Right after the Florida Panthers' second straight championship victory over Edmonton on June 17, the Stanley Cup begins its epic three-month journey around the world.
Following the team's street party, the trophy makes its way through the NHL Draft in LA. Then it crisscrosses through cities and towns until October, when the new season gets underway.
NHL officials, team staff, and Hockey Hall of Fame personnel planned stops in each champion's hometown. "Every day the Cup is in transit is a day it can't be with somebody," Phil Pritchard, who's guarded the cup since 1988, told Front Office Sports.
A small team from the Hall of Fame monitors the trophy's travels. Two guards stay with the cup at all times - a tradition that started in '89 when Calgary's Colin Patterson wanted to bring it to his hometown.
"We're the best team on ice...I guarantee you we're best team off ice too…It's been a lot of fun…and party's not stopping anytime soon," Matthew Tkachuk shared with Front Office Sports.
The celebrations took their toll on the trophy. The bowl got cracked and the base was damaged. A specialist metalworker had to fly in to repair it before the Panthers' parade.
The current version - the Presentation Cup - goes back to 1963, while the original cup remains safely stored in Toronto. Each year adds new scratches and dents from parties, traveling, and public events.
This is the first back-to-back championship outside COVID times since Pittsburgh's wins in 2016-17. Florida reshaped their team through eleven free agent signings and seven trades this year.
Veterans Brad Marchand and Nico Sturm brought their championship experience from Boston and Colorado. The Panthers beat Tampa Bay twice during their playoff run to the finals.
They did things differently in 2023, now engraving names before the tour - a change that started with Vegas. After winning, Panthers players painted South Florida red, hitting up clubs, beaches, and boats.
