Photos show damage to Stanley Cup during Florida Panthers celebrations
(NEXSTAR) –The Stanley Cup sustained some minor damage during celebrations after the Florida Panthers once again became league champions on Tuesday.
Photos of the storied NHL trophy taken during a post-game celebration the same day showed a tear in the rim of the bowl. Another, taken Wednesday at a bar in Fort Lauderdale, showed a visible dent in the base as Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk held the cup over his head.
A crack in the Stanley Cup can be seen during a post-game celebration after the Panthers beat the Oilers to win the league championship on Tuesday, June 17, 2025. (Peter Joneleit/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Florida Panthers’ Matthew Tkachuk holds the Stanley Cup — which appears dented at the base — over his head on Wednesday, June 18, 2025, at the Elbo Room in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP)
It wasn’t immediately apparent how the scrapes occurred, but it’s not uncommon for the Stanley Cup itself to be damaged or manhandled by the winning teams. In the past few days, for instance, it’s been used by the winning team as both a beer chalice and a toddler’s high chair.
Before that, 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 won the following year.
A representative for the Hockey Hall of Fame told Nexstar these types of incidents are almost unavoidable.
“The Cup has had some damage in the past as it’s 133 years old,” a HHOF spokesperson said.
The spokesperson added that the trophy, which is made in part of “malleable” silver, will be repaired in time for the Panthers’ parade on Sunday.
The Florida Panthers beat the Edmonton Oilers 5-1 to become Stanley Cup champions in game six of the finals on Tuesday night, with four of those goals coming from forward Sam Reinhart. The Panthers had also won the league championship in 2024 after besting the Oilers in seven games.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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