The Carolina Hurricanes’ 2026 Stanley Cup victory should have been remembered purely as the franchise’s latest championship celebration. Instead, the official engraving on hockey’s most famous trophy has sparked a heated debate across the NHL.
When images of the newly engraved Stanley Cup surfaced, fans quickly noticed that Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon had included not only his own name but also those of his wife, Veruschka, and their five children, Caden, Dax, Drew, Blake, and Tagan.
What fueled the backlash even further was where those names appeared. The seven Dundon family names occupy the top two rows beneath the “Carolina Hurricanes 2025-26” championship heading, above head coach Rod Brind’Amour, general manager Eric Tulsky, and the players who helped bring the Cup to Raleigh.
Fans And Media Blast Carolina Hurricanes Owner Tom Dundon
Every Stanley Cup-winning organization is limited to 55 engraved names, making every spot highly valuable. Traditionally, those spaces are reserved for players, coaches, executives, scouts, trainers, and staff members who contributed throughout the season.
Since Dundon’s wife and children do not hold official roles with the Hurricanes, many fans believe those spots should have gone to members of the organization who worked behind the scenes.
The criticism came swiftly from around the hockey world.
Sabres columnist Mike Harrington was among the harshest critics, writing: “This is a disgrace. The Hurricanes’ owner has put the names of his wife and kids on the Stanley Cup, above all the team officials, coaches and players. Rich people doing whatever they want is a massive problem in this society. How could the NHL let this happen?”
Another fan echoed that frustration, arguing that the decision overlooked people who actually contributed to Carolina’s title run. “Tom Dundon putting his whole family on the Cup instead of players and staff who actually did things to win the Stanley Cup is one of the most selfish and gross things I’ve ever seen. It’s so disrespectful and shameful.”
Reporter Lance Lysowski pointed to specific omissions, noting that defenseman Joel Nystrom appeared in 38 games for the Hurricanes but was left off the Cup. “The owner put the names of his five children. Other support staff is also deserving. Tacky. And not at all surprising,” Lysowski said.
The criticism didn’t stop there. Penguins beat writer Josh Yohe offered a blunt assessment of the decision. “What a pathetic thing to do. My God. Indefensible,” Yohe wrote.
Others reacted with sarcasm rather than outrage. Adam Gold joked, “So cool. Anyone named Dundon NOT on the cup?” Analyst Roy Bellamy also poked fun at the situation, writing: “I guess this is the trade-off to the whole ‘the players get to lift the Cup first’ discussion.”
Barstool Sports’ Dan Katz capped off the online reaction with a tongue-in-cheek hockey reference. “I will always remember the dominant top 2 lines of Dundons and how they tilted the ice.”
On the Stanley Cup engravings controversy – Phil Pritchard (the Keeper of the Cup) at the Hockey Hall of Fame tells me ‘The first time we saw the Stanley Cup with the Carolina Hurricanes engravings was late yesterday afternoon. We contacted the Hurricanes immediately and sent…
— Jeff Marek (@JeffMarek) July 9, 2026
Dundon isn’t the first owner to include family members’ names on Lord Stanley. After the Florida Panthers won the Stanley Cup, owner Vincent Viola had his wife and three sons’ names engraved on the trophy as well. However, they are officially part of the executive team at the franchise.
The approval process exists because of a famous incident in 1984, when former Edmonton Oilers owner Peter Pocklington secretly added his father, Basil, to the Cup even though he had no role with the team.
Once the NHL found out, Basil’s name was covered with a row of “X”s.
While the Dundon family’s names will remain on the Cup, the decision has sparked criticism and overshadowed part of Carolina’s championship celebration.
