Updated
Updated · NHL.com · Jun 2
Golden Knights, Hurricanes Chase 1st 2026 Stanley Cup Win as Carolina Returns to Final for 1st Time Since 2006
Updated
Updated · NHL.com · Jun 2

Golden Knights, Hurricanes Chase 1st 2026 Stanley Cup Win as Carolina Returns to Final for 1st Time Since 2006

3 articles · Updated · NHL.com · Jun 2
  • Vegas and Carolina opened Stanley Cup Final preparations centered on blocking out the spotlight as both teams try to stay locked into the series.
  • Vegas is leaning on its deeper recent postseason experience to manage the hoopla around the championship stage and keep routines intact.
  • Carolina is navigating a different challenge — its first trip back to the Final since 2006 — while drawing confidence from a playoff run powered in part by its second line.
  • The matchup sets a contrast between a Golden Knights team counting on familiarity with big moments and a Hurricanes club trying to turn a 20-year wait into a title push.
Which will prevail in the Stanley Cup Final: Vegas's championship experience or Carolina's two-decade-long wait for glory?
Can Vegas’s shocking turnaround under a new coach overcome Carolina’s dominant, season-long performance to win the Stanley Cup?