Carolina Hurricanes player Andrei Svechnikov holds the Stanley Cup after winning against the Vegas Golden Knights in the 2026 NHL Stanley Cup Final.                                                          Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

The 2026 NHL Stanley Cup Final

BY NAYSA MITTAL

JUNE 23, 2026

The Carolina Hurricanes are Stanley Cup champions once again. On June 14 the Hurricanes faced the Vegas Golden Knights and scored a decisive 3-0 victory. This was the team’s second win, after they secured their first Stanley Cup 20 years ago in 2006.

This year’s series has been filled with entertainment. The Golden Knights started with a 5-4 win in Game 1, but the Hurricanes responded with an overtime victory in Game 2. After the Golden Knights won Game 3 in double overtime, the Hurricanes responded with a 5-3 win in Game 4 before securing the critical Game 5 victory at home. 

Simran Arora, a sophomore, said, “much of Carolina’s success can be credited to captain Jordan Stall,” who has consecutively scored in all five games, tying an NHL Finals record from 1956. During Game 5, Andrei Svechnikov added two power-play goals, while Sebastian Aho scored his first goal of the series. Goalkeeper Brandan Bussi has also emerged as a key player, making 23 saves in Game 5. 

On the other hand, the Golden Knights faced challenges heading into Game 6. Key forward William Karlsson left Game 5 with an injury and his status remains uncertain. To win, the team would need strong performances from key players such as Pavel Dorofeyeev, who scored both Golden Knights goals in Game 5. 

With a championship on the line, Game 6 was the biggest game of the season. Before the Game, Senior Alexander Kuchuk said, “I can’t wait for Game 6, the tension is going to be through the roof.”  Like Kuchuk predicted, the stakes and tensions were high during Game 6. In the end, the Hurricanes defeated the Golden Knights and secured their place in hockey history as Stanley Cup champions once again.