The NHL champion Carolina Hurricanes released an image of their engravings for the Stanley Cup, and they started with owner Tom Dundon and his family.
The Hurricanes became league champions and lifted the Stanley Cup after winning Game 6 on June 14 over the Vegas Golden Knights, and, like all other champions, won the right to engrave up to 55 names onto the cup.
As seen in the photo posted by the team on social media, Dundon, wife Veruschka Dundon and the couple’s five children take up the first two lines of the team’s engraving. After that, there are 22 other staff member names engraved followed by 24 Hurricanes players.
An article on the NHL website about the engraving makes no mention of Dundon’s family, writing that the owner’s name was followed by those of Hurricanes CEO Brian Fork, team general manager Eric Tulsky and head coach Rod Brind’Amour, who had captained the team to its first title in 2006 as a player.
The NHL and Hockey Hall of Fame approve the names of all management staff put onto the trophy, according to the league website. The NHL has not said why they presumably approved the addition of Dundon’s family to the names on the Stanley Cup.
The Hockey Hall of Fame told the Canadian Press news agency that it is not directly involved with the engraving, only in the upkeep of and care for the Stanley Cup.
This is not the first time the names of an owner’s family members have made it onto the Stanley Cup. Florida Panthers owner Vincent Viola previously had the names of his wife Teresa Viola and sons John, Michael and Travis Viola engraved for the team’s 2024 and 2025 championships. All four family members are also listed as alternate governors for the team.
There were also several members of the Ilitch family whose names were etched onto the trophy for the 2008 champion Detroit Red Wings but they all also had roles with the team, according to Yahoo Sports.
Neither Dundon’s wife nor his children, some of whom are minors, have roles with the Hurricanes, according to WRAL-TV.
Previously, Basil Pocklington, father of Edmonton Oilers then-owner Peter Pocklington, managed to get his name etched for the team’s 1984 championship. The NHL ordered it crossed out with 16 X’s upon learning he was not associated with the Oilers, according to the Hockey Hall of Fame website.
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