The Hurricanes will welcome the Golden Knights to Lenovo Center on Tuesday, June 2 for Game 1 of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final, with both teams icing lineups made up of Olympians. The action will be broadcast on ABC in the U.S., while Sportsnet, TVA Sports and CBC will carry coverage in Canada.
* The #NHLStats Pack: 2026 Conference Finals Recap takes a look at more trends and statistical feats from a round that concluded with the Golden Knights and Hurricanes advancing.
* #NHLStats spotlights teams currently holding the top five picks in the 2026 Upper Deck NHL Draft with less than a month remaining until they make their selections.
#NHLSTATS PRESENTS 2026 CONFERENCE FINALS RECAP
Only two teams remain standing in the 2025-26 NHL season as the Golden Knights and Hurricanes both advanced to the Stanley Cup Final after impressive showings in a Conference Finals round that saw more comeback wins, overtime, close games and sold-out buildings. Click here for the full recap.
* The Golden Knights (6 GP) and Hurricanes (4 GP) mark the sixth Stanley Cup Final to feature both teams entering on a winning streak of at least four games, following 2022 (COL: 5 GP & TBL: 4 GP), 1992 (CHI: 11 GP & PIT: 7 GP), 1984 (EDM: 5 GP & NYI: 4 GP), 1973 (CHI: 4 GP & MTL: 4 GP) and 1972 (BOS: 7 GP & NYR: 5 GP).
* Carolina became the fourth team in NHL history to win each of its first five overtime contests and the seventh club with a road winning streak of six-plus games to start a playoff year. In doing so, the Hurricanes (12-1 in 13 GP) also became the first team to reach the Stanley Cup Final with fewer than two losses since 1987 when all four rounds went best-of-seven.
* After defeating the Presidents’ Trophy winners in the Western Conference Final, the Golden Knights will now face the second-ranked team from the regular season when they battle the Hurricanes in the Stanley Cup Final. Vegas can become the third team in NHL history to hoist the Stanley Cup by defeating each conference’s No. 1 seed in the Conference Finals/Semifinals and Stanley Cup Final – the Islanders did so in both 1980 and 1983.
SEVERAL OLYMPIANS NOW “CHASING SILVER” IN STANLEY CUP FINAL
The 2026 Stanley Cup Final between the Hurricanes and Golden Knights features star-studded rosters that include 13 Olympians a quest to capture the League’s most coveted hardware, the Stanley Cup. Game 1 goes on Tuesday, June 2 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC, Sportsnet, CBC and TVA Sports.
* Carolina’s Jaccob Slavin and Vegas’ Jack Eichel and Noah Hanifin each won a gold medal with Team USA at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026. Eight players in NHL history have won the Stanley Cup and an Olympic gold medal in the same season – a list that Slavin, Eichel and Hanifin can join. The only American to do so is Ken Morrow, who completed the feat with the 1980 Islanders after playing for the “Miracle on Ice” team.
* Carolina’s Seth Jarvis and Vegas’ Mitch Marner, Mark Stone and Shea Theodore took home the silver medal for Team Canada, while Sebastian Aho also earned a bronze medal with Team Finland. In total, eight players skating in the 2026 Stanley Cup Final have earned a medal at the Winter Olympics – this will mark the 11th Final to feature eight or more players with a medal in Olympics with NHL participation and the first since 2016 (PIT-SJS: 10).
* Other Olympians on the Golden Knights and Hurricanes roster include Vegas’ Tomas Hertl, Rasmus Andersson and Akira Schmid as well as Carolina’s Nikolaj Ehlers and Frederik Andersen, who became the third goaltender in NHL history with 12 wins through his first 13 games in a playoff year. Ehlers and Andersen represented Denmark in the Winter Olympics this past February, with the former scoring the game-winning goal and the latter making 33 saves in Denmark’s first-ever win in an Olympics involving NHL players (4-2 W at Latvia on Feb. 15).
DRAFT LOOK AHEAD: TOP 5 PICKS CAN MAKE QUICK IMPACT
The Maple Leafs (No. 1), Sharks (No. 2), Canucks (No. 3), Blackhawks (No. 4) and Rangers (No. 5) currently own the top five picks in the 2026 Upper Deck NHL Draft as they look for a new young star to join their organization. Round 1 of the 2026 Upper Deck NHL Draft will take place on Friday, June 26 (7 p.m. ET, ESPN, ESPN+, SN, TVAS). Rounds 2‑7 will be held on Saturday, June 27 (11 a.m. ET, NHLN, ESPN+, SN).
* San Jose and Chicago have been regulars at the top of the draft board in recent years. The Sharks can become the fifth franchise in NHL history to make a top two selection in three straight years following the Penguins (4 from 2003 to 2006), Thrashers (4 from 1999 to 2002), Oilers (3 from 2010 to 2012) and Nordiques (3 from 1989 to 1991).
* The Sharks and Blackhawks could also become the first franchises to make a top-four pick in four straight NHL Drafts since the Penguins selected Marc-Andre Fleury (No. 1 in 2003), Evgeni Malkin (No. 2 in 2004), Sidney Crosby (No. 1 in 2005) and Jordan Staal (No. 2 in 2006). Only two franchises have had a top-four selection in five consecutive draft years: Ottawa from 1992 to 1996 and Quebec from 1988 to 1992.
* CLICK HERE for #NHLStats Pack: Looking Ahead to the 2026 Upper Deck NHL Draft
QUICK CLICKS
* Storylines heading into 2026 Stanley Cup Final between Hurricanes, Golden Knights
* Hurricanes‘ drive to Cup Final paved by buying in to Rod Brind’Amour‘s system
* How Eastern Conference champion Carolina Hurricanes were built
* Tij Iginla, Cameron Reid among top NHL prospects competing at Memorial Cup