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Panthers Refuse to Touch Prince of Wales Trophy After Stanley Cup Final Berth

Karl Rasmussen

Florida Panthers celebrate winning the Eastern Conference after defeating the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals.
Florida Panthers celebrate winning the Eastern Conference after defeating the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals. / Screenshot via GinoHard on X
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The Florida Panthers are heading to the Stanley Cup Final for the third consecutive season.

The Panthers took care of business in Game 5 against the Carolina Hurricanes in Wednesday's Eastern Conference final showdown, securing a 5–3 win on the road at the Lenovo Center.

While celebrating their third straight Eastern Conference title, Florida was very cautious not to repeat a mistake they made back in 2023. While posing for the traditional photos with the Prince of Wales trophy, every Panthers player made certain not to touch the trophy.

It's a commonly known superstition among NHL fans and players that touching the Prince of Wales trophy could jinx your team's chance of winning the Stanley Cup.

In 2023, after sweeping the Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference final, Panthers players touched the trophy, seemingly not concerned about any potential jinx. They lost in the Stanley Cup Final to the Vegas Golden Knights that season. The following year, players actively avoided touching the trophy, and Florida would go on to win its first title in a seven-game series against the Edmonton Oilers.

Superstitious or not, there wasn't a Panthers player on the ice who would dare touch that trophy after Wednesday's victory.

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Karl Rasmussen
KARL RASMUSSEN

Karl Rasmussen is a staff writer for the Breaking and Trending News team for Sports Illustrated. A University of Oregon alum who joined SI in February 2023, his work has appeared on 12up and ClutchPoints. Rasmussen is a loyal Tottenham, Jets, Yankees and Ducks fan.

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