Man, the Florida Panthers are making this look easy. For the third year in a row, they’re skating off the ice with the Prince of Wales Trophy, Eastern Conference champs again after torching the Carolina Hurricanes 5-3 in Game 5. That’s three straight trips to the big dance—yeah, you heard that right. Three. In a row. Fans in Florida are fired up, but the players? They’re chill, business as usual. It’s a winning culture that’s built differently down there.
But the real story? That trophy’s sitting on the ice, untouched. Not a single Panther laid a hand on it. They’ve been burned before—remember 2023? They touched it, and boom, Vegas took the Cup. In 2024, they kept their hands off, and guess what? They took down the Oilers for their first-ever Cup. This year, same story. No touching, no curse—just laser focus on the real prize: back-to-back Stanley Cups.
A piece of hockey history that’s now Florida Panthers’ favorite tradition – The Prince of Wales Trophy
The Prince of Wales Trophy isn’t just a shiny chunk of metal—it’s a piece of NHL royalty. This bad boy’s been around since 1925, donated by the Prince of Wales himself (later King Edward VIII), and it’s got stories to tell. First handed out to the winner of the first-ever NHL game at Madison Square Garden—the Habs took that one home—it’s been through all kinds of hands since. At one point, it went to the NHL playoff champs, then got shuffled over to division winners, even the best regular-season squads. It’s like the ultimate hockey hand-me-down, bouncing from one big dog to another over the decades. But since 1993, the Prince of Wales Trophy has been strictly for the Eastern Conference playoff champions—and Florida? Yeah, they’ve got a stranglehold on it. Three straight years now, it’s basically become a Panthers souvenir. And hey, they know better than to touch it—because the real prize isn’t the Wales, it’s Lord Stanley’s Cup.
Three straight years now: 2023, 2024, and 2025. This season, the Florida Panthers mowed down the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-1 in the first round, battled the Leafs to a 4-3 finish, and now put the Hurricanes to bed 4-1. That’s no fluke. That’s a team built to own the East. Paul Maurice? Guy’s pulling the strings perfectly. Aleksander Barkov? A silent assassin. Tkachuk? A wrecking ball. Bobrovsky? A brick wall. This team’s stacked, and they’re not messing around.
Panthers’ playoff path
This playoff run’s been a full-on rollercoaster—heart-stopping moments, game-breakers, and straight-up swagger. Game 5? Textbook. The Canes jumped out 2-0, but the Cats didn’t blink. Barkov, Verhaeghe, and Bennett—boom, boom, boom—three goals in the second, flipped the script. Bobrovsky? Guy had 20 saves like it was a walk in the park. That go-ahead goal from Verhaeghe? Barkov pulled some video game moves on the boards, carved through the D, and set up Verhaeghe on a platter. That’s captain stuff, right there.
The NHL’s Prince of Wales Trophy is basically a full-on snowbird now:
2025 – Florida Panthers
2024 – Florida Panthers
2023 – Florida Panthers
2022 – Tampa Bay Lightning
2021 – Tampa Bay Lightning
2020 – Tampa Bay Lightning
— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) May 29, 2025
Paul Maurice was amped: “That was all the elements that make our sport great.” And Tkachuk? The locker room vibe king? “It’s all business. We’ve got a bigger goal in mind.” That’s what makes this team dangerous. No champagne, no trophy lifts—just dialed in. They’ve been through the wars, and they know what it takes.
The Trophy stays untouched as Florida Panthers stick to their superstition playbook
The superstition’s alive and well—don’t touch the trophy. It’s hockey’s oldest unwritten rule, and Florida learned the hard way in 2023. Touched it, lost the final. In 2024, they left it alone—and the rest is history: first Stanley Cup in the bag. This year? Same drill. Barkov led the boys around it like it was cursed; not a single hand was laid on it.
It’s not just superstition—it’s a mindset. The Florida Panthers are not playing for conference banners or shiny silver. They’re here for the Cup. It’s a locker room full of veterans and stars who’ve tasted it all—success, failure, heartbreak. They know the job isn’t done, and they’re not about to mess with what works. They’ll let the trophy sit on the ice, untouched, because the only one they want to touch is coming up next.
The Florida Panthers? They’re not just the kings of the East—they’re gunning for hockey’s crown jewel. They’ve got the lineup, the mindset, and the experience. The Prince of Wales Trophy’s nice, sure, but it’s just a checkpoint on the road to glory. With the Oilers and Stars still battling it out in the West, the Panthers are chilling, watching, and waiting.
Barkov, Tkachuk, Bobrovsky, Verhaeghe, and Bennett—these guys aren’t playing around. They’ve been there, done that, and they’re hungry for more. The Prince of Wales Trophy? It can sit there gathering dust. The real prize? That’s two wins away, and the Panthers have their eyes locked on it. Who’s gonna stop them? Good luck finding someone.
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