The Stanley Cup’s engraving tradition is one of hockey’s most cherished, with each champion adding the names of its players and key contributors to the trophy. This year those names belong to the Carolina Hurricanes, and the process has already produced a sore spot. Defenseman Joel Nystrom was left off the Cup, a decision that has drawn public criticism toward owner Tom Dundon.
The sting comes from the contrast. As the New York Post’s Spencer Brod reported on July 10, Nystrom’s name was omitted even though Dundon included the names of his five children, a choice critics quickly labeled “disrespectful and shameful.” Nystrom is not a fringe case on paper, either. The 24-year-old defenseman appeared in 38 games during his first NHL season, posting 10 points on a goal and nine assists.
There is a real résumé behind the name. A native of Karlstad, Sweden, Nystrom was a seventh-round pick of the Hurricanes in the 2021 draft who climbed to the NHL and contributed to a championship roster in his rookie year. The man under fire, meanwhile, is no newcomer to sports ownership. Beyond the Hurricanes, Dundon holds a stake in the NBA’s Portland Trail Blazers and runs Dundon Capital Partners in Dallas, with interests across finance and real estate.
Whether the miss was a genuine oversight or a deliberate choice remains unclear, and engraving lists are built from submitted paperwork that can leave room for mistakes. Either way, the contrast between an omitted 38-game contributor and the owner’s included family is what has Carolina fans talking.
