The Vegas Golden Knights did not touch the Clarence S. Campbell Bowl when they were Western Conference champions in 2023 and later went on to win the Stanley Cup. They didn't touch the trophy again in 2026.
The Vegas Golden Knights charged their way through the Western Conference final.
Tuesday's 2-1 win in Game 4 completed the Golden Knights' sweep over the Presidents' Trophy-winning Colorado Avalanche and put Vegas into the Stanley Cup final for the third time in its nine-year franchise history.
The Golden Knights also won the Clarence S. Campbell Bowl as Western Conference champions. And just like the last time they won it, they did not touch the trophy.
Captain Mark Stone brought the players over to pose for a photo with the trophy and NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly, and he then waved over team staff and owner Bill Foley. But Stone made sure Foley did not lay a finger on the bowl, appearing to say, "hands off."
Deciding whether or not to touch the conference championship trophy comes down to superstition and history.
The Florida Panthers did not touch the Prince of Wales Trophy the last two years after winning the Eastern Conference, and they won the Stanley Cup. The year before that, they did touch the trophy, then lost in the Cup final to the Golden Knights.
Vegas did not touch the Clarence S. Campbell Bowl in 2023 and won the final in five games. Before them, the Avalanche touched the bowl in 2022 and won the Cup, and the Tampa Bay Lightning touched the Prince of Wales Trophy in 2020 and 2021 before winning the Stanley Cup both years.
The Edmonton Oilers tried both ways by not touching the Clarence S. Campbell Bowl in 2024 and touching it in 2025, but they lost the Cup final both times.
Golden Knights Complete The Sweep In Game 4
The Avalanche had defenseman Cale Makar in the lineup again in Game 4, and although Nathan MacKinnon briefly left Game 3, he was good to go. Mackenzie Blackwood replaced Scott Wedgewood in the net for the elimination game.
But the Golden Knights got the lead early and did not give it up.
Captain Mark Stone, whose skating speed is below average, received an alley-oop pass from Brayden McNabb and skated in toward Blackwood on a breakaway. He faked out the goaltender with a backhand-forehand deke and scored just over four minutes into the game.
The score remained 1-0 until late in the third period, when Cole Smith slightly redirected the puck through Blackwood's five-hole.
Colorado made things interesting when Gabriel Landeskog beat Golden Knights goalie Carter Hart with just over two minutes left in the period. With the empty net, the Avalanche moved the puck around in an attempt to find the equalizer, but Vegas applied pressure and didn't give them much to capitalize on.
Just like that, time ran out on Colorado's chances of a comeback and its season, and the Golden Knights became Western Conference champions. Considering the Avalanche had 26 more points than the Golden Knights in the regular season and lost just one game heading into this round, Vegas' elimination of Colorado was an upset, and the sweep adds to the surprise.
Since the Carolina Hurricanes lead the Montreal Canadiens 2-1 and need at least five games to decide the Eastern Conference final, the soonest the Golden Knights can know their Cup final opponent is Friday, May 29, when Game 5 takes place in Raleigh, N.C. If necessary, Game 6 is on Sunday, May 31, and Game 7 is on Tuesday, June 2.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.