APPRECIATION OF HIS INVALUABLE SERVICES AS PRESIDENT FROM THE YEAR OF ITS INAUGURATION IN 1931 UNTIL 1951 CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD FOR THE ELEVEN SUCCEEDING YEARS AND A DIRECTOR UNTIL HIS DECEASE IN 1951 TO BE AWARDED TO A PLAYER OF THE MAPLE LEAF HOCKEY TEAM AT SUCH TIMES AND FOR SUCH MERIT AS MAY BE DESIGNATED AND DETERMINED BY THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
The award is to be presented at the discretion of the Toronto Maple Leafs directors to a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs organization who performed with a very high standard of excellence over a single season or several years either on the ice as a player or within the executive office or a combination of both.
