The Florida Panthers celebrated their first-ever Stanley Cup title with a 14-karat yellow gold ring set with 554 diamonds, 17 rubies, 37 yellow sapphires and nine blue sapphires, for a total weight of 15.6 carats.
Players, coaching staff and ownership received their deeply symbolic rings during a private ceremony at the newly-renovated War Memorial Auditorium in Fort Lauderdale, FL.
With the team's back-to-back trips to the Stanley Cup Finals, and its memorable game-seven victory at home against the Edmonton Oilers, the 2024 Panthers bolstered the claim that Florida is truly the “State of Hockey.” And the Jostens-designed championship rings include a number of elements that honor Florida and Broward County.
“The incredible achievement of this team was the inspiration for the Viola family when crafting the franchise’s first Championship ring,” said Panthers President & CEO Matt Caldwell. “This ring represents the culture, hard work and leadership of this winning team, our home in Broward County, the vibrant South Florida lifestyle and shows the immense pride we all hold in our hearts for this historic team.”
Unlike most championship rings that are either round or oval, the shape of the Panthers' ring top mimics the iconic shield design of the Panthers logo and proudly features the Panthers mark intricately set with brilliant white diamonds, as well as dazzling blue and yellow sapphires. The team’s new title of “STANLEY CUP CHAMPIONS” is rendered in diamonds at the top and bottom of the ring. Exactly 187 diamonds cascade from the ring top down the edges, creating a border around the side panels.
The left side of the ring features the recipient’s name in raised block letters. Below the recipient’s name is a tab which contains either PANTHERS or the person's title within the organization. The tab is a nod to the Panther’s tradition of “earning your tabs,” just as each player who comes out of training camp earns the FLORIDA tabs found on the sleeve of his home jersey.
Under the tab, is the shape of the state of Florida fully executed in diamonds and a single ruby. The location of the ruby honors the Florida Panthers' home in Broward County, while the diamonds represent the significant growth of the sport of hockey within the state of Florida. Completing the left side of the ring is the player's jersey number set in white diamonds.
The right side of the ring features “FLORIDA” in block letters across the top. Below the state name is the coveted Stanley Cup, flanked by the year 2024, all set with diamonds to pay tribute to the team’s first-ever title. The right side is completed with a beach and palm tree background, in homage to the unique South Florida Stanley Cup Parade and beach-front celebrations that took place in the wake of the team’s historic win.
The interior of the ring features an array of uniquely symbolic icons. One is a depiction of the official WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) and NHL Stanley Cup Championship Belt. The graphic honors the Florida Panthers for being the first NHL team to have its name added to this championship belt.
Below the belt are the results from the Panthers' playoff run. The results are readable but are shown with a strike-through, a design borrowed from one of the rally towels that energized the home fans during the playoff games at Amerant Bank Arena. And below the scores is the date of the Stanley Cup-winning Game 7: 6-24-24.
In addition, the word "Freedom" on the interior of the band is a nod to what coach Paul Maurice kept saying to his team during their Stanley Cup run. He told them to "play with freedom," meaning he wanted them to stay within themselves and "play loose."
Finally, to the left of all those items on the interior of the band is a representation of a rat, which pays homage to one of the longest standing fan-led Panthers traditions celebrating each Panther win.
"The rat trick" has its origins before the first game of the 1995-96 season, when player Scott Mellanby killed a rat in the locker room using his hockey stick. Mellanby went on to score two goals during the home opener using that stick. At the next home game, a fan threw a plastic rat onto the ice after a goal, and from then on it became a tradition to throw plastic rats on the ice after a home win.
Credits: Images courtesy of Jostens.