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When the Prince of Wales prize existed to Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov, the group wasn’t worried about being superstitious. The Panthers commemorated beating the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference Final by parading the prize around.
“The last thing that we’re going to do is be superstitious about not touching it,” Panthers star Matthew Tkachuk stated. “Like, nobody said we were even going to make the playoffs. I think it’s pretty cool to touch it, carry it around, and take picture with it. We earned that thing.”
In previous years, some groups chose not to touch the Prince of Wales prize as some seen it as misfortune when it pertained to their possibilities in the Stanley Cup Final.
However, the Tampa Bay Lightning wound up touching the prize in each of the previous 3 seasons. The Lightning won back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2020 and 2021, however were beat by the Colorado Avalanche in 6 video games last season.
Prior to the Lightning, the Boston Bruins chosen not to get the prize in 2019. The Bruins were beat by the St. Louis Blues in 7 video games in the Stanley Cup Final that year.
In addition, the New Jersey Devils (2012), Bruins (2013), New York Rangers (2014), and Lightning (2015) all lost in the Stanley Cup Final after declining to touch it.
Five of the last 7 groups that won the Stanley Cup have actually touched the Prince of Wales prize. However, it deserves keeping in mind that the 2011 Boston Bruins were the most current Eastern Conference group to not touch the Prince of Wales prize and win the Stanley Cup.
When the Panthers advanced to their only other Stanley Cup Final in 1996, captain Brian Skrudland raised the prize in the air. The Panthers were swept by the Avalanche in the Final that year.
The Panthers will deal with the winner of the Western Conference Final in between the Dallas Stars and Vegas Golden Knights.
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