The 2023-24 Florida Panthers have been etched in the Stanley Cup
The Florida Panthers have etched their names into hockey history as the 2023-24 Stanley Cup champions. Before the players and executives can celebrate their personal moments with the Cup, their names have been permanently engraved on the most challenging trophy to win in sports.
An image initially posted on Facebook by Kimberly Kasper Lowell confirms that the Panthers’ names are now officially on the Cup forever. Philip Pritchard, the keeper of the Cup, mentioned earlier this month that the engraving process had started. Now, the work is complete.
Among the 53 names engraved on the Stanley Cup, 24 belong to players, with 22 of them seeing their names for the first time. Vladimir Tarasenko, who won in 2019 with the St. Louis Blues, and Carter Verhaeghe, who won in 2020 with the Tampa Bay Lightning, are the exceptions.
To have a name engraved on the Cup, a player must appear in at least 41 regular season games or participate in one game during the Stanley Cup Final. The Panthers petitioned for two players to be included among their teammates.
The NHL approved the petitions for forward Jonah Gadjovich and defenseman Josh Mahura, despite their injuries preventing them from meeting the requirements. Gadjovich played in 39 games, while Mahura appeared in 30.
Forward Evan Rodrigues made history by becoming the first ‘Evan’ to win the Stanley Cup.
The engraving of the Panthers’ names on the Cup is a significant moment for Hall of Fame netminder Roberto Luongo, who is now part of the front office staff. Luongo, who played 1,044 games in the NHL—572 of them with the Panthers—is now a special advisor to the general manager, and he finally gets his name etched in history.
Another former player turned executive, Patric Hornqvist, will also have his name engraved, but not for the first time. Currently a scouting and development consultant, Hornqvist won the Cup twice with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2016 and 2017. This will mark his third engraving on the Cup.
