‘Whitey’ Bulger, ex-mobster on trial, wants to keep Stanley Cup ring

A Boston jury has been deliberating for five days now as ex-mobster James "Whitey" Bulger waits to hear what his future holds. Bulger is facing 32 counts, ranging from extortion to the murders of 19 people to money laundering. (UPDATE: Bulger has been found guilty on 31 of 32 charges.)

On Monday, Bulger allowed a judge to decide the fate of $822,000, along with guns, ammunition and other personal items, that were found in a Santa Monica apartment in June 2011 when he was arrested after 16 years of hiding out. What the former gangster and authorities agreed that would be excluded from forfeiture was a Stanley Cup ring that was given to him by a "third-party", according to a court document:

According to Shelley Murphy of the Boston Globe, federal authorities could wind up with the ring if a judgement goes against Bulger looking to seize assets.

It hasn't been confirmed whose Cup ring it was, but all signs point to it once-belonging to Chris "Knuckles" Nilan.

Nilan, you'll recall, was a member of the Montreal Canadiens team that won the 1986 Cup over the Calgary Flames. He was also once married to the daughter of Teresa Stanley, a former girlfriend of Bulger's. The wedding was paid for by Bulger, as the mobster and hockey player had a tight relationship -- that's where the above photo of the two with the Cup comes in.

While on the lam, Bulger reportedly found a way across the Canadian border to attend Game 7 of the 2011 Final between Boston and Vancouver. One week later, he was captured.

UPDATE: Nilan released a statement on Tuesday saying that he did not give any of his Stanley Cup rings to Bulger.

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Follow Sean Leahy on Twitter at @Sean_Leahy