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,  

 

Former NCAA Skaters in 2026 Stanley Cup Final

The 2026 Stanley Cup Final will feature a number of former NCAA players between the Vegas Golden Knights, who are seeking their second NHL title in four years, and the Carolina Hurricanes, who are pursuing their first crown since their last final appearance in 2006. Game One is tonight in North Carolina.

VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS

Nic Dowd, F (St. Cloud State)

Jack Eichel, F (Boston University) #

Noah Hanifin, D (Boston College)

Ben Hutton, D (Maine)

Tanner Laczynski, F (Ohio State)

Jaycob Megna, D (Omaha)

Reilly Smith, F (Miami) #

CAROLINA HURRICANES

Jackson Blake, F (North Dakota)

Brandon Bussi, G (Western Michigan)

Shayne Gostisbehere, D (Union) *

Mark Jankowski, F (Providence) *

K'Andre Miller, D (Wisconsin)

Mike Reilly, D (Minnesota)

Eric Robinson, F (Princeton)

Jaccob Slavin, D (Colorado College)

Sean Walker, D (Bowling Green)

Only players who played for either team during the 2025-26 NHL season are included above

# Won Stanley Cup as a player

* Won NCAA title as a player 

Oilers Tie Stanley Cup Final at Two

The Edmonton Oilers have made the best-of-seven 2025 Stanley Cup Final a best-of-three.

The visiting Oilers rebounded from a three-goal deficit after 20 minutes on Thursday to eventually take a 4-3 lead on a third-period goal by Jake Walman (Providence), before ultimately outlasting the Florida Panthers in overtime, 5-4. The Panthers had won the previous two games of the NHL's championship series, after the Oilers claimed the opener in OT.

Game Five is in Edmonton tomorrow night, while Game Six is slated for Florida on Tuesday evening.

ADDENDUM: Florida took Game Five by a 5-2 count, and can clinch its second straight Stanley Cup championship on Tuesday evening at home.

 

Panthers Take Lead in 2025 Stanley Cup Final

Evan Rodrigues (Boston University) tallied a goal and an assist as the Florida Panthers routed the visiting Edmonton Oilers, 6-1, tonight in Game Three of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final. 

The Panthers, who scored three power-play goals in the victory, now lead the best-of-seven series, two games to one, having won the last two games after dropping the opener. Game Four is Thursday night in Sunrise, Fla.

Oilers Win 2025 Stanley Cup Final Opener

Nate Schmidt (Minnesota) had two assists and Evan Rodrigues (Boston University) added another, but the defending NHL champion Florida Panthers fell, 4-3, in overtime last night to the host Edmonton Oilers in Game One of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final. 

After falling behind in the first two minutes of play, Florida rebounded to take 2-1 and 3-1 leads at Rogers Centre before watching the Oilers scored three unanswered goals to take the series lead. Jake Walman (Providence), who won an NCAA title in 2015, had one assist and five shots on goal last night for the Oilers, who won the NHL's Western Conference championship for the second straight year. Florida is the Eastern Conference champion for the third straight season.

Florida defeated Edmonton in seven games last spring in the final to earn the initial Stanley Cup in franchise history, taking a 3-0 lead in that series only to see Edmonton win the next three games before the Panthers claimed the clincher at home. The Oilers are seeking their first Stanley Cup crown since 1990, their sixth overall, and the first by a Canadian-based NHL club since 1993.

ADDENDUM: Schmidt again registered two assists and Rodrigues one as the Panthers tied the series with a 5-4 win in double OT on June 6. Game Three is Monday night in Florida.

Florida Wins First-Ever Stanley Cup

Evan Rodrigues (Boston University) assisted on the game-opening goal, and the host Florida Panthers went on to a 2-1 victory in the deciding Game 7 against the Edmonton Oilers on Monday night to win the 2024 Stanley Cup. Edmonton had won the previous three games in the best-of-seven series, after Florida had claimed the first three contests. The Cup win was the first in Florida's 30-year history, while Edmonton was seeking its sixth NHL title all-time, and first since 1990. 

Florida's Carter Verhaeghe and Sam Reinhart sandwiched goals around one by Edmonton's Mattias Janmark through the first 40 minutes of play, while the third period was scoreless before 19,939 on-lookers at Amerant Bank Arena. Sergei Brobovsky made 23 saves in net for the Panthers, while Stuart Skinner finished with 19 stops for the Oilers.

Besides Rodrigues, other players with NCAA ties on this year's Panthers' roster included William Lockwood (Michigan), Ryan Lomberg (Maine), Brandon Montour (Massachusetts), Kyle Okposo (Minnesota), Mike Reilly (Minnesota), Mackie Samoskevich (Michigan) and Anthony Stolarz (Nebraska-Omaha). Lomberg, Montour, Okposo and Stolarz all played in the Cup final along with Rodrigues. Also in the Panthers' lineup was Spencer Knight (Boston College), as the third-string goaltender, although he spent the entirety of the 2023-24 season playing for Charlotte (AHL).

The Oilers came up one game short of becoming the first Canadian team to win the Cup since 1993, and the first NHL club to rebound from an 0-3 deficit in the final since 1945. Edmonton's Connor McDavid still won this year's Conn Smythe Trophy as NHL playoff MVP, just the sixth player from the losing team in the final to do so, and the first since 2003. He also led all NHL skaters in this year's postseason with 42 points, including a league-record 34 assists.

Oilers Knot 2024 Stanley Cup Final

The 2024 Stanley Cup Final will come down to a seventh game.

The Edmonton Oilers, who dropped the first three games of the best-of-seven series, won their third straight contest against the Florida Panthers on Friday night, this time by a 5-1 count in Game 6. The series is now tied, three to three, with Edmonton having outscored Florida, 18-5, over the last three contests.

Warren Foegele (New Hampshire) opened the scoring last night, just over seven minutes into the first period, as Edmonton ultimately went ahead, 3-0, after 40 minutes before 18,347 at Rogers Place. Zach Hyman (Michigan) tallied his playoff-leading 16th goal late in the second stanza, his second goal in two games, before Foegele help set up one of two empty-net Edmonton goals in the final frame.

Game 7 is slated for Monday night in Sunrise, Fl., at 8 p.m. ET (ABC, CBC). Edmonton is seeking to become the first NHL team to rebound from a 3-0 deficit in the Stanley Cup Final since 1942, and just the second club ever to do so.

Oilers Win Again in Stanley Cup Final

Zach Hyman (Michigan) finally got a goal in this year's Stanley Cup Final—and now the Edmonton Oilers are one win away from tying the series, after losing the first three games. 

Hyman, who scored a career-high 54 goals during the NHL regular season, notched his league-leading 15th goal of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs on Tuesday on a power play as the Oilers raced out to a three-goal lead and held on for a 5-3 win over the host Florida Panthers in Sunrise, Fla. The Panthers still lead the best-of-seven series, three games to two, but failed to close it out and win the Cup for the second straight game, this time at home before 19,956 spectators at Amerant Bank Arena.

Florida rebounded to make it a 4-2 contest by the end of the second stanza, with Brandon Montour (Massachusetts) setting up Evan Rodrigues (Boston University) for his league-best fourth goal of the final late in the period. The Panthers then closed to within a goal just over four minutes into the final frame, but Edmonton held on to close out matters with an empty-net goal in the final half-minute by NHL leading scorer Connor McDavid, who has recorded eight points (3g-5a) for the Oilers over the last two games.

Game Six is Friday night at Rogers Place in Edmonton.

Oilers Explode in Game Four to Stay Alive

Dylan Holloway (Wisconsin) and the Edmonton Oilers refused to go away Saturday night.

Down three games to none to the visiting Florida Panthers in the 2024 Stanley Cup Final, the Oilers scored three times in each of the first and second periods, and twice more in the third stanza, en route an 8-1 victory in Game Four to stave off elimination. 

Holloway led all players with two goals, and also assisted on the Oilers' final goal of the night before 18,347 on-lookers at Rogers Arena. Zach Hyman (Michigan) assisted on two Edmonton goals for his first points of the series, while Warren Foegele (New Hampshire) also recorded an assist for the Oilers. Florida netminder Anthony Stolarz (Nebraska-Omaha) made 16 saves on 19 shots in relief for the Panthers.

Game Five of this year's NHL championship series will be Tuesday night in Sunrise, Fla.

BU's Rodrigues Powers Panthers to Two-Game Lead

Evan Rodrigues (Boston University) scored a goal in Saturday's 3-0 win over the Edmonton Oilers to lift the Florida Panthers to a one-game lead in the 2024 Stanley Cup Final. He scored twice tonight in the third period in a 4-1 victory that enabled the Panthers to put stranglehold on the series it shifts to Alberta later this week.

A center who hails from Toronto, Rodrigues picked off a clearing pass and wristed home a shot from the left circle early in the final frame on an expiring Florida power play to break a 1-1 tie, and then scored on a deflection less than nine minutes later to make it 3-1. Florida, which is playing in its second straight Stanley Cup Final after falling to Vegas last year, now leads this year's best-of-seven series, two games to none, in pursuing its first NHL championship ever. Game Three will be held on Thursday at Edmonton's Rogers Place.

Rodrigues, 30, who was a member of BU's 2015 NCAA national runner-up squad, tallied 42 goals and 121 points in his four-year college career with the Terriers. He now has six goals and five assists in 19 postseason games so far this spring with the Panthers, and has recorded 10-12-22 points in 35 career Stanley Cup Playoff outings with Pittsburgh, Colorado and Florida.

NCAA Skaters Dot 2024 Stanley Cup Rosters

More than a dozen former NCAA players in all are listed on the rosters of the two competing teams in this year's Stanley Cup Final. Per hockeydb.com:

Edmonton Oilers

• Vincent Desharnais (Providence)
• Warren Foegele (New Hampshire)
• Dylan Holloway (Wisconsin)
• Zach Hyman (Michigan)
• Philip Kemp (Yale)
• Troy Stecher (North Dakota)

Florida Panthers

• William Lockwood (Michigan)
• Ryan Lomberg (Maine)
• Brandon Montour (Massachusetts)
• Kyle Okposo (Minnesota)
• Mike Reilly (Minnesota)
• Evan Rodrigues (Boston University)
• Mackie Samoskevich (Michigan)
• Anthony Stolarz (Nebraska-Omaha) 

Game One of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final is on Saturday at 8 p.m. ET (ABC, CBC). Florida returns to the final for the second year in a row, and the third time ever, but is still seeking its first-ever NHL playoff championship. Five-time Cup champion Edmonton is back in the final for the first time since 2006 and is after its first NHL title since 1990, along with Canada's first Stanley Cup crown since 1993.

Vegas Wins First-Ever Stanley Cup

Reilly Smith (Miami) notched the decisive goal, Alec Martinez (Miami) added another score, and Jack Eichel (Boston University) posted three assists on the night as the Vegas Golden Knights won their first-ever Stanley Cup with a 9-3 rout of the visiting Florida Panthers on Tuesday night. Vegas won the best-of-seven series, four games to one, one year after missing the playoffs entirely..

Vegas, which made the Cup final during its inaugural NHL campaign in 2017-18 but lost to Washington, won its first championship in its sixth season after ousting Winnipeg, Edmonton and Dallas to claim the Western Conference crown. Florida, in the final for the first time since 1996, fell short again after defeating Boston, Toronto and Carolina to win the Eastern Conference this spring.

Smith tallied the game-winning goal just over 12 minutes into the second period to make it 4-1, less than two minutes after Martinez scored for Vegas before a record 19,058 on-lookers at T-Mobile Arena. Eichel, playing in his first-ever pro postseason, finished with 26 points on six goals and 20 assists in 22 games. In the final, he registered eight assists in five games. Martinez won his third career Cup, having previously helped the Los Angeles Kings to their first-ever league titles in 2012 and 2014.

Other former NCAA players on the Golden Knights' roster this spring included: Teddy Blueger (Minnesota State); Paul Cotter (Western Michigan); Ben Hutton (Maine); Phil Kessel (Minnesota); Jonathan Quick (UMass), and; Zach Whitecloud (Bemidji State). Kessel and Quick, who did not play in the final, each won their third Cup.

Vegas Up Two Games in Stanley Cup Final

Jack Eichel (Boston University) set up two goals and Alec Martinez (Miami) scored another as the Vegas Golden Knights routed the visiting Florida Panthers, 7-2, last night to take a two games to none lead in the best-of-seven 2023 Stanley Cup Final.

Eichel assisted on Vegas' first and fifth goals, while Martinez notched the second goal of the game for the Golden Knights, who have outscored the Panthers, 12-4, though the first two games of the series. Eichel is also tied for second among NHL skaters this postseason with 22 points in 19 games, and has recorded four assists so far in the final.

Game Three is Thursday night in Sunrise, Fla. Both clubs are seeking the first-ever Stanley Cup in their respective franchise's history.

2023 Stanley Cup Final Starts Tonight

The 2023 Stanley Cup Final has arrived. A number of former NCAA players can be found on both sides as the Florida Panthers take on the Vegas Golden Knights, starting tonight in Nevada, as each club seeks its first-ever NHL postseason title:

Florida Panthers 

Zac Dalpe (Ohio State)

Casey Fitzgerald (Boston College)

Matthew Kiersted (North Dakota)

Spencer Knight (Boston College)

Ryan Lomberg (Maine)

Alex Lyon (Yale)

Colin White (Boston College)

Vegas Golden Knights

Teddy Blueger (Minnesota State)

Paul Cotter (Western Michigan)

Jack Eichel (Boston University)

Ben Hutton (Maine)

Phil Kessel (Minnesota) *

Alec Martinez (Miami) *

Jonathan Quick (UMass) *

Reilly Smith (Miami)

Zach Whitecloud (Bemidji State)

* Indicates previous Stanley Cup winner

The best-of-seven series continues Tuesday in Vegas, then shifts to Florida on Thursday and next Saturday for Games Three and Four. All games will start at 8 p.m. ET. (Sportsnet, TBS, TNT)

Colorado Avalanche Claims 2022 Stanley Cup

The Colorado Avalanche are the 2022 Stanley Cup champions. 

The visiting Avalanche overcame an early one-goal deficit to defeat the two-time defending NHL champion Tampa Bay Lightning, 2-1, on Sunday night at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Fla. Colorado won the best-of-seven series in six games.

It was the first time the Avalanche had won the Cup since 2001, when current general manager Joe Sakic was team captain. Colorado won its first Cup in 1996, less than a year after relocating from Quebec, when the Avs swept the Florida Panthers in four games, winning the decisive contest in triple overtime in Miami. 

Colorado's NCAA contingent this spring included Jack Johnson (Michigan), Erik Johnson (Minnesota), Devon Toews (Quinnipiac), Cale Makar (UMass), Andrew Cogliano (Michigan), Alex Newhook (Boston College), J.T. Compher (Michigan), and Nico Sturm (Clarkson). 

Makar, who had earlier won the Norris Trophy as the NHL's best defenseman, was also honored Sunday night with the Conn Smythe Trophy, as NHL playoff MVP, after recording eight goals and 21 assists for 29 points in 20 games. He had three goals and four assists in the Final.

Makar, Avs Rout Lightning in Game Two

Cale Makar (UMass) made up for not having a point or a shot on goal in the opener of the 2022 Stanley Cup Final. by scoring two goals in Colorado's 7-0 rout of two-time defending champion Tampa Bay tonight in Denver. The Avalanche now lead the best-of-seven series, two games to none.

Makar tallied both shorthanded and power-play goals in the third period, after the host Avalanche raced out to a 3-0 lead after 20 minutes on the visiting Lightning, an advantage which ballooned to 5-0 after two periods of play. Alex Newhook (Boston College) and Andrew Cogliano (Michigan) each had two assists on the evening for Colorado, which is now 14-2 in the playoffs so far this spring.

The Avs had won the series opener, 4-3, on Wednesday at Ball Arena, on an overtime goal that was assisted by J.T. Compher (Michigan). Game Three is slated for Monday night at Amalie Arena in Tampa (8 p.m. ET, ABC, CBC).

Avalanche Win NHL's Western Conference Final

The Colorado Avalanche are going to the Stanley Cup Final, for the first time in 21 years.

Colorado defenseman Cale Makar (UMass) scored the game-opening goal and then set up four others, including the game-winner in overtime, as the Avalanche rebounded from a two-goal deficit to defeat the host Edmonton Oilers, 6-5, in Game Four of the NHL's 2002 Western Conference Final tonight. Colorado swept the best-of-seven series, four games to none. 

The Avalanche are now 7-0 on the road in this year's playoffs. They had won Game Three on Saturday, 4-2, in Edmonton, with J.T. Compher (Michigan) scoring the game-winner in the third period, to take a stranglehold on the series. 

Makar, 23, now has five goals and 17 assists for 22 points in 14 Stanley Cup Playoff contests so far this spring, and 12-41—53 points in 49 career NHL postseason appearances, all with Colorado, after being drafted fourth overall by the Avs in 2017 prior to beginning his college career. In his second and final season at UMass in 2018-19, the Calgary native led the Minutemen to their first-ever NCAA title game, and also won the Hobey Baker Memorial Award as the nation's top college player after tallying 16-33—49 points in 41 outings.

Dylan Holloway (Wisconsin) made his NHL debut tonight for the Oilers, and had one hit and was a plus-one in seven shifts. The 20-year-old Calgary native collected 19-33—52 points in two seasons at Wisconsin, and also helped the Badgers to the 2021 NCAA tournament before turning pro.

The Avs, who won the Stanley Cup in 1996 and 2001 in their only previous Final appearances, will face the winner of this year's Eastern Conference Final between the New York Rangers and Tampa Bay Lightning. New York currently leads that series, two games to one.

Hanley, Oleksiak Put Stars Ahead in Cup Final

Joel Hanley (Massachusetts) opened the scoring and Jamie Oleksiak (Northeastern) tallied what turned out to be the game-winning goal as the Dallas Stars opened the 2020 Stanley Cup Final with a 4-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning in Edmonton. 

Hanley took a pass in the slot and wristed the puck home just 5:40 into regulation for his first career NHL goal. After Tampa Bay forged a 1-1 tie before the end of the first period, on a goal set up by Blake Coleman (Miami), Oleksiak picked up his own rebound and then fired the puck into the top of the net with 12:30 elapsed in the second period to put the Stars back ahead for good.

Tampa Bay outshot Dallas, 36-20, overall while both teams combined to go 0-for-5 on the power play. Game Two is Monday night in Edmonton (NBC TV). 

Hanley played at UMass from 2010 to 2014, where he registered 17 goals and 75 points to go with 127 penalty minutes in 131 career games with the Minutemen. He formerly played in the NHL with Montreal and Arizona, and spent the majority of the past two seasons with Texas (AHL).

Oleksiak, who was drafted 14th overall by Dallas in 2011, has spent his entire NHL career with the Stars, except for parts of two seasons in Pittsburgh. He posted four goals and nine assists for 13 points along with 57 PIM in his lone season at Northeastern (2010-11), and in 313 career NHL regular-season outings has collected 18-40—58 points and 255 PIM.

Coleman, a Texas native who played his first 3 1/2 NHL seasons with New Jersey, skated at Miami (Ohio) from 2011 to 2015 where he recorded 60-47—107 points and 276 PIM in 143 NCAA appearances. He has also notched 57-38—95 points and 204 PIM in 246 NHL regular-season contests with New Jersey and Tampa Bay.

St. Louis Blues Win First Stanley Cup

For the first time ever, the St. Louis Blues are the Stanley Cup champions.

The Blues defeated the host Boston Bruins, 4-1, on Wednesday in Game Seven of the 2019 Stanley Cup Final, for the first NHL championship in the Blues' 51-year history. It marked the fourth straight year the Cup was awarded to a team that was playing on the road, and it was also the Blues' 10th road win of this postseason.

After the Blues scored twice late in the first period and once again midway through the third, Zach Sanford (Boston College) scored his first goal of the playoffs to put St. Louis up, 4-0. Matt Grzelcyk (Boston University), in his return to the Bruins lineup after suffering an injury in Game Two of the series, closed out the scoring later on with Boston's lone goal of the evening.

Jordan Binnington made 32 saves for the Blues, who went from the worst team in the NHL at the start of the calendar year to league champions. St. Louis forward Ryan O'Reilly finished the postseason with a league-high 23 points and earned the Conn Smythe Trophy as the Most Valuable Player in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Other former NCAA players on the Blues roster included Tyler Bozak (Denver), Jaden Schwartz (Colorado College), Colton Parayko (Alaska Fairbanks), Mackenzie MacEachern (Michigan State), Chris Butler (Denver), and Jordan Schmaltz (North Dakota).

Blues Win Game Five, Take Stanley Cup Final Lead

The St. Louis Blues are one win away from their first-ever Stanley Cup.

The Blues outlasted the Boston Bruins, 2-1, in Game Five of the 2019 Stanley Cup Final on Thursday night in Massachusetts. St. Louis now leads the best-of-seven series, three games to two, and has won two consecutive games.

Zach Sanford (Boston College) set up the Blues' opening goal for his third assist in as many games.
Torey Krug (Michigan State) assisted on Boston's lone goal late in the third period on a delayed penalty, minutes after an uncalled tripping infraction by St. Louis forward Tyler Bozak (Denver) on Boston's Noel Acciari (Providence) along the boards in the Bruins' defensive zone led to the Blues' game-winning goal.

Game 6 is Sunday night in St. Louis (8 p.m. ET, NBC, CBC). If necessary, Game Seven of the NHL championship would be decided in Boston on Wednesday.