Photo credit: Screenshot

The Florida Panthers defeated the Oilers in the finals and earned the right to have their names on the trophy but today the trophy returned with 2 unexpected names.

The Stanley Cup Finals are known as one of the most grueling playoff experiences in all of sports. This season the Florida Panthers outshined everyone and took home the trophy after a hard-fought 7 game series.
WE ARE STANLEY CUP CHAMPIONS!!!!

After several days of partying with the Stanley Cup, it was sent off to be engraved. To have your name on the Stanley Cup as a player you must play at least 41 regular season games or one game in the Stanley Cup Finals.
A player is required to have appeared in at least 41 regular-season games with a team, or one Stanley Cup Final game, to be eligible to have his name engraved on the trophy.
However, when the Stanley Cup trophy was revealed today with all of the new names there were 2 players who did not fit those requirements that snuck on due to a loophole.

Florida Panthers receive exemption to add extra players onto the Stanley Cup

Today a picture of the newly engraved Stanley Cup was posted on X and circulated all over. Fans noticed that there were two names, Jonah Gadjovich and Josh Mahura, who did not meet the requirements but found their names on the Stanley Cup anyway.

Jonah Gadjovich
Josh Mahura

Their inclusion in the names on the Stanley Cup means that the Florida Panthers took advantage of a stipulation added in 1994 that allows teams to petition for players to be added.
In 1994, a stipulation was added to allow a team to petition the Commissioner for permission to have players’ names put on the Stanley Cup if extenuating circumstances prevented them from being available to play. The management staff engraved on the trophy is determined by the team. However, it must be approved by the Hockey Hall of Fame and NHL. The maximum number of names a championship team can engrave on the trophy is 55.
As of now, it is unknown if the Florida Panthers used all 55 of their potential spots or if they applied for other players to be included and were denied. Regardless both Jonah Gadjovich and Josh Mahura will forever be able to say they have their names on the Stanley Cup.

It is not uncommon for teams to petition for players to be added to the Stanley Cup roster under extenuating circumstances. In the case of the Florida Panthers, two players – Jonah Gadjovich and Josh Mahura – were granted exemptions despite not meeting the usual eligibility requirements.

These exemptions allow for players who did not reach the games played threshold to still have their names engraved on the prestigious trophy. This stipulation was added in 1994 to account for situations where players were unable to participate in the required number of games due to unforeseen circumstances.

The decision to add Gadjovich and Mahura to the Stanley Cup roster was made by the management staff of the Florida Panthers, but had to be approved by both the Hockey Hall of Fame and the NHL. It is a rare occurrence, but one that adds a unique element to the history of the Stanley Cup.

With a maximum of 55 names allowed to be engraved on the trophy, it is unclear if the Panthers utilized all of their spots or if they requested additional players to be included. Regardless, Gadjovich and Mahura will forever have their names etched on the Stanley Cup, solidifying their place in hockey history.

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Source: New York Post