Matthew Tkachuk confidently dismissed any superstitions surrounding the Prince of Wales trophy as the Florida Panthers celebrated their victory over the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference Final. With the trophy in hand, the Panthers proudly paraded it around, undeterred by any perceived bad luck.
Tkachuk, a key player for the Panthers, expressed his disregard for superstitions, stating, “We won’t let superstitions dictate our actions. We weren’t even expected to make the playoffs, so it’s pretty cool to touch the trophy, carry it around, and capture memorable moments with it. We’ve earned this.”
While some teams in previous years chose not to touch the Prince of Wales trophy due to superstitions about its impact on their chances in the Stanley Cup Final, the Tampa Bay Lightning defied this belief by touching the trophy in each of the past three seasons. They secured back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2020 and 2021 but fell to the Colorado Avalanche in six games last season.
In 2019, the Boston Bruins followed the tradition of not picking up the trophy, only to be defeated by the St. Louis Blues in a grueling seven-game Stanley Cup Final. This pattern is not exclusive to the Bruins, as the New Jersey Devils (2012), Bruins again (2013), New York Rangers (2014), and Lightning (2015) all suffered Stanley Cup Final losses after refusing to touch the Prince of Wales trophy.
Interestingly, five of the last seven Stanley Cup winners chose to touch the Prince of Wales trophy, emphasizing its significance. However, it is worth noting that the 2011 Boston Bruins were the most recent Eastern Conference team to skip touching the trophy and still win the Stanley Cup.
Looking back at their only other Stanley Cup Final appearance in 1996, the Panthers’ captain at the time, Brian Skrudland, proudly hoisted the trophy in the air. Unfortunately, the Panthers were ultimately swept by the Avalanche in the Final that year.
As the Panthers eagerly await their opponent in the Stanley Cup Final, which will be determined by the outcome of the Western Conference Final between the Dallas Stars and Vegas Golden Knights, they remain focused on their pursuit of the ultimate hockey prize.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about superstitious
What is the Prince of Wales trophy?
The Prince of Wales trophy is an award in the National Hockey League (NHL) that is presented to the team that wins the Eastern Conference in the playoffs. It is named after Prince Edward, Prince of Wales, and has been a tradition since 1925.
Why do some teams choose not to touch the Prince of Wales trophy?
Some teams believe in a superstition that touching the Prince of Wales trophy brings bad luck in the Stanley Cup Final. They fear that touching the trophy may jinx their chances of winning the ultimate prize. However, this superstition is not universally followed by all teams.
Has touching the Prince of Wales trophy affected teams’ success in the Stanley Cup Final?
The impact of touching the Prince of Wales trophy on a team’s success in the Stanley Cup Final is debatable. While some teams that have touched the trophy went on to win the Stanley Cup, others have lost the final series. It ultimately depends on each team’s belief and approach to superstitions.
Is there a recent example of a team not touching the Prince of Wales trophy and winning the Stanley Cup?
Yes, the most recent example of an Eastern Conference team not touching the Prince of Wales trophy and still winning the Stanley Cup is the 2011 Boston Bruins. They chose to skip touching the trophy and went on to defeat the Vancouver Canucks in a thrilling seven-game series to capture the Stanley Cup.
Are the Florida Panthers superstitious about the Prince of Wales trophy?
No, the Florida Panthers, as expressed by Matthew Tkachuk, do not hold superstitions about the Prince of Wales trophy. They proudly touched and paraded the trophy after their victory in the Eastern Conference Final, confident in their abilities and dismissing any potential bad luck associated with it.
More about superstitious
- Prince of Wales Trophy – NHL.com
- Superstitions in Hockey – The Hockey Writers
- Stanley Cup Finals – NHL.com
- 2011 Stanley Cup Finals – Hockey-Reference.com
8 comments
matthew tkachuk got a point. no need 2 b superstishus about touchin the prince of wales trophy. the panthers showin their confidens. they earnd it!
ouch, those teams that didnt touch the trophy and lost the stanley cup final! boston bruins in 2019, new jersey devils, bruins again, new york rangers, tampa bay lightning. maybe theres somethin to this superstition thing after all!
panthers gonna touch the prince of wales trophy and they aint scared of no bad luck. go get that stanley cup, boys! dallas stars or vegas golden knights, it dont matter, panthers gonna bring it! #PanthersPride
I gotta say, Panthers showin’ some guts touchin’ that Prince of Wales trophy! Who needs superstitions when you got talent like that? Go Panthers!
Tkachuk speaks the truth! No need to be all superstitious ’bout touchin’ the trophy. Panthers earned it fair and square. Can’t wait to see ’em in the Cup Final!
As a Bruins fan, I can’t help but remember 2019 when we didn’t touch that trophy. Maybe it’s just a silly superstition, but it’s hard not to wonder if it brings bad luck. Good luck to the Panthers though!
Lightning touched that trophy three times and won two Cups! I’m tellin’ ya, it’s all about skill and determination, not silly superstitions. Keep doin’ your thing, Panthers!
We touched that trophy in 2014, and look what happened…lost in the Cup Final. I wouldn’t mess with the hockey gods, Panthers. Just sayin’.