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Dan Davis, editor-in-chief, can be reached at dand@thefabricator.com.
Buffalo has the Stanley Cup
Well, the Sabres may not have won the real thing, but a fabricator still makes it seem possible
rofessional sports have a way of pulling together
a city’s citizens. That’s why they celebrate with
huge parades after big wins, riot after disappoint-
ing losses, or riot after big wins and disappointing losses
if you live in Montreal.
The almost 8-foot-tall, 302-lb. cup
dwarfs the real 35.25-in., 34.5-lb. cup.
Goergen-Mackwirth’s colossal cup is
made mostly of 16-gauge stainless
steel, while the NHL’s top prize is
Figure 1 Unlike the National Hockey League’s Stanley Cup, this
much larger version comes apart in three sections so that it can
be moved and stored easily.
made of silver and nickel alloy.
Stotz said Goergen-Mackwirth’s version of the cup
has generated its own level of fame. It has appeared on
the local news and was featured in a short film tribute to
the Sabres, which also included background music by
Buffalo’s very own Goo Goo Dolls. That’s good company.
Jeff Mertz, the company’s vice president of operations,
said the cup also has made its own share of public appearances. It was loaned to the local Albright-Knox Art
entire day, accompanied by at least one representative of
the Hockey Hall of Fame, of course. This has led to the
cup being used for baptisms, beer drinking in bars, and
even as a dog bowl.
The Stanley Cup is also unusual in the sense that a
team doesn’t own it. The cup moves from the possession
of one champion to the next. The idea of sharing its cup
with the public is appealing, but Goergen-Mackwirth
plans to retain ownership of it. For now the cup will be
taken apart and stored in the basement until the Sabres’
next playoff run, which very well could happen next year.
The cup may be stored away, but fabricating fans can
check out Goergen-Mackwirth’s work on ornamental railing sections at the Buffalo Central Terminal or custom
stainless steel hand railings and light fixtures for the
Seneca Niagara casinos. Meanwhile, the 40-person shop
is hard at work fabricating parts for its architectural and
industrial clients.
The Goergen-Mackwirth team said it has no immediate plans to construct another giant trophy, particularly
as it relates to a Vince Lombardi Trophy to support the
Buffalo Bills. Given that the New Orleans Saints won the
last Super Bowl, we all know that anything is possible in
any given sporting season. Stay tuned.
Goergen-Mackwirth Co. Inc., 765 Hertel Ave., Buffalo, NY
14207, 716-874-4800, www.gomac.com
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Figure 2 The finish on the Goergen-Mackwirth cup helps to make it visible from nearby roads. Stainless steel polished satin finishes
is actually one of the company’s fabricating capabilities.
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