Yellowknife (Dec 24/03) - The Stanley Cup has travelled to some exotic locales in its 110-year history, but it's never been on a dogsled ride before.

That is until last Saturday. That's right. The treasured icon was treated to its very first dogsled trip, clutched tightly around the middle by caretaker Phil Pritchard.

Grant and Carol Beck volunteered to hook the Holy Grail of hockey up to a team of eight dogs over the weekend.

While Pritchard and fellow escorts Marty Savoy and Jay Formenti donned heavy Northern parkas for the hour-long tour, the Cup seemed warm enough in its silver armour.

In his 15 years travelling with the trophy, Pritchard says it has seen plenty of cold climates.

The Cup has been to Alaska, Siberia, and has even been the honoured guest at a few sauna parties over the years, but Pritchard says this is the first time it has been carted around by a howling pack of sled dogs.

He says the planet's most important piece of hockey history once sat in a dogsled in Rankin Inlet for a photo opportunity, but with nary a dog in sight.

"It's been a great two days so far," says Pritchard.

After Pritchard, Savoy and Formenti left the dogs behind, they boarded a flight to Cambridge Bay with one more story to add the Stanley Cup legend.