Prince of Wales Trophy facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Prince of Wales Trophy |
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| Sport | Ice hockey |
| Given for | Eastern Conference playoff champions of the National Hockey League |
| History | |
| First award | 1926 |
| First winner | Montreal Canadiens |
| Most wins | Montreal Canadiens (25) |
| Most recent | Florida Panthers (3) |
The Prince of Wales Trophy is a special award given out by the National Hockey League (NHL), which is a big professional ice hockey league. It's also sometimes called the Wales Trophy. This trophy is named after Prince Edward, who was the Prince of Wales before he became King Edward VIII. Over the years, this trophy has been given for different achievements in hockey.
The trophy was first given out during the 1925–26 NHL season. It was first awarded to the winner of the very first hockey game played at Madison Square Garden on December 15, 1925. After that, it was given to the champion of the NHL playoffs for a couple of seasons.
Later, the Wales Trophy was awarded to the champion of the American Division from 1927 to 1938. Then, from 1938 to 1967, it went to the team that won the overall NHL regular season. Since the NHL added more teams in 1967, the trophy has been given to the champions of the Eastern Conference playoffs. This is similar to the Clarence S. Campbell Bowl, which goes to the Western Conference champions.
In 2021, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the NHL changed its playoff rules a bit. The Wales Trophy was given to the Tampa Bay Lightning after they beat the New York Islanders in the Stanley Cup semifinals.
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History of the Trophy
The Prince of Wales Trophy was first announced in December 1925. It was sponsored by Prince Edward, who was the Prince of Wales at the time. This is why the trophy has the Prince of Wales' feathers and the Royal Coat of Arms of Canada on it. The trophy cost $2,500, which was a lot of money back then!
The very first team to win the trophy was the Montreal Canadiens. They won it by beating the New York Americans 3-1 in the first game ever played at Madison Square Garden on December 15, 1925. The Canadiens even engraved their name on the trophy for two earlier seasons (1923–24 and 1924–25) because they were the league champions then.
From 1925 to 1927, the trophy was given to the NHL playoff champion. This team would then play against the champion of the Western Hockey League for the Stanley Cup.
After 1927, the trophy was given to the winner of the American Division of the NHL. Another trophy, the O'Brien Cup, went to the Canadian Division champion. In 1938, the NHL went back to having just one division, so the Wales Trophy became the award for the team with the best record in the regular season.
When the NHL expanded in 1967, it created the West Division. The Wales Trophy then went to the team that finished first in the East Division during the regular season. In 1974, the league formed two big groups called conferences. The trophy then went to the team with the best regular season record in the Wales Conference until 1981.
In 1981, the NHL changed its playoff system. The two conference playoff champions would play each other for the Stanley Cup. So, the Prince of Wales Trophy started going to the Wales Conference playoff champions. In 1993, the Wales Conference was renamed the Eastern Conference. Since then, the Prince of Wales Trophy has been awarded to the Eastern Conference playoff champions.
The Trophy Superstition
Many NHL players today have a superstition about the Prince of Wales Trophy (and the Clarence S. Campbell Bowl for the Western Conference). They believe that no player should touch or lift these trophies after winning the conference playoffs. They feel that the Stanley Cup is the only true championship trophy, and it should be the only one they lift.
Instead of touching the trophy, the captain of the winning team usually just poses with it, often looking serious. Sometimes, the whole team poses with it too. However, some teams have ignored this superstition and lifted the trophy, and they still went on to win the Stanley Cup. The Pittsburgh Penguins are a good example; they won the Stanley Cup five times after touching the trophy.
In the 2020–21 NHL season, the NHL changed its divisions because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The trophy was initially not going to be awarded. But later, it was decided that the trophy would be given to the winner of the Stanley Cup semifinals series between the New York Islanders and the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Who Has Won the Trophy?
- Key
- * – This team no longer exists.
– This team also won the Stanley Cup in the same season.- a – Engraved in the 1925–26 season.
First Winners and Early Champions
- December 15, 1925 – Montreal Canadiens (Canadiens 3, New York Americans 1)
The Canadiens were league champions for these seasons before the trophy was officially donated:
| Season | Winner | Win # |
|---|---|---|
| 1923–24 | Montreal Canadiens a |
1 |
| 1924–25 | Montreal Canadiens | 2 |
The trophy was awarded to the NHL playoff champions from 1925 to 1927:
| Season | Winner | Win # |
|---|---|---|
| 1925–26 | Montreal Maroons * |
1 |
| 1926–27 | Ottawa Senators * |
1 |
Recent Eastern Conference Playoff Champions (1993–Present)
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| Season | Winner | Win # |
|---|---|---|
| 1993–94 | New York Rangers |
3 |
| 1994–95 | New Jersey Devils |
1 |
| 1995–96 | Florida Panthers | 1 |
| 1996–97 | Philadelphia Flyers | 3 |
| 1997–98 | Washington Capitals | 1 |
| 1998–99 | Buffalo Sabres | 3 |
| 1999–2000 | New Jersey Devils |
2 |
| 2000–01 | New Jersey Devils | 3 |
| 2001–02 | Carolina Hurricanes | 1 |
| 2002–03 | New Jersey Devils |
4 |
| 2003–04 | Tampa Bay Lightning |
1 |
| 2004–05 | Season cancelled due to the 2004–05 NHL lockout | |
| 2005–06 | Carolina Hurricanes |
2 |
| 2006–07 | Ottawa Senators | 1 |
| 2007–08 | Pittsburgh Penguins | 3 |
| 2008–09 | Pittsburgh Penguins |
4 |
| 2009–10 | Philadelphia Flyers | 4 |
| 2010–11 | Boston Bruins |
16 |
| 2011–12 | New Jersey Devils | 5 |
| 2012–13 | Boston Bruins | 17 |
| 2013–14 | New York Rangers | 4 |
| 2014–15 | Tampa Bay Lightning | 2 |
| 2015–16 | Pittsburgh Penguins |
5 |
| 2016–17 | Pittsburgh Penguins |
6 |
| 2017–18 | Washington Capitals |
2 |
| 2018–19 | Boston Bruins | 18 |
| 2019–20 | Tampa Bay Lightning |
3 |
Stanley Cup Semifinals (2020–2021)
| Season | Winner | Win # |
|---|---|---|
| 2020–21 | Tampa Bay Lightning |
4 |
Eastern Conference Playoffs Champions (2021–Present)
| Season | Winner | Win # |
|---|---|---|
| 2021–22 | Tampa Bay Lightning | 5 |
| 2022–23 | Florida Panthers | 2 |
| 2023–24 | Florida Panthers | 3 |
See also
