FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — The Stanley Cup is a little banged up, thanks to the Florida Panthers’ celebration of back-to-back titles.
The bowl of the famous trophy is cracked and the bottom is dented. Not for the first time and likely not the last.
The Panthers claimed their second straight championship on home ice Tuesday night, defeating Edmonton in a six-game series. The team, upholding years of tradition, celebrated with the Cup into the early hours and continued the festivities in Fort Lauderdale well into Wednesday afternoon.
Florida Panthers’ Matthew Tkachuk holds up the Stanley Cup during the team’s celebration, Wednesday, June 18, 2025, at the Elbo Room in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The dent on the cup is clearly visible near his left hand. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP) Florida Panthers center Sam Reinhart (13) kisses the Stanley Cup after defeating the Edmonton Oilers in Game 6 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Final Tuesday, June 17, 2025, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky) Florida Panthers left wing Matthew Tkachuk, front. and defenseman Gustav Forsling pour beer from the Stanley Cup onto fans at the Elbo Room, Wednesday, June 18, 2025, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., the morning after defeating Edmonton in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP) Members of the Florida Panthers hockey team celebrate with fans outside the Elbo Room, Wednesday, June 18, 2025, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., the morning after defeating Edmonton in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final. (Amy Beth Bennett/South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP) FILE – Florida Panthers center Sam Reinhart (13) kisses the Stanley Cup after defeating the Edmonton Oilers in Game 6 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Final Tuesday, June 17, 2025, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky, File) Members of the Florida Panthers hockey team celebrate with fans outside the Elbo Room, Wednesday, June 18, 2025, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., the morning after defeating Edmonton in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final. (Amy Beth Bennett/South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP)
A representative from the Hockey Hall of Fame mentioned that the keepers of the Cup are taking the necessary measures and aim to have it repaired by the time the celebration parade occurs on Sunday. Composed of silver and a nickel alloy, the 37-pound Cup is relatively pliable.
Incurring damage is not unfamiliar for the 131-year-old silver trophy, which has been submerged in pools, the Atlantic Ocean, and frequently mishandled by players, coaches, and staff over the past century. Just in this decade, the Tampa Bay Lightning dropped the Cup during their boat parade in 2021, and the Colorado Avalanche dented it on the ice the night they secured their victory the following year.
