Why is touching Prince of Wales Trophy considered a curse? Explaining reason behind long-standing NHL superstition

The Florida Panthers have just won the Eastern Conference Finals to lift the Prince of Wales trophy, beating the New York Rangers in six games. However, there has been a long-standing NHL superstition surrounding this trophy.

The trophy was introduced in 1925 by the then-Prince of Wales, later known as King Edward VIII. Originally awarded to the NHL's American Division champions, now it is given to the Eastern Conference playoff champions. Despite its prestige, many players avoid touching it fearing that it will possibly jinx their chances of winning the Stanley Cup.

In the early days, many captains, including greats like Mario Lemieux and Mark Messier, proudly held the trophy and still went on to win the Stanley Cup. However, around the turn of the century, players began to believe it brought bad luck in the Stanley Cup finals.

Famously, in 2008, Sidney Crosby avoided the trophy, and the Penguins lost in the finals. However, the next year, he decided to touch it, and the Penguins won the Stanley Cup.

There has been speculation regarding the curse of touching the Wales trophy. Earlier in 2020 and 2021, the Tampa Bay Lightning touched the trophy both years and went on to win the Stanley Cup each time. However, they touched it again in 2022 and lost the Cup final.

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Florida Panthers refuse to touch Prince of Wales trophy after last season's heartbreak

This year, Panthers head coach Paul Maurice ensured his team followed the superstition regarding the Prince of Wales Trophy. Last season, the Panthers touched the trophy after winning the Eastern Conference, but they lost to the Vegas Golden Knights in the Stanley Cup finals. This year, coach Maurice made sure his captain, Aleksander Barkov, did not touch it.

Fans were quick to react to this online. Some praised Maurice for not touching the trophy on X:

“He knows the curse. He gets the curse! Smart man that Pomo 😂😂 also they all stood like 4 feet away from it...my guys,” wrote one fan.

“I knew they wouldn't touch it,” commented another user.

Some fans didn't agree:

“This is infantile,” quipped one fan.

“It’s so weird, but they have no problem putting on championship hats,” wrote another user.

The Panthers will play in the Stanley Cup finals against whichever team wins between the Edmonton Oilers and the Dallas Stars in the Western Conference finals. It will be interesting to see if avoiding the trophy changes the Panthers' fortunes this time around.