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The NHL has a long history of traditions and some strange superstitions. The coveted Prince of Wales trophy is based on one of the sport's most strange superstitious beliefs.
The Prince of Wales trophy is one of the NHL's most prestigious accolades, presented to the team that wins the Eastern Conference Championship. However, due to its mystique, the Prince of Wales trophy has prevented the players from touching it, with the notion that it will bring bad luck to the team in the Stanley Cup final.
The players are more concerned with touching the Stanley Cup than getting their hands on the Conference trophy. Is the Prince of Wales trophy truly superstitious and has it resulted in teams losing in the final? So, let's try to dig deeper into its past and discover the myth behind the strange superstition.
Exploring the myth behind not touching the NHL's Prince of Wales Trophy
The Prince of Wales trophy has been part of the NHL since the 1925-26 season when the Montreal Canadiens were the first to engrave their name on the coveted trophy. In 1982, the NHL modified its playoff format such that the winners of both conferences met in the Stanley Cup final.
The trophy was handed to the Wales Conference champions and since the Wales Conference was renamed the Eastern Conference in 1993-94, the trophy has been since awarded to the winner of the Eastern Conference playoffs.
The NHL awarded the trophy to the New York Islanders in 1982, following the playoff structure changes. The Islanders proudly touched the Wales trophy before hoisting the Stanley Cup.
There was no such belief in not touching the Wales trophy at first, but when the NHL entered the new century, the mystique surrounding the trophy began to blossom into one of the strangest traditions in hockey.
Due to the mystique of bringing bad luck in the Stanley Cup final, many teams have chosen not to have their fingerprints on the Wales trophy. Many teams, however, have debunked the myth that touching the trophy results in a loss in the Stanley Cup final.
Pittsburgh Penguins are a prime example, having been described as the most successful team to touch the trophy and win the Stanley Cup five times after doing so. Most recently, the Tampa Bay Lightning also ended up touching the trophy and won the Cup twice in the past three finals.
Five of the past seven Stanley Cup winners touched the Prince of Wales trophy. This year, the Florida Panthers, debunking the myth, touched the trophy. The Panthers face the Dallas Stars or Vegas Golden Knights in the 2023 Stanley Cup finals.
