Hurricanes and Golden Knights Set for Stanley Cup Showdown Amid Trophy Superstition

The Stanley Cup Final is on the horizon, featuring a face-off between the Carolina Hurricanes and the Vegas Golden Knights. This match-up comes on the heels of the Hurricanes’ commanding victory over the Montreal Canadiens in Game 5. However, an interesting superstition looms over both teams regarding their respective conference championship trophies.

Neither the Hurricanes nor the Golden Knights touched their trophies—the Prince of Wales Trophy for the Eastern Conference and the Clarence S. Campbell Bowl for the Western Conference. The belief behind this tradition is that these trophies are not the ultimate prize, which is the Stanley Cup itself. Therefore, many teams avoid touching them to prevent jinxing their chances of winning the final championship.

Past instances show mixed results concerning this superstition. Some teams that avoided touching the trophy lost the Stanley Cup, while others who embraced the trophy went on to win. The dilemma is intriguing for the Hurricanes and the Golden Knights since their records present a unique pattern concerning this tradition.

Vegas Golden Knights’ Superstition

In 2023, Golden Knights captain Mark Stone avoided touching the Clarence Campbell Bowl. That year, Vegas triumphed over the Florida Panthers for the Stanley Cup. However, back in 2018, de facto captain Deryk Engelland did touch and skate the trophy around. The result was a loss in the Cup Final in their debut season.

Their current Cup Finals record stands at 1-1. They lost when they embraced the trophy and won when they refrained from touching it.

Carolina Hurricanes’ Experience

Looking at the Hurricanes’ third trip to the Finals in their franchise history illuminates a similar pattern. In their 2002 campaign, captain Ron Francis held the Prince of Wales Trophy, and the team subsequently lost to the Detroit Red Wings in five games. Although their defeat might be attributed to the Red Wings’ exceptionally strong roster rather than superstition.

In 2006, the Hurricanes, led by Rod Brind’Amour, avoided touching the trophy. That decision preceded their victorious win over the Edmonton Oilers for the Stanley Cup. Once more in 2026, they refrained from touching it, possibly influenced by their coach’s advice.

The superstitions will face a real test soon as one team must overcome this pattern in pursuit of the Stanley Cup. The upcoming game in Raleigh adds excitement to an already intriguing series.