Carolina Hurricanes Win 2026 Stanley Cup

Jaccob Slavin (Colorado College) and Jackson Blake (North Dakota) both assisted on the first goal of the game early in the first period by Taylor Hall, before Blake added an insurance marker of his own in the second stanza as the Carolina Hurricanes cliched their first Stanley Cup championship in 20 years with a 3-0 blanking of the host Vegas Golden Knights tonight in Game Six of the 2026 NHL championship series. Eastern Conference champion Carolina won the best-of-seven title series, four games to two.

Brandon Bussi (Western Michigan) stopped all 22 shots he faced in winning his third game of the series for the Hurricanes, who last claimed the Stanley Cup in 2006, their first-ever NHL championship after moving from Hartford in 1997. Head coach Rod Brind'Amour (Michigan State) was the captain of that Carolina team, and becomes the seventh individual in NHL history to win the Cup as both a player and a coach with the same franchise. Bussi is the first NHL goaltender to make his first career playoff starts in the Stanley Cup Final, and won all three, leading the ‘Canes to the crown after a two games-to-one deficit in the series.

Other former NCAA players who suited up for Carolina in the clinching contest tonight included Shayne Gostisbehere (Union), Mark Jankowski (Providence), K’Andre Miller (Wisconsin), Eric Robinson (Princeton) and Sean Walker (Bowling Green). Nikolaj Ehlers added an empty-net goal in the final two minutes, after opening the series scoring back in the first minute of Game One. The Hurricanes outshot the Golden Knights, 23-22, on the night, and also won 33 of 63 faceoffs in what turned out to be the final NHL contest of the 2025-26 campaign.

Vegas Takes Early Lead in 2026 NHL Final

Shayne Gostisbehere (Union) tied the game midway through the third period, but the visiting Vegas Golden Knights got the last goal of the evening to edge the host Carolina Hurricanes, 5-4, last night in Game One of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final in North Carolina.

Carolina took a 2-0 lead just over 12 minutes into regulation on two goals by Nikolaj Ehlers, with Jacob Slavin (Colorado College) picking up an assist on the first goal, and later just missing out on a goal of his own when his shot from in close hit the crossbar. Vegas rebounded to take a 3-2 lead early in the second stanza, with Jack Eichel (Boston University) assisting on the Golden Knights' second goal, before K'Andre Miller (Wisconsin) set up the tying goal for the Hurricanes. 

The teams than traded goals again, with Gostisbehere scoring off a faceoff with just over 11 minutes expired in the third session to make it 4-4, before Tomas Hertl decided matters just over five minutes later on a clean shot from the low slot. The Hurricanes outshot the Golden Knights, 27-23, overall, while the two teams combined to go 0-for-5 on the power play.

It was just the second loss for Carolina in these playoffs, and its second straight loss in a series-opening contest, both coming at home. Game Two is Thursday night in Raleigh.

ADDENDUM: Eric Robinson (Princeton) helped set up a tying goal by Mark Jankowski (Providence) in the third period, and Gostisbehere assisted on both the go-ahead goal and the eventual game-winner in OT as the Hurricanes evened the series with a 4-3 victory in Game Two. Game Three is Saturday night in Nevada,  

 

Canes Push Canadiens to Brink of Elimination

Shayne Gostisbehere (Union) set up two goals, and K'Andre Miller (Wisconsin) and Jackson Blake (North Dakota) also recorded assists as the visiting Carolina Hurricanes blanked the Montreal Canadiens, 4-0, last night in Game Four of their NHL Eastern Conference series. Carolina now leads the best-of-seven series, three games to one.

Jakub Dobes (Ohio State) stopped 39 shots for the Canadiens, who were outshot, 43-18, on the night. Montreal, which will be facing elimination on Friday night in Game Five in North Carolina, is 7-3 on the road so far in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

ADDENDUM: Blake notched a goal and an assist, and Gostisbehere and Eric Robinson (Princeton) also scored as the Hurricanes topped Montreal, 6-1, in Game Five to win the Eastern Conference title. Carolina will now meet Vegas in the 2026 Stanley Cup Final, starting Tuesday night in Raleigh.

Ryan Miller Headed to U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame

Longtime NHL goaltender Ryan Miller (Michigan State) is headed to the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame as a member, as was announced last week.

The East Lansing, Mich. native, who retired as an active player at the conclusion of the 2020-21 season, also guided the United States to a silver medal at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, before winning the Vezina Trophy later that year as the NHL's best goaltender. He posted a 391-289-88 career record with a 2.64 goals-against average and 44 shutouts in 796 NHL regular-season appearances with Buffalo, St. Louis, Vancouver and Anaheim from 2002 to 2021. 

Miller, 42, also went 28-27 with a 2.52 GAA and three shutouts in 57 career Stanley Cup playoff outings.

The induction ceremony for the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame's 50th class will be held Nov. 30, 2022, at the RiverCentre in St. Paul, Minn. Joining Miller will be U.S. Paralympic goaltender and gold medalist Steve Cash, late USA Hockey executive Jim Johannson (Wisconsin), and Olympic gold medalists Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson (North Dakota) and Monique Lamoureux-Morando (North Dakota).

Drafted 138th overall by Buffalo in 1999 after starring in juniors for the Soo Indians (NAHL), with whom he won 52 games over two seasons, the 6-foot-2 Miller went on to play three seasons at Michigan State University (1999-2002). A two-time First Team All-America selection, he went 73-19-12 with a 1.54 GAA in 106 career appearances with the Spartans, and set a then-NCAA record with 26 career shutouts. He also won the Hobey Baker Memorial Award as college hockey's top player in 2001, when he helped MSU to the NCAA Frozen Four that season.

BC's Kreider Helps Rangers over Hurricanes in Seventh Game

The New York Rangers have played in five elimination games so far this spring in the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs. They've won all five, and are now headed to the Eastern Conference final.

Chris Kreider (Boston College) scored two goals, including one on the power play, to lift the Rangers to a 6-2 victory over host Carolina tonight in Game Seven of their Eastern Conference semifinal series. The Rangers won the series, four games to three, and became the first team to win on the road in this series after the two clubs split the first six games, with the home team winning each time. It was Carolina's only home loss of the 2022 postseason, after its seven-games series win over Boston in the first round where the Hurricanes won all four games at home.

Kreider, 31, who scored a career-high 52 goals during the 2021-22 NHL regular season, now has eight goals in the playoffs, giving him 60 to date. He also has 15 career goals in NHL playoff elimination contests.

Adam Fox (Harvard) started the scoring for the Rangers in the clinching contest Monday, scoring on the first power play of the game. Andrew Copp (Michigan) had a goal and an assist on the evening, while Frank Vatrano (UMass) and K'Andre Miller (Wisconsin) both posted assists.

Kreider, from Boxford, Mass., played three seasons at BC, recording 49 goals and 92 points and helping the Eagles to NCAA titles in both 2010 and 2012 before turning pro. He was drafted 19th overall by New York in 2009, after scoring 33 goals in his second season at Phillips Academy. 

The Rangers will now host two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay beginning Wednesday at Madison Square Garden, in the opener of the conference final. New York won all three meetings between the two teams in the regular season—however, the Lightning just swept Florida, the NHL's top team during the regular season, in four straight games in the conference semifinals, and have now won 10 consecutive playoff series dating back to 2020.

MSU's Miller Wins Final NHL Home Start

Longtime NHL goaltender Ryan Miller (Michigan State) won the final home game of his professional career.

The East Lansing, Mich. native, who will retire as an active player at the conclusion of the 2020-21 season, made 23 saves on Saturday to backstop the Anaheim Ducks to a 6-2 victory over the visiting Los Angeles Kings. The win raised Anaheim's record to 16-29-7, although the Ducks have already been eliminated from Stanley Cup Playoff contention.

Miller, 40, is now 391-289-87 with a 2.64 goals-against average and 44 shutouts in his NHL career, which began in 2002-03 with Buffalo. After splitting his first four pro campaigns between the Sabres and their minor-league affiliate in Rochester (AHL), he moved up to the NHL for good in 2006-07, and later went on to also play for St. Louis and Vancouver. 

In Feb. 2010, Miller guided the United States to a silver medal at the Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, before winning the Vezina Trophy later that year as the NHL's best goaltender after recording 41 regular-season wins. He leads all American-born NHL goaltenders in career wins, and was 28-27 in 57 career Stanley Cup playoff outings with a 2.52 GAA and three shutouts.

Drafted 138th overall by the Sabres in 1999 after starring in juniors for the Soo Indians (NAHL), with whom he won 52 games over two seasons, the 6-foot-2 Miller went on to play three seasons at Michigan State (1999-2002). A two-time First Team All-America selection, he went 73-19-12 with a 1.54 GAA in 106 career appearances with the Spartans, and still holds the NCAA record with 26 career shutouts. He also won the Hobey Baker Memorial Award as college hockey's top player in 2001, the last netminder to date to claim that particular trophy, and also helped MSU to the NCAA Frozen Four that season.

Oleksiak First NCAA Player Drafted in 2011

To little surprise, Northeastern rising freshman defenseman Jamie Oleksiak was the first (and only) current college hockey player taken in the first round of tonight's 2011 NHL Entry Draft in St. Paul, Minn. The Toronto native went 14th overall to the Dallas Stars, where his selection was announced by Dallas GM and former Cornell and NHL standout Joe Nieuwendyk.

Oleksiak won't be the last collegian selected this year, either, although at 6-7 and 240 lbs., he's sure to be the biggest. The question now is does he return to Huntington Avenue in the fall, especially since Northeastern head coach Greg Cronin resigned to take an assistant coaching position with the Toronto Maple Leafs earlier this week. The Versus telecast tonight mentioned that Oleksiak's major junior rights are held by Saginaw (OHL), and it's a sure bet the Spirit will be trying to pry the first rounder away from the Huskies and Hockey East between now and the start of the 2011-12 season.

Prior to Oleksiak's selection, John-Michael Liles was dealt from Colorado to Toronto for a second-round choice. The former Michigan State standout had spent his entire professional career to date on the Avalanche blueline. The Indianapolis native has tallied 68 goals and 207 assists in 523 career NHL regular-season games since 2003, and posted 4-7--11 points so far in 36 Stanley Cup Playoff contests.

North Dakota recruit J.T. Miller, a center, was drafted 15th overall by the New York Rangers, while a pair of incoming Miami freshmen also went in the first round. Connor Murphy, a defenseman, was claimed 20th overall by the Phoenix Coyotes, while future classmate and right wing Tyler Biggs went to Toronto two picks later.