The Stanley Cup is already damaged as Panthers go full throttle with boozy celebration
The Panthers might be having a little too much fun with the Stanley Cup.
The bowl of the trophy is cracked and the bottom is dented – a result of the team's rambunctious celebrations after winning the title with a 5-1 triumph over the Oilers in Game 6 Tuesday.
Advertisement
As is tradition for teams that win the Cup, the Panthers celebrated with the silver trophy Tuesday night and kept the party going from there, spending Wednesday morning at Fort Lauderdale beach bar Elbo Room.
The Panthers cracked the bowl of the Stanley Cup while celebrating their Game 6 win over the Oilers. Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Somewhere along the way, the team managed to damage the 32.5-inch, 34.5-pound trophy.
Not to worry, though, since the keepers of the Cup are taking the necessary steps to repair the trophy before the Panthers' parade on Sunday, a spokesperson for the Hockey Hall of Fame told ESPN.
This isn't the first time the Cup has gotten banged up.
The Panthers celebrate with the Stanley Cup at Elbo Room in Fort Lauderdale Wednesday. AP
The base of the trophy was damaged as recently as 2022, when then-Avalanche forward Nicolas Aube-Kubel lost his balance while skating into Colorado's team photo with the Cup.
Advertisement
Mark Messier damaged the trophy when he took it on a trip to the club after winning with the Oilers in 1987, requiring repair at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto.
Panthers left-winger AJ Greeg raises the Stanley Cup after Florida defeated the Oilers 5-1 in Game 6. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
And the Rangers had an incident of their own in 1994, when the team brought the trophy to Belmont Park, only for that year's winner of the Kentucky Derby to damage the Cup while attempting to eat oats out of it.
There have been plenty of other trophies damaged in celebration outside of hockey, of course,
Alabama football shattered the Coaches' Trophy, worth $30,000, after winning the BCS national title in 2012, and Wisconsin football broke the Duke's Mayo Bowl trophy, which included a football-shaped piece of crystal, after quarterback Graham Mertz dropped it in the locker room in 2020.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
35 minutes ago
- Yahoo
NHL rumors: Pierre LeBrun names Connor McDavid ‘shortlist' if he ever leaves Oilers
The post NHL rumors: Pierre LeBrun names Connor McDavid 'shortlist' if he ever leaves Oilers appeared first on ClutchPoints. The Edmonton Oilers are licking their wounds after a second straight Stanley Cup Final loss against the Florida Panthers, and now the discussion has turned to Connor McDavid's future with the team. The man widely regarded as the best hockey player in the world is up for a new contract this offseason before he hits unrestricted free agency next summer. Advertisement McDavid could very well sign an extension with the Oilers, especially off the back of his previous eight-year deal worth $100 million that he is coming off of. However, if he doesn't want to re-sign with Edmonton, it would benefit the Oilers to trade him this summer and still get something back for him rather than letting him walk for nothing in free agency. If McDavid does choose to leave Edmonton, it may not be a situation where any team can make a run at him. At this point, there are four likely spots where the former Hart Trophy winner could land if he and the Oilers end up parting ways, according to NHL insider Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic. 'Teams like the Los Angeles Kings, with former Oilers GM Ken Holland, are keeping a close eye,' LeBrun wrote. 'If and when McDavid ever leaves, it's a short list of markets that I believe would be a fit for him: L.A., the New York Rangers, the Chicago Blackhawks, the Dallas Stars, etc. It would not be a free-for-all, with 25 teams getting a chance at it.' The Kings already know McDavid all too well after being knocked out of the playoffs by the Oilers in each of the last four postseasons. The Stars could target the three-time league MVP to try to get over the hump that is the Western Conference Finals, where they have lost in each of the last three years. Advertisement Out East, the Blackhawks and the Rangers both did not meet expectations this season and missed out on the postseason, but adding a player like McDavid would immediately get them back into contention for those spots. Right now, it is still very early in the Connor McDavid sweepstakes, and the likely outcome is still that he re-signs with the Oilers. However, if he chooses to leave, the race to get offers in will be hectic and will take over the NHL news cycle. Related: 4 best trade destinations for Ducks' John Gibson Related: 3 best trade destinations for Avalanche's Martin Necas
Yahoo
35 minutes ago
- Yahoo
4 best trade destinations for Ducks' John Gibson
The post 4 best trade destinations for Ducks' John Gibson appeared first on ClutchPoints. After seven straight seasons of missing the playoffs, the Anaheim Ducks are poised to be active this offseason. However, one name that could be moved off the roster ahead of the 2025-26 season is goaltender John Gibson. Advertisement Selected 39th overall in 2011, Gibson has spent his entire NHL career with the Ducks to this point. But with the goaltender's name being mentioned in trade speculation for several years now, this could be the time for the team to finally pull the trigger on making a move. While Gibson is quite a ways removed from his prime, he's coming off a bounce-back year. Playing 29 games with Anaheim this season, the netminder posted a .912 save percentage. It marked by far his highest save percentage in six years. Gibson now also has just two years remaining on his contract, making a trade much more realistic than previous years. With Lukas Dostal emerging as the Ducks' future long-term starter, the team now has options. There aren't a ton of high-end goalies available this summer, and the team could look to capitalize, and get back some assets. Below are four potential landing spots for John Gibson, if Anaheim opts to move the netminder this summer. Goaltending upgrade could help Oilers take next step Perry Nelson-Imagn Images Following back-to-back Stanley Cup losses, the Edmonton Oilers will be looking for answers this offseason. While goaltending certainly wasn't the only issue for the Oilers, we have to imagine the team won't start the 2025-26 season with the same tandem. Advertisement On one hand, Calvin Pickard has been a bit of a surprise success with the Oilers over the last couple of seasons. This season, Pickard played 36 games, posting a .900 save percentage, and then got into 10 playoff games. However, Pickard is still probably better served as Edmonton's backup netminder next season. If the Oilers do make a change, it'll likely be Stuart Skinner on the move. While Skinner has shown promise of being a capable starter, he has also had a lot of inconsistency in his game. He managed just an .896 save percentage with the Oilers this season and posted an .861 save percentage in the Stanley Cup Final. Like Pickard, Skinner has another year left on his contract. However, it seems pretty up in the air as to whether he actually finishes his contract in Edmonton. Advertisement John Gibson reportedly wants to be a No. 1 goalie, and a tandem with Skinner may not be appealing to the netminder, as previously reported by Elliotte Friedman. But if the team moved Skinner and ran with Gibson as a starter, the move seems more possible. The one hold up could be the Oilers' lack of trade capital. The team has already sold a lot of their top draft picks over the next couple of years, so it's debatable as to whether they have the pieces to make a deal work. But at least in terms of a fit, Edmonton may arguably be the most logical landing spot for Gibson. Hurricanes could be a possible landing spot On the surface, the Carolina Hurricanes already have their goaltending situation set for the coming season. Pyotr Kochetkov remains under contract for two more years, while Frederik Andersen was signed to a one-year extension in May. Advertisement However, it seems like the Hurricanes should still be seeking an upgrade, if there's a move that makes sense. Andersen has had trouble staying healthy, while Kochetkov hasn't been able to grow into a bigger role as was expected a couple years ago. While Andersen is likely to return regardless, Kochetkov's spot probably isn't as safe as it once was. Carolina has the draft capital to make a move for John Gibson. However, the hold-up with a possible deal could still be Gibson's reported desire to be a clear starter, if he lands elsewhere. If the Hurricanes held onto Andersen, it's likely that Gibson would still be used in more of a tandem. Blue Jackets need to improve in goal The Columbus Blue Jackets took some big steps this season. The Blue Jackets were only a couple points out of a playoff step, and with a young core in place, they're building in the right direction. However, arguably nothing held them back more than their goaltending. Advertisement Elvis Merzlikins has struggled across the last three seasons, posting just an .890 save percentage in 124 games over that period. Meanwhile, Daniil Tarasov was just about unusable this season, managing only an .881 save percentage across 20 games. The team does have one thing going for them in goal, being the potential for Jet Greaves to become a full-time NHL goalie next season. Greaves is just 24 years old and spent most of the season in the AHL, posting a .920 save percentage across 40 games with the Cleveland Monsters. Greaves was called up for 11 games and was particularly great over April, where he went 5-0-0 with two shutouts, posting an outstanding .975 save percentage over five games to end the year. Despite Greaves' potential, Columbus could seek out a more established option to replace Merzlikins. With the team expected to compete for a playoff spot, John Gibson could be a fit. Flyers suffered from poor goaltending in 2024-25 Kyle Ross-Imagn Images The Philadelphia Flyers were another team held back by goaltending this season. While they may have been far outside the playoff race by the end of the year regardless, the team likely needs to find an external solution in goal to take a step next season. Using a trio of goaltenders, the team had a downright awful .879 save percentage this season. Advertisement Samuel Ersson took on the largest role, but posted just an .883 save percentage across 47 games. Meanwhile, Ivan Fedotov had just an .880 save percentage, and Aleksei Kolosov registered an .867 save percentage over 17 games. All three goalies are still under contract for next season, but we can expect the Flyers will be looking for an upgrade. Despite the team's goaltending struggles, Philly may be the least likely fit for John Gibson on the list. The Flyers are still a little ways off from really competing, and Gibson has just two years left on his contract. As a result, giving up assets for Gibson when the team may not be a playoff team in the next two years anyways could be short-sighted. With limited options available though for an external upgrade, it remains a possibility. Related: 3 best trade destinations for Avalanche's Martin Necas Related: NHL rumors: Pierre LeBrun names Connor McDavid 'shortlist' if he ever leaves Oilers
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Panthers' Brad Marchand goes on IG trolling spree after Stanley Cup Final
The post Panthers' Brad Marchand goes on IG trolling spree after Stanley Cup Final appeared first on ClutchPoints. Brad Marchand, center of the Florida Panthers, didn't waste any time stirring things up after clinching the Stanley Cup. Just hours after the Panthers celebrated their second straight championship, the seasoned forward jumped on Instagram, sharing a series of stories that playfully mocked the teams that let go of players who contributed to the Panthers' triumph. He tagged and thanked 18 organizations for 'giving away' key pieces of the championship puzzle, from former superstars to those unsung heroes. Advertisement In his posts, Marchand highlighted some key acquisitions, like Matthew Tkachuk (Calgary), Sam Reinhart (Buffalo), Carter Verhaeghe (Tampa Bay), and Gustav Forsling (Carolina). Each slide featured a photo of the player along with a cheeky shout-out to their former team. He didn't forget to give a nod to the Panthers' management, thanking Winnipeg for parting ways with head coach Paul Maurice and Columbus for letting go of former executive Bill Zito. The New Jersey Devils were among Marchand's favorite targets. The Panthers currently boast several former Devils, including Vitek Vanecek, Tomas Nosek, and Jesper Boqvist, all of whom played crucial roles in the playoffs. Marchand even shared a group photo of them with a sarcastic jab aimed at New Jersey, whose roster decisions now seem even more regrettable in hindsight. After being picked up from Boston during the 2025 trade deadline, Marchand wasted no time making an impact in South Florida. He netted 10 goals and racked up 20 points in just 23 playoff games, with an impressive six of those goals scored in the Stanley Cup Final alone. His stellar performance has firmly established him as one of the most remarkable rental acquisitions in recent memory, highlighting the Panthers' bold trade strategy. Now a two-time Stanley Cup champion, Marchand is getting ready to dive into unrestricted free agency this summer. While it's uncertain what the future holds for him in Florida, his postseason achievements and off-ice personality have already left a significant mark on this Panthers' journey, as well as on the teams that parted ways with their now-celebrated players. Related: Panthers' Sam Bennett goes full Wolf of Wall Street on future Related: Ron DeSantis suggests 'executive order' after another Panthers Stanley Cup win
