The Florida Panthers are heading back to the Stanley Cup Final, and once again, they refused to touch the Prince of Wales Trophy.

As the team celebrated their 5–3 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Final, captain Aleksander Barkov led the charge in steering clear of the silver hardware at center ice. The moment mirrored last season’s ritual, and fans immediately noticed.

The trophy superstition is well-known across the league. Some players believe touching it brings bad luck, while others see it as just another hockey myth. The Panthers clearly fall into the latter.

In 2023, they made the mistake of touching it after clinching the East and ended up losing the Stanley Cup Final. One year later, they avoided it and went on to win their first-ever championship. This year, they chose not to mess with what worked.

After the game, fans lit up social media. “They didn’t touch the trophy,” one user posted with a smirk emoji. Others laughed, called the superstition silly, or flat-out celebrated the move. “Such a ridiculous superstition to not touch the trophy.” One fan shouted online “We didn’t touch the trophy!!,” as if the act itself had already given the Panthers an edge.

The game that earned them this moment was a wild one.

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Florida fell behind early, trailing 2–0 after the first period. But the second period was all Panthers. They stormed back with three unanswered goals that shifted the momentum completely.

Carter Verhaeghe played hero again, scoring the go-ahead goal in the third, while Sam Bennett added the empty-netter to seal the win. Sergei Bobrovsky stood tall in net with 20 crucial saves.

As defending champions, the Panthers are playing with both swagger and control. They know what it takes to survive deep playoff runs and they are sticking to the rituals that brought them success. The decision to avoid touching the Prince of Wales Trophy is part of that mindset.

Now, all eyes are on who they will face next. The Edmonton Oilers and Dallas Stars are still battling it out in the Western Conference Final. If it is the Oilers, it sets up a rematch from last year. If it is the Stars, it opens a new chapter.

Either way, the Panthers are locked in. No trophy distractions. Just one goal left.