Carolina hid a mascot in its ring, and Florida gets front-row seats

Look, of all the teams in the league to invite to your banner night, Carolina picked the one that won the two Cups before theirs. The league's schedule-maker has a sense of humor, and I respect it.

Tuesday at 5 p.m. ET, the Hurricanes raise their 2026 Stanley Cup banner and the Panthers get to watch. Florida missed the playoffs last spring, the first two-time defending champ to do that since the 1969-70 Canadiens.

So this is like going to your ex's wedding and finding out she took your seat at the head table.

Now, the rings. The Canes got them Sunday, and they're roughly the size of a hubcap. We're talking nearly 900 individually set stones, 9.80 carats of diamonds, 1.40 carats of rubies. The player numbers circle a diamond North Carolina flag on top, a nod to the Storm Surge. The side says "STRESS GAME."

Then it gets weird. Each ring has a removable puck pendant, and inside the puck is Stormy, the mascot, done in rubies and diamonds. Buddy, I'm begging you. It's a championship ring, not a Kinder Surprise.

Grade: A-minus. It loses a half-grade for the hidden mascot. Nobody opening a Cup ring needs a jump scare.

The run earned the bling

The ring is loud because the run was loud. Carolina went 16-3: it swept Ottawa, swept Philadelphia, beat Montreal in five and took Vegas in six. Brandon Bussi stopped all 22 shots in the Game 6 clincher, a 3-0 win.

Jordan Staal won the Conn Smythe at 37, the oldest winner ever. At 37, most guys are coaching their kid's bantam team. Staal was busy lifting the Cup and the playoff MVP trophy in the same month.

The 16-3 record and every series result are engraved inside the band. That's the part I'd hate if I were Ottawa or Philly. Your sweep now lives in somebody else's jewelry box forever.

Florida's job Tuesday

Here's the thing for the Panthers. You don't get over missing the playoffs by watching another team's banner go up. You get over it by winning the game right after the banner goes up.

Ruining somebody's banner night is the cheapest revenge in hockey, and the best. Let them have the ceremony, then make the building quiet by the second period.

Bruins tax: In Boston, we'd have raised the banner, lost 5-1, and spent a week on the radio complaining the ring was too small.

Carolina earned every carat. Florida gets 60 minutes to make the whole evening awkward for everybody. I know which one I'd pay to watch. I said what I said.