The Bruins, led by captain Zdeno Chara, who was awarded the trophy given to the Eastern Conference champions by NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly, also did not touch it in 2011 and 2013.
They won the Stanley Cup in 2011 and lost in the Stanley Cup Final in 2013.
"It is what it is, right?" Bruins center David Krejci said. "I mean, every team has got their different, I guess, superstitious rituals. We've been there with 'Z' before and we're 50-50."
The Bruins in 2011 were the last team to win the Stanley Cup after choosing not to touch the trophy.
The New Jersey Devils (2012), Bruins (2013), New York Rangers (2014) and Tampa Bay Lightning (2015) all lost in the Cup Final after refusing to touch the trophy when they won the Eastern Conference Final.
However, Sidney Crosby touched it in 2016 and in 2017 before helping the Pittsburgh Penguins win the Cup each season.
Alex Ovechkin not only touched the trophy last year, he
brought it home with him and used it as a centerpiece
, but that didn't stop the Washington Capitals from winning the Stanley Cup for the first time.
The Bruins this year huddled around the trophy and Daly, forming almost a semi-circle with their arms around one another posing for pictures. Everyone kept his hands and arms away from the trophy, though.
"I didn't even look at it to tell you the truth," Bruins forward David Backes said. "I had my arms around my buddies, smiling as big as I could and trying not to let the tears come down."
