Monthly Archives: August 2025
Florida tan: Panthers name engraved onto Prince of Wales Trophy for third straight season
One of the National Hockey League’s oldest trophies has received a bit of a Florida makeover.
The Prince of Wales Trophy is given annually to the winner of the Eastern Conference Final.
It’s been around for over 100 years, and it was the first major trophy ever won by the Florida Panthers.
That was back when Florida when they shocked the hockey world and advanced to the 1996 Stanley Cup Final in just their third season of existence.
More recently, the Panthers have claimed one of the few trophies with more history and significance, having their names engraved into the Stanley Cup not once, but twice over the past two seasons.
In order to hoist Lord Stanley’s Cup, you must first march through the Eastern Conference and claim the Prince of Wales Trophy.
Over the past several seasons, when looking on one side of trophy, you could say it’s developed a bit of a Florida tan.
That’s because the plaque that recognizes Florida’s three straight Final appearances also displays the two that came before the Cats. They both happen to be the Panthers’ cross-state rival, the Tampa Bay Lightning.
In fact, just like Florida, the Lightning won two of their three straight trips to the Final.
A photo posted by Phil Pritchard, the Hockey Hall of Fame’s Keeper of the Cup, shows the Florida-themed side of the Prince of Wales Trophy as it was being engraved with the Panthers name for their latest conference title.
Based off how Florida General Manager Bill Zito has built up the team, it would seem a safe bet to think the Panthers will see their name back on the trophy again in the not-too-distant future.
Florida’s roster is full of high-end players on team-friendly term deals that will see the team remain intact through the end of the decade.
Additionally, with the salary cap continuing to rise, Zito will have the possibility to add to Florida’s already deep and impressive roster.
Just don’t expect the Cats to put their paws on the trophy if they do bring it home again.
Back in 2023, after defeating the Carolina Hurricanes to advance to the Stanley Cup Final against the Vegas Golden Knights, not only did the Panthers touch the Prince of Wales Trophy, they carried that thing around all night like it was the Stanley Cup.
Then they lost to Vegas in five games.
Needless to say, when Florida beat the New York Rangers the following year to punch their return ticket to the Final, Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice grabbed captain Sasha Barkov on the bench and told him not to touch it this time.
You better believe they didn’t touch it after beating Carolina again this past June.
Odds are, if they go back, they’ll keep playing the hits until they stop winning Stanley Cups.
Drink it in, folks.
It’s a good time to be a Panthers fan.
LATEST STORIES FROM THE HOCKEY NEWS - FLORIDA
Matthew Tkachuk featured on cover of NHL 26, first Panthers player selected since John Vanbiesbrouck
Would Panthers' Aleksander Barkov Need to Reach 100 Points To Receive Hart Trophy Consideration?
Newton native Mackie Samoskevich brings Stanley Cup to Sandy Hook Memorial during hometown visit
Pair Of Former Panthers Defenseman Invited To Canada's Olympic Orientation Camp
Team Canada invites 5 Florida Panthers players to Olympic orientation camp
Photo caption: Photo of the Florida Panthers name being engraved onto the Prince of Wales Trophy posted on social media by Phil Pritchard, the Keeper of the Cup. (Source: @keeperofthecup on X)
Canadiens 2025-26 Player Previews: Noah Dobson
Where Are These Former Rangers Going to Be Playing During 2025-26?
Sabres News & Rumours: Levi’s Leap, Byram’s Buzz & the Peterka Pivot
Should the Mammoth Go Youth or Experience for 6th Defenseman?
4 Players Who Will Heavily Impact How Successful the Kings Are in 2025-26
NHL Rumor Mill – August 5, 2025
Stars Weekly: Harley, Johnston, & Glen Gulutzan’s Approach to the Offseason
Canadiens: Forget About Crosby
In a surprise mid-summer edition of the 32 Thoughts Podcast, Elliotte Friedman discussed one topic that has been written and talked about a lot this offseason: the fate of Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby. For many Montreal Canadiens fans, it would be logical for Crosby to want out of Pittsburgh and to entertain a move to the Habs, since they were his childhood team, but according to the insider, that’s not happening, at least this summer.
The insider said that the captain would start the year in Pittsburgh and that there was no doubt about that whatsoever. For him, Crosby is not getting traded this summer; he even chuckles at the idea. While this will be news for some, it never felt like there were any legs to the idea.
Canadiens And Red Wings Will Be Fighting For A Playoff Spot
Canadiens: About A Potential Mason McTavish Trade
Canadiens' Blueline Ranked Among NHL's Best
The fact that the Canadiens need a second-line center doesn’t mean that top players automatically become available. The Montreal crowd sometimes appears to think that it’s the only market in which there’s a tradition and history of greatness, but just like the Maurice Richard, Jean Beliveau, and Guy Lafleur passed on the torch to the new generation, Mario Lemieux passed the Penguins’ torch on to Crosby and he has personified the Penguins ever since.
There’s no Jacques Lemaire behind the bench in Pittsburgh cutting the captain’s ice time and making him feel surplus to requirements like the Demon blond felt in Montreal at the start of the 1984-85 season, far from it. Crosby is still the man in Pittsburgh, and not every player gets to play for the team they cheered for as a kid.
While John Tavares couldn’t wait to leave the New York Islanders and go home to play with the Toronto Maple Leafs when he became an unrestricted free agent, Crosby has never even been tempted to test the market. He has lived and breathed Pittsburgh ever since the Pens won the draft lottery back in 2005.
That’s where his legacy is, and while Friedman stops short of saying that the legend in the making will finish his contract or even the season in Pittsburgh, it feels like he won’t cheapen his legacy by leaving. This is not Raymond Bourque, who had to leave the Boston Bruins to win a Stanley Cup finally. Crosby was drafted, developed, and won in Pittsburgh; he led them to the promised land, and he accomplished the dream.
Photo credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images
Canadiens stories, analysis, breaking news, and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News, never to miss a story.
Follow Karine on X @KarineHains Bluesky @karinehains.bsky.social and Threads @karinehains.
Bookmark The Hockey News Canadiens' page for all the news and happenings around the Canadiens.
Join the discussion by signing up to the Canadiens' roundtable on The Hockey News.