In addition to its public appearance at the Martha’s Vineyard Arena on Wednesday, the Stanley Cup appeared at the Aquinnah town hall for about 45 minutes in the early afternoon. The 35-inch, 35-pound silver trophy was in the care of seasonal Island resident Cam Neely, the president of the 2011 Stanley Cup Champion Boston Bruins.

A small crowd of onlookers, including members of the Aquinnah police department and town officials, inspected, posed with, and beamed at the gleaming chalice, which sat on a table covered with an NHL tablecloth, as Mr. Neely graciously chatted and shook hands with visitors. Children from the Wampanoag Tribe summer program were treated to an up-close view of the Cup as well.

Shortly before departing with the Cup, Mr. Neely posed outside with members of the Aquinnah police department, even raising it overhead, as members of the winning team are allowed to do. According to police chief Randhi Belain, Mr. Neely arranged the quiet visit entirely on his own, a gesture that was much appreciated by the town employees and their families.

Aquinnah special officers Gary Coates and Curtis Chandler were among those who viewed the trophy. “That was pretty cool,” said Mr. Coates, who was off-Island when the Cup visited the Vineyard in June. Mr. Chandler said he did not touch the Cup, as superstition dictates that hockey players who touch the Cup before winning it will never do so. “I know I’ll never win it, but I didn’t want to jinx my son,” he said. His son is nine months old.

The Cup, an 1892 gift from then Governor General of Canada, Lord Stanley of Preston, is engraved with the names of winning players, coaches, and management from each winning team. While the 2010-2011 Bruins names are not yet on the Cup, it is possible to find the name of say, Bobby Orr, on the five removable rings that comprise the base. As the rings fill with names, they are replaced and put on display in the hockey Hall of Fame.

There are actually three Stanley Cups; the original Cup from 1892 is considered too fragile to be carted around by hockey players to drink from, baptize their children in, and feed dogs from, so in 1963 the NHL commissioned an authenticated replica known as the Presentation Cup; this is the one Zdeno Chara hoisted overhead this June. The original Cup, a punch bowl purchased from a London silversmith for 10 guineas, is on display in the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto. When the Presentation Cup is away from the Hall of Fame, the third replica Cup is on display.