Few superstitions in NHL history have stood the test of time as the one pertaining to the Prince of Wales Trophy. This trophy goes to the Eastern Conference champions, but you know, a lot of teams are a bit superstitious about it. They think that touching it might mess with their luck for the Stanley Cup. The Florida Panthers have really shown this belief in action lately. In 2023, the Panthers celebrated their Eastern Conference title win over the Carolina Hurricanes by touching and carrying the Prince of Wales Trophy.

Forward Matthew Tkachuk shared how the team felt, saying, “The last thing that we’re going to do is be superstitious about not touching it. Like, nobody said we were even going to make the playoffs. I think it’s pretty cool to touch it, carry it around, and take picture with it. We earned that thing.” So, after that decision, things didn’t go as hoped, and the Panthers ended up losing the Stanley Cup Final to the Vegas Golden Knights in five games.

After reflecting on what happened last year, the Panthers decided to change things up a bit in 2024. Captain Aleksander Barkov and the rest of the squad purposefully refrained from touching the Prince of Wales Trophy after their Eastern Conference Final victory against the New York Rangers. “It has nothing to do with anything, but we play our silly games,” head coach Paul Maurice said, confirming this decision. The Panthers made history by winning their first-ever Stanley Cup, taking down the Edmonton Oilers in an exciting seven-game series, which also marked a shift in tradition.

So, here we are in 2025, and the Panthers decided not to touch the Prince of Wales Trophy again after winning the Eastern Conference, as seen on @GinoHard_ on X. The team’s steady commitment to the superstition really highlights how much they believe in its importance.

We still have to wait and see how the 2025 Stanley Cup Final turns out, but the Panthers really show how important this tradition is. It’s interesting to think about how these kinds of things can affect team dynamics and performance, isn’t it? So, how well did the Panthers play in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Final?

The Florida Panthers managed to hold the Carolina Hurricanes

In an exciting Game 5 of the 2025 Eastern Conference Final, the Florida Panthers bounced back from an early two-goal deficit to take down the Carolina Hurricanes 5-3, earning their third straight trip to the Stanley Cup Final. The win was all about a strong comeback and some standout plays from a few Panthers players. The Hurricanes kicked things off on a high note, with Sebastian Aho finding the net twice and putting Carolina ahead 2-0 in the first period.

The Panthers came back strong in the second period, showing their determination. Matthew Tkachuk kicked off the comeback with a goal, and then Evan Rodrigues and Anton Lundell joined in, putting the team ahead 3-2. Seth Jarvis found the back of the net to tie things up for the Hurricanes in the third period. So, Carter Verhaeghe scored the go-ahead goal with a little help from captain Aleksander Barkov, and then Sam Bennett wrapped things up with an empty-netter.

Sergei Bobrovsky, the goaltender, made 20 saves to help clinch the win. The Panthers have now knocked out the Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference Final for the second time in three seasons. Even though Game 4 didn’t go their way, with Carolina pulling off a 3-0 shutout to avoid a sweep, Florida really showed off their depth and resilience. The Panthers are now waiting to see who comes out on top in the Western Conference Final, where the Edmonton Oilers are currently ahead of the Dallas Stars, 3-1.