It didn’t take long for the Florida Panthers to make their first impression on the Stanley Cup after winning it for a second time in as many years.
Less than 12 hours after defeating the Edmonton Oilers in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final to win the coveted trophy again, the Panthers appeared to crack the bowl of Lord Stanley’s Cup and dent the base of the trophy.
The crack, as well as a slight inward dent, on the bowl reportedly occurred during Florida’s on-ice celebration on Tuesday after the Panthers routed Edmonton 5-1 in Sunrise, Fla.
As for the damage to the base, while no cause was cited, it was spotted at a local watering hole on Wednesday.
Reports indicate that the keepers of the Cup will repair the 37-pound trophy in time for Sunday’s celebration parade.
Damage to the Stanley Cup is far from new for the 132-year-old piece of hardware. Players have had a long history of accidentally dropping the trophy during events.
Other instances include a member of the 1962 Toronto Maple Leafs dropping the NHL’s championship trophy into a bonfire. Another example came in 2008 when a newborn daughter of a Detroit Red Wings player defecated in the bowl while sitting in it (that player reportedly drank from it later that day.)
–Field Level Media
