In NHL 11 (EA Sports), when Detroit Red Wings win the NHL Conference Finals, Nicklas Lidström is offered the trophy as the captain of the team, but won’t take it. It seems to be a grand gesture of some kind, and then he shakes hand with the bloke offering it and everybody is happy, but what’s the story here I wonder?
He doesn’t want that shit because it’s the conference cup, not the Stanley Cup. I don’t actually know anything about hockey but that’s almost certainly the answer.
I thought the tradition of not touching the conference trophy because “it’s the last trophy you will touch that season” was universal. However, apparently Sidney Crosby didn’t touch the Eastern Conference trophy in 2008 and the Penguins lost in the Stanley Cup final, so he decided to touch it in 2009 and the Penguins won the Stanley Cup that year.
Players won’t touch any trophy in the playoffs before the Stanley Cup. It’s tradition, but I wasn’t aware it carried to other sports.
I see, thanks.