Tom Dundon’s latest Stanley Cup headline has nothing to do with a trade, a lineup decision or a postgame quote. It’s about names - specifically, how many of them belonged to his family.
When the Carolina Hurricanes’ engraved section on the Stanley Cup was revealed, reporters quickly noticed that Dundon had used seven spots for members of his own family before other people around the organization. That choice set off a wave of criticism online, with many pointing out that the trophy has limited room and that every name comes at the expense of someone else.
Dundon’s family-heavy engraving became the flashpoint, especially because the Cup is supposed to memorialize the people who helped win it. In this case, the names that drew the most attention were Dundon himself, his wife Veruschka Dundon, and their five children: Caden, Dax, Drew, Blake and Tagan. The seven family names filled the first two rows of the engraving, with some of them appearing above the names of team figures such as general manager Eric Tulsky and head coach Rod Brind’Amour.
The reaction was immediate and blunt.
“Thoughts on Tom Dunden, Carolina Hurricanes owner, having his entire family engraved on the cup while leaving off important PR people and a long time equipment trainer? Should NHL step in? He isn’t the first owner to do this. pic.twitter.com/UrUDBI6QPi”
“What a pathetic thing to do. My God. Indefensible. https://t.co/cOHYVDBEXQ”
“We all remember that incredible playoff run where the 7 Dundons scored in pivotal moments. Glad they’re memorialized here at the very top for all their contributions. https://t.co/EQjYmWhkfi”
“Compromise - if the Carolina Hurricanes owner wants to do this how about just engraving ‘The Dundon Family’ instead of each name? pic.twitter.com/hgZLJYe49y”
“I will always remember the dominant top 2 lines of Dundons and how they tilted the ice https://t.co/eIw6PXCIz4”
Dundon bought the Hurricanes in 2018 and has been the majority owner during the franchise’s recent run of success. He also recently bought the Portland Trail Blazers, a move that has already brought its own backlash.
The family names on the Cup weren’t the only part of the story. The source material also notes that NHL owners have included family members before, but usually those relatives had formal roles with the team.
Florida Panthers owner Vincent Viola had his wife and three sons on the Cup, but all four were listed as alternate governors. Former Detroit Red Wings owner Mike Illitch did something similar in 2008, again with family members tied to the ownership group.
There’s also a famous old Cup wrinkle from 1984, when Edmonton Oilers owner Peter Pocklington initially had his late father, Basil Pocklington, engraved. Peter later said it was a clerical error, and Basil’s name was eventually chiseled over.
Dundon’s business background also came into focus as the criticism spread. He co-founded Drive Financial Services in 1990, later sold it, and then started Dundon Capital Partners, an investment firm with interests in businesses and industries including real estate in Dallas, Texas. He made his money in real estate and financial services.
His reputation in sports has been shaped by more than this engraving, too. The source points to his Portland takeover from Paul Allen’s estate and the cost-cutting moves that followed, including not having two-way players travel to playoff games, cutting support staff during the postseason, and giving new head coach Micah Nori a contract with just one guaranteed year.
For the Hurricanes, the Cup engraving marked a first championship since 2006. For Dundon, it turned into a very public reminder that on hockey’s most iconic trophy, every name tells a story - and some of them come with a lot more noise than others.
In Other News...
How One Outsider Crashed The Hurricanes Stanley Cup Celebration
A lifelong New York Islanders fan from Long Island found himself in the middle of Carolinas Stanley Cup celebration in Las Vegas, and for a stretch it looked as if he belonged there. Andrew Metelitz managed to join the Hurricanes on-ice scene after the final, spending about 20 minutes with players, coaches and family members, snapping photos and soaking in the kind of moment most fans only dream about.
Metelitzs night did not end when the ice was cleared, either. He later turned up at the teams parade and after party, staying close enough to celebrate with the champions as the festivities rolled on. For the Hurricanes, it was one more odd and memorable footnote to a title run that already had plenty of them. [Read more 🡒]