Carolina Hurricanes win the 2026 Stanley Cup: digest, June 9–15
Carolina defeated Vegas 4-2 to win the 2026 Stanley Cup, closing with a 3-game sweep (G4 5-3, G5 4-2, G6 3-0 shutout); Jordan Staal took Conn Smythe at 37y 277d, oldest ever.
Carolina came back from a 2-1 series deficit, won three straight, and finished the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs 16-3 — the fewest losses needed to win the Cup since the 1988 Edmonton Oilers went 16-2. 1 The last three games weren't close: CAR outscored VGK 12-5 in Games 4-6, the series-clinching game was a shutout, and the Conn Smythe went to a 37-year-old captain who turned into the most dangerous player in this Final the moment it mattered. 2
This is their second Cup — the first was in 2006, also coached by Rod Brind'Amour, who was captain that year.
| Game | Date | Score | Venue | GWG |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| G4 | June 9 | CAR 5, VGK 3 | T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas | Staal (3rd period) |
| G5 | June 11 | CAR 4, VGK 2 | Lenovo Center, Raleigh | Svechnikov (2nd period) |
| G6 | June 14 | CAR 3, VGK 0 | T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas | Hall (1st period) |
Game recaps
Game 4 — June 9: CAR 5, VGK 3 (series tied 2-2)
Carolina came out with the kind of first period you need on the road in a 2-1 hole. Logan Stankoven (Hurricanes center) opened it at 1:06 with a backhand. Jackson Blake (Hurricanes right wing) made it 2-0 at 3:28. Jordan Staal (Hurricanes captain and center) converted a power play at 12:48 — VGK's bench took a too-many-men penalty — and CAR led 3-1 after one. 3
Vegas answered in the second. William Karlsson (Golden Knights center) cut it to 3-2 at 4:22, and Brett Howden (Golden Knights center) tied it at 3-3 at 17:08. Both goals came at even strength; the two teams went into the third period locked. 3
Then Staal took over. At 6:32 of the third, he drove the net and buried a backhand off a feed from Nikolaj Ehlers (Hurricanes left wing) — his second goal of the game, 4-3 CAR. VGK head coach John Tortorella would later say of Staal's positioning in front: "He's killing us in front of the net." 4 Ehlers added an empty-netter at 19:05 to seal it. 5
"It's a good time to get hot." — Jordan Staal after Game 4 3
Shots: CAR 28, VGK 21. Brandon Bussi (Hurricanes goaltender): 18 saves on 21 shots (.857 SV%). Carter Hart (Golden Knights goaltender): 23 saves on 27 shots (.852 SV%). 5
Three stars: Staal (2G), Ehlers (1G 2A), Karlsson (1G 1A).
Game 5 — June 11: CAR 4, VGK 2 (CAR leads series 3-2)
Back in Raleigh for Game 5, Vegas drew first blood on a Pavel Dorofeyev (Golden Knights left wing) power-play goal at 6:52 of the first. Staal answered at 11:46 with a tip-in off a feed from Ehlers — his fifth consecutive SCF game with a goal, tying an NHL record last set by Yvan Cournoyer in 1973. 2
Andrei Svechnikov (Hurricanes right wing) broke it open in the second with two power-play goals — both set up by Ehlers, who ran the Hurricanes' attack with three assists in the game. 6 Mark Stone (Golden Knights captain and right wing) took a double-minor for high-sticking at 8:38 of the third, handing CAR a four-minute power play that Svechnikov converted for his second of the night — 4-1 CAR. Dorofeyev made it 4-2 late but it was academic. 6
William Karlsson (VGK) left the game in the third period with an upper-body injury after a hit from Sean Walker (Hurricanes defenseman) and was ruled out for Game 6. 1
Shots: CAR 24, VGK 25. Bussi: 23 saves on 25 shots (.920 SV%). Hart: 20 saves on 24 shots (.833 SV%). 6
Three stars: Svechnikov (2G), Ehlers (0G 3A), Bussi (.920 SV%).
Game 6 — June 14: CAR 3, VGK 0 (CAR wins Cup 4-2)
Taylor Hall (Hurricanes left wing) scored 3:47 into the first — a far-side wrist shot off a stretch pass from Jaccob Slavin (Hurricanes defenseman) — and that was, essentially, it. Hall became the fourth No. 1 overall draft pick in NHL history to score a Cup-clinching goal, joining Patrick Kane, Bobby Smith, and Guy Lafleur. 1
Jackson Blake one-timed it to 2-0 in the second off a pass from Stankoven. VGK's best chance to change the game came at 9:30 of the third: Jack Eichel (Golden Knights center) rang a one-timer off the crossbar on a power play, with Bussi having lost his stick. Bussi made the next three saves anyway and Ehlers' empty-netter at 18:52 closed it out. 1
Bussi's final line: 22 saves on 22 shots, 1.000 SV%, 0.00 GAA. The ninth Cup-clinching shutout in the past 50 years, and the first since Andrei Vasilevskiy in 2021. 1
"It was our time. We weren't going to be denied." — Rod Brind'Amour 1
Shots: CAR 23, VGK 22. Three stars: Bussi (shutout), Hall (GWG), Blake (1G 1A).
Conn Smythe: Jordan Staal, oldest ever
Staal won the Conn Smythe Trophy at 37 years, 277 days — the oldest winner in NHL history, surpassing Tim Thomas (37 years, 61 days, 2011). 2
His Final numbers: 11 goals in 6 games — among the highest single-series goal totals in Cup Final history, trailing only Reggie Leach's 19 (1976 Philadelphia Flyers) and Jari Kurri's 12 (1985 Edmonton Oilers). 7 He scored in each of the first five games of the Final, tying an NHL record set by Maurice Richard (1951), Jean Beliveau (1956), Yvan Cournoyer (1973), and Cyclone Taylor (1918). 2
NHL EDGE data shows why his dominance wasn't just goal-scoring luck: Staal led the SCF with 13 high-danger shots on goal (7 more than any other player) and 5 high-danger goals. His face-off win rate was 67.9% in the series, and he held Jack Eichel without a goal across four matchups. 4
He also set the record for the longest gap between Cup championships: 17 years between winning with Pittsburgh in 2009 and Carolina in 2026, surpassing Chris Chelios's 16-year gap (1986 to 2002). 2
"I'm happy I stuck around. I believed in the culture. I believed in what we were trying to build in Carolina. An amazing feeling to be able to build something like that and then to top it all off with this — it's an absolute dream come true." — Jordan Staal 2
Teammate Jordan Martinook put it directly: "That guy is incredible... You talk to every first-line center that we played throughout this playoffs, and I bet you they say they hate playing against Jordan Staal." 2
Goalie picture: Bussi's emergence, Andersen's grace
Brandon Bussi replaced Frederik Andersen (Hurricanes veteran goaltender) partway through Game 3 after Andersen allowed four goals on 16 shots. From that moment forward, Bussi went 3-1 with a 1.60 GAA and .931 SV% — the best save percentage among all playoff goalies with four or more appearances. 9 His Game 6 shutout was his first career playoff shutout, in the most consequential game of the season.
Andersen came into this run with 13 wins in Rounds 1-3, a 1.41 GAA, and three shutouts — arguably the series' most valuable goaltender before his knee gave out in Game 2. He did not dress for Games 4-6. When Staal skated the Cup to him first in the post-game presentation, Andersen was not ready for it.
"I was a deer in the headlights. Yeah, I was not really ready for that, but it was a very cool moment." — Frederik Andersen on receiving the Cup first 10
"He's the reason why we're obviously here. His play throughout the playoffs was awesome and he's as much a part of it as anyone else." — Bussi on Andersen 10
Carter Hart (Golden Knights starter) went 0-3 in Games 4-6 with a 3.46 GAA and .863 SV% — well below his full-playoff average of .909. He allowed 10 goals on 73 shots across the three games. Hart's full playoff line (22 GP, 14-8, .909 SV%) led all goalies in wins, but the SCF run exposed limitations against Carolina's net-front pressure. 9
Top performers, Games 4–6
Nikolaj Ehlers — 7 points in 3 games
7 points (2G, 5A) in three games — the most by any skater in the SCF closing window. 11 His production across the three games (3-3-1) stayed consistent rather than front-loaded — multi-point efforts in all three. On the season, Ehlers finished the playoffs with 9 points in the Final (4G, 5A) and 18 total in 19 games. 7
Jackson Blake — 20 playoff points as a rookie
Blake finished the playoffs with a team-high 20 points (7G, 13A) in 19 games — third among all skaters in the 2026 playoffs. 7 In the SCF window, he had 4 points (2G, 2A) with a +3 rating, with multi-point performances in Game 4 and Game 6. His goal in Game 6 was the insurance tally that made Bussi's shutout a true wire-to-wire effort.
"Before the game, like, I've never been so nervous for a game, it's unbelievable." — Jackson Blake after Game 6 1
Taylor Hall — playoff-best +14, Cup-clinching goal
Hall finished with a +14 rating across 19 playoff games — the best among all skaters in the 2026 postseason — alongside 7 goals and 12 assists (19 points, 4th overall). 7 Scoring the Cup-clinching goal in Game 6 — exactly 16 years after being selected No. 1 overall — put a name on what his underlying numbers had already earned.
Mitch Marner — playoff scoring leader, Finals fade
Marner led all 2026 playoff scorers with 29 points (10G, 19A) in 22 games, a +11 rating, and was VGK's most dangerous forward for three rounds. 7 In Games 4-6, that production evaporated: 0 goals, 1 assist, -5 rating. He was held pointless in both Games 5 and 6. Carolina's defensive structure — and Staal matching up against Eichel — clearly took time away from Marner's most productive zones.
The ceremony: Andersen first, Brind'Amour's bear hug
After NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman presented the Cup to Staal, the handoff to Andersen wasn't protocol — it was Staal's call.
"Obviously, he's been grinding the longest and I think he got us going here in the playoffs. Unfortunate to be out of the lineup. I'm sure he wanted to keep it going and he couldn't, but I figured he'd be a great start." — Jordan Staal on giving the Cup to Andersen first 10
Andersen, 36, had waited 13 NHL seasons for this. After lifting it, he said: "It felt good. It felt right." 10
At the end of the handoff chain, Pyotr Kochetkov (Hurricanes backup goaltender) passed the Cup to Brind'Amour. The coach, who famously grabbed the Cup off the presentation table before Bettman could hand it to him in 2006, took a different approach this time — he wrapped his arms around the trophy and pulled it to his chest.
"That was just a little bear hug. I don't know. I wasn't sure I was going to raise it over my head because that's more of a player thing, but I had no choice." — Rod Brind'Amour 12
Brind'Amour is now the 4th individual in NHL history to win the Stanley Cup with the same franchise as both captain and head coach, joining Toe Blake, Hap Day, and Cooney Weiland. He won as CAR's captain in 2006 and as head coach in 2026 — exactly 20 years apart. 12
"It's just as awesome, but as a player it was a little different because I worked and dreamt of winning the Cup my whole life so that was like a piano came off my back. This time around I wanted it for the group. I wanted them to feel what it's like." — Rod Brind'Amour 1
2026 playoff leaderboards (final)
Points
| Rank | Player | Team | GP | G | A | PTS | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mitch Marner | VGK | 22 | 10 | 19 | 29 | +11 |
| 2 | Jack Eichel | VGK | 22 | 2 | 20 | 22 | -1 |
| 3 | Jackson Blake | CAR | 19 | 7 | 13 | 20 | +8 |
| 4 | Taylor Hall | CAR | 19 | 7 | 12 | 19 | +14 |
| 5T | Nikolaj Ehlers | CAR | 19 | 8 | 10 | 18 | +9 |
| 5T | Brett Howden | VGK | 22 | 14 | 4 | 18 | +11 |
| 5T | Shea Theodore | VGK | 22 | 6 | 12 | 18 | +10 |
Goalies (min. 4 GP)
| Player | Team | GP | W-L | GAA | SV% | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brandon Bussi | CAR | 4 | 3-1 | 1.60 | .931 | 1 |
| Frederik Andersen | CAR | 16 | 13-2 | 1.89 | .910 | 3 |
| Carter Hart | VGK | 22 | 14-8 | 2.56 | .909 | 0 |
Howden's 14 playoff goals led the postseason outright; Dorofeyev's 12 ranked second. 7 Eichel's 20 assists led all skaters. 7
Fantasy takeaways
Jordan Staal (CAR, C) delivered the best late-round value of the entire 2026 postseason. Eleven goals in a single Final at age 37, with an 88th-percentile max skating speed (22.84 mph) and 97th-percentile high-danger goal rate among forwards. 4 For dynasty leagues: he's under contract through next season, and 20 regular-season goals with this postseason attached is not a fluke profile.
Nikolaj Ehlers (CAR, LW) ran the 5-on-5 attack and the power play during the closeout stretch. He led the SCF window with 7 points at a 2.33 PPG rate. 11 His playoff finish — 18 points in 19 games — should lock in a premium role heading into 2026-27.
Jackson Blake (CAR, RW) closed the playoffs as the third-leading scorer in the entire postseason, as a rookie. Twenty points, 13 of them assists, with multi-point games in the two biggest CAR wins. He will not be a late-round dart next October. 7
Shayne Gostisbehere (CAR, D) was quiet in counting stats but powered the power play from the blue line — all 3 of his SCF-window assists came on the man advantage (1 in G4, 2 in G5). 11 His regular-season average ice time (~13 min/game in the window) caps his ceiling, but PP points from the blue line are a bankable commodity.
Mitch Marner (VGK, RW) — 29 points is 29 points and it's going in the record books. The -5 in Games 4-6 and the pointless final two games are real, but his volume (29 GP, 1.32 PPG) and linemate synergy with Eichel ran this deep into the playoffs. His next-season ADP will be aggressive, and arguably correctly so.
Brandon Bussi (CAR, G) enters the off-season as Andersen's backup with a .931 playoff SV% and a Cup-clinching shutout. Whether CAR re-signs Andersen and at what term will determine Bussi's fantasy ceiling for 2026-27. Andersen is 36 and spent Games 4-6 watching from the press box on a knee injury. Worth monitoring.
Cover image: Jordan Staal raises the Stanley Cup at T-Mobile Arena, June 14, 2026. Photo via NHL.com
References
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5NHL Gamecenter Boxscore: SCF Game 4
api-web.nhle.com
- 6NHL Gamecenter Boxscore: SCF Game 5
api-web.nhle.com
- 7NHL REST API: Full Playoff Skater Leaderboard
api.nhle.com
- 8NHL REST API: Goalie Summary (SCF Window)
api.nhle.com
- 9NHL REST API: Full Playoff Goalie Leaderboard
api.nhle.com
- 10
- 11
- 12
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