The Stanley Cup Final has been set, with the Carolina Hurricanes defeating the Montreal Canadiens in Game 5. Now, they’re gearing up to face the Vegas Golden Knights.
But there’s a bit of a quirk here. Neither team has touched their respective conference championship trophies, which raises some eyebrows. Honestly, it’s a bit of a gamble—not that both can win the Cup.
This superstition, if you can call it that, is bound to face some consequences for one team.
Traditionally, there’s a belief that touching the conference trophies (the Prince of Wales Trophy for the East and the Clarence S. Campbell Bowl for the West) is a bad omen. After all, they say, the ultimate goal is the Stanley Cup.
Some teams have won the Cup while honoring this superstition, while others have lost after claiming their conference trophies. It’s interesting, though, because the Golden Knights and the Hurricanes are in the same boat—they’ve both chosen not to touch their trophies.
Take Vegas, for example. Captain Mark Stone avoided the Clarence Campbell Bowl, just like he did last year when they beat the Florida Panthers for the Cup. But back in 2018, when they made it to the Cup Final in their inaugural season, captain Derik Engelland went a different route; he picked up the trophy and skated around with it.
So, if you’re keeping track, Las Vegas’s record stands at 1-1 in Cup Finals: they won when they didn’t touch the trophy but lost when they did.
Now, regarding Carolina, this is their third time in the Finals, with their first appearance dating back to 2002. They beat the Toronto Maple Leafs in six games, and captain Ron Francis did touch the Prince of Wales Trophy.
However, they lost to the Detroit Red Wings in the finals that year—though it’s hard to blame that on superstition; the Red Wings had a legendary roster. Seriously, they were stacked with talent.
Yet, in 2006, after a Game 7 win over the Buffalo Sabres, then-captain Rod Brind’Amour avoided the trophy and ultimately led the Hurricanes to victory against the Edmonton Oilers for the Stanley Cup.
Here we are in 2026, and it seems they’ve managed to avoid touching it again. Perhaps the head coach had a hand in that decision.
It’ll be interesting to see how this plays out. One team will have to break this superstitious trend. The game is set for Tuesday night in Raleigh.
