Florida Panthers receive NHL approval to bend Stanley Cup rules

The NHL has specific criteria for adding players' names to the Stanley Cup: players must participate in at least 41 regular season games or play in at least one game during the Stanley Cup finals. Goaltenders have a similar requirement, needing to be a backup for at least one finals game. However, there's a provision allowing teams to petition the league for exceptions. Recently, the Florida Panthers successfully petitioned to add Jonah Gadjovich and Josh Mahura to the Cup, despite their limited playoff involvement.

Both players were near meeting the eligibility criteria. Gadjovich came closer, having played in 39 regular season games, just two short of the requirement. It's understandable why the league approved his inclusion. Mahura, on the other hand, played in only 30 regular season games. However, he participated in every game of the 2022-23 season, during which the Panthers reached the finals but did not play in any playoff games.

Players who didn't meet the requirements have had their names engraved on the Cup before. One notable case occurred in 1998 when the Red Wings secured their second consecutive Cup victory. Vladimir Konstantinov, a pivotal member of the team's previous championship, tragically suffered a career-ending injury in a car accident before the 1997-98 season. Despite this, the Red Wings successfully petitioned to include his name on the Cup that year, a decision that was granted approval.

It remains unclear whether the Florida Panthers filled all 55 available spots on the Stanley Cup roster or if they requested other players to be included and were rejected. Nevertheless, both Jonah Gadjovich and Josh Mahura will forever be able to claim their names on the Stanley Cup.

Source: Markerzone
NHL and Gary Bettman allow Florida Panthers to bend Stanley Cup rules