LAS VEGAS – Carolina Hurricanes captain Jordan Staal was named the 2026 Conn Smythe Trophy winner. The Conn Smythe Trophy is awarded to “the most valuable player to his team in the playoffs,” and Staal was selected the winner in a vote by a panel of the Professional Hockey Writers Association.
Full List of Conn Smythe Trophy Winners
Playing in his third Stanley Cup Final and first in 17 years, Staal tied the NHL record for longest goal streak in a Stanley Cup Final (5 GP) and became the first player in 70 years to score in each of the first five games of the Final. Staal (8-4—12 in 19 GP) collected more than half of his playoff point total during the Final, posting 6-1—7 (6 GP) to set a franchise record for goals in any series and equal the League benchmark for goals by a player age 37 or older in a single Final.
Staal became the second captain in the past 105 years to score at least six goals in a Stanley Cup Final, joining Wayne Gretzky with the 1985 Edmonton Oilers (7 in 5 GP). Overall, two-thirds of Staal’s points came either on game-tying goals (2-2—4; tops on Carolina) or go-ahead goals (3-1—4). Staal, the longest-tenured player in team history (since 1997-98), also led the entire NHL with 235 face-off wins in these playoffs including a series-high of 83 in the Final – nearly double the closest player. Staal’s 68.0% face-off percentage in the Final was the highest on record (since 1998; min. 100 FO).
At 37 years, 277 days, Staal is the oldest Conn Smythe Trophy winner and just the second to be named playoff MVP at age 37, following goaltender Tim Thomas with the 2011 Boston Bruins (37 years, 61 days). The previous mark for oldest forward to win the Conn Smythe was set the first year it was presented: Jean Beliveau (33 years, 243 days) with the 1965 Montreal Canadiens.
This is the first individual award of Staal’s 20-season NHL career. That matches the longest wait in NHL history for a player to win his first individual award (min. 1 GP in regular season or playoffs), equaling Doug Weight (2010-11 King Clancy Trophy).
Staal became the first player in NHL history to go 17 years from one Stanley Cup to the next, adding to a championship he won with the 2009 Pittsburgh Penguins. The previous mark of 16 years was held by Chris Chelios (1986 to 2002).
More on Staal’s Stanley Cup Final Performance
* Staal tied the NHL record for longest goal streak in a Stanley Cup Final (5 GP), equaling a mark last achieved more than 50 years ago and by only four other players in NHL history: Yvan Cournoyer (1973 Montreal Canadiens), Jean Beliveau (1956 Canadiens), Maurice Richard (1951 Canadiens) and Cyclone Taylor (1918 Vancouver Millionaires). Staal, Beliveau, Richard and Taylor all did so from the start of the series.
* Staal’s five-game goal streak in the Stanley Cup Final came nearly 20 years after his only other goal streak of five-plus games in the NHL (regular season or playoffs), which was as an 18-year-old with the Pittsburgh Penguins, two years before he won his first Stanley Cup (7-0—7 in 5 GP from Feb. 3-10, 2007). He became the first player in NHL history with a five-game goal streak at age 18 or younger and 35 or older (regular season and/or playoffs).
* Staal set a franchise record for goals in any series (6) and matched the club benchmark for longest playoff goal streak (5 GP), equaling the feat achieved earlier in 2026 by Logan Stankoven.
* Staal, 37, tied Brad Marchand (6 in 2025 w/ FLA; age 37) for the most goals in a Stanley Cup Final by a player age 37 or older. Overall, he was the fifth player to score that many goals in any series at that age, following Marchand in the Final last year plus Joe Pavelski (8 in 2023 R2 w/ DAL; age 38), Teemu Selanne (6 in 2011 CQF w/ ANA; age 40) and Steve Thomas (6 in 2001 CSF w/ TOR; age 37).
* Staal, 37, scored twice in Game 4 to become the third-oldest player with a multi-goal game in the Stanley Cup Final, behind Mark Recchi at age 43 (Game 3 in 2011) and Igor Larionov at age 41 (Game 3 in 2002).
* Staal went nearly 17 years from one Stanley Cup Final goal to another (16 years, 358 days; from Game 6 in 2009 w/ PIT to Game 1 in 2026). That is the longest span from one Stanley Cup Final goal to the next, surpassing the previous mark by just four days – it was held by his brother, Eric Staal, who also achieved the feat with a goal vs. Vegas (16 years, 354 days; Game 5 in 2006 w/ CAR to Game 1 in 2023 w/ FLA). That goal also moved him into a tie with his older brother, Eric, on Carolina’s all-time playoff points list.
* Staal became the fourth active player to win the Conn Smythe as a captain, following Connor McDavid (2024), Sidney Crosby (2016 & 2017) and Alex Ovechkin (2018).