William Carrier Fills Stanley Cup With Poutine After Winning 2nd NHL Title

Q: The Stanley Cup has been a baptismal font and a poutine bowl. Where should the line be drawn for its use?

The line should be drawn at respect, safety and preservation: use the Stanley Cup in ways that celebrate the win without damaging the trophy, degrading its meaning or creating avoidable health risks. History shows the Cup has long been treated as both sacred object and living tradition. Players have drunk champagne from it, served food in it, placed babies in it for photos and even used it for baptisms. William Carrier’s poutine fits that tradition, especially because he lined the bowl with parchment paper, showing care for hygiene and cleanup. That matters because the Stanley Cup is not remade each year; it is the same historic trophy, dating to 1892, with names engraved across generations. The strongest practical standard is the NHL’s duty of “care and safe custody.” That means no use that could dent, stain, contaminate or require repair beyond normal wear. Hot liquids, open flames, rough stunts or anything unsanitary should be out. So should acts that turn the Cup into a prop for humiliation rather than celebration. There is also a symbolic line. The Cup’s prestige depends on a shared understanding that it honors achievement. The same principle appears in engraving disputes: names seen as unrelated to the championship have drawn backlash or even been removed. Physical use should follow the same logic. Personal, joyful and even quirky traditions are part of the Cup’s lore; careless, destructive or self-indulgent uses that overshadow the trophy’s history are not.

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jul 15

William Carrier used the Stanley Cup as a poutine bowl during his day with the trophy, with video showing the Carolina Hurricanes forward helping assemble fries, gravy and cheese curds inside it.
Phil Pritchard, the longtime Keeper of the Cup, shared the clip, which showed the bowl lined with parchment paper rather than having the food placed directly into the trophy.
Carrier won his second Stanley Cup in June, adding this year's Hurricanes title to the championship he previously captured with the Vegas Golden Knights in 2023.
The celebration comes as the NHL turns toward next season, with the league set to unveil its first 84-game regular-season schedule on Thursday.