▁and ▁the ▁West ▁each ▁year , ▁with ▁altern ating ▁games ▁played ▁according ▁to ▁N HA ▁and ▁P CH A ▁rules . ▁The ▁Cup ▁trust ees ▁agreed ▁to ▁this ▁new ▁arrangement , ▁because ▁after ▁the ▁All an ▁Cup ▁became ▁the ▁highest ▁prize ▁for ▁amateur ▁hockey ▁teams ▁in ▁Canada , ▁the ▁trust ees ▁had ▁become ▁dependent ▁on ▁the ▁top ▁two ▁professional ▁le agues ▁to ▁bol ster ▁the ▁prom in ence ▁of ▁the ▁tro phy . ▁After ▁the ▁Port land ▁Rose bud s , ▁an ▁American - based ▁team , ▁joined ▁the ▁P CH A ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 4 , ▁the ▁trust ees ▁issued ▁a ▁statement ▁that ▁the ▁Cup ▁was ▁no ▁longer ▁for ▁the ▁best ▁team ▁in ▁Canada , ▁but ▁now ▁for ▁the ▁best ▁team ▁in ▁the ▁world . ▁Two ▁years ▁later , ▁the ▁Rose bud s ▁became ▁the ▁first ▁American ▁team ▁to ▁play ▁in ▁the ▁Stanley ▁Cup ▁championship ▁final s . ▁In ▁ 1 9 1 7 , ▁the ▁Seattle ▁Metropol it ans ▁became ▁the ▁first ▁American ▁team ▁to ▁win ▁the ▁Cup . ▁After ▁that ▁season , ▁the ▁N HA ▁dissol ved , ▁and ▁the ▁National ▁Hockey ▁League ▁( N HL ) ▁took ▁its ▁place . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 1 9 , ▁the ▁Spanish ▁influen za ▁ep ide mic ▁forced ▁the ▁Montreal ▁Canad iens ▁and ▁the ▁Seattle ▁Metropol it ans ▁to ▁cancel ▁their ▁series ▁tied ▁at ▁ 2 – 2 – 1 , ▁mark ing ▁the ▁first ▁time ▁the ▁Stanley ▁Cup ▁was ▁not ▁awarded . ▁ ▁The ▁format ▁for ▁the ▁Stanley