Carolina Hurricanes Capture Second Stanley Cup After 3-0 Win Over Vegas
The Hurricanes defeated the Vegas Golden Knights 3-0 in Game 6 to clinch the 2026 Stanley Cup, with Jordan Staal receiving the Conn Smythe Trophy.
Carolina secured the 2026 Stanley Cup on Sunday with a 3-0 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 6 of the final series, finishing the postseason with a 16-3 record. The win gave the franchise its second championship in history.
Jordan Staal was presented with the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player of the playoffs.
The Hurricanes entered the finals after sweeping the Ottawa Senators and the Philadelphia Flyers in the first two rounds, becoming the fifth team to start a postseason 8-0. They then defeated the Montreal Canadiens 4-1 in the Eastern Conference final, highlighted by overtime goals from Nikolaj Ehlers and Andrei Svechnikov.
In the championship series, the teams exchanged wins in the first four games, with each side rallying from multi-goal deficits. Carolina took a 3-2 series lead with a 4-1 win in Game 5 on home ice, and sealed the title with a shutout by goaltender Brandon Bussi in Game 6.