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LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JUNE 14: The Carolina Hurricanes celebrate a goal scored by Taylor Hall #71 of the Carolina Hurricanes during the first period against the Vegas Golden Knights in Game Six of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final at T-Mobile Arena on June 14, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
The Carolina Hurricanes won the second Stanley Cup in their franchise history last night with a straightforward 3-0 victory versus the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 6 of the finals. This is the first year they have won the championship since 2006, marking two decades between victories.
This was a well-deserved accolade for the team. Carolina earned this result with the way they executed throughout the postseason, in what was one of the most dominant playoff performances in the modern NHL era.
Carolina Most Dominant Stanley Cup Team of Salary Cap Era
Carolina made history with the method in which they steamrolled their way through the competition across the postseason. With their 16-3 playoff record, this is the strongest run seen in the salary cap period. Funny enough, the cap was implemented ahead of the 2005-2006 season. That was the campaign where Carolina won their inaugural Stanley Cup.
The 25-26 Hurricanes beat out the 2012 Los Angeles Kings for this honor. The 1988 Edmonton Oilers are the only team in modern times to perform better. It is rare to see a team take home the Cup having played less than 20 games to achieve the feat. And yet that is exactly what Carolina did as they took just 19 tilts to get the job done.
The Hurricanes made quick work of their opposition on their route to the finals. They swept the Ottawa Senators in their round one matchup. They also swept the Philadelphia Flyers in round two. The Montreal Canadiens ended their 8-0 streak, handing them a Game 1 loss in the western conference finals. The Hurricanes then went on to win four straight and take the series in five games.
Carolina entered the finals with a 12-1 record on their way to an eastern conference championship. Vegas gave them their toughest task as the Golden Knights took the initial 2-1 lead in the series. The Hurricanes once again maintained their composure and went on to win the last three games and seal their award-winning stretch.
This Stanley Cup was a Long Time Coming for the Hurricanes
This Stanley Cup was brewing for a long time in Carolina. This Hurricanes core has come up short many times during coach Rod Brind’Amour’s tenure that began in 2018-2019. Carolina have made the playoffs every year since he took over behind the bench, with the eighth time being the charm.
Carolina endured many hardships to get to this point. The previous seven years included one first round exit, three second round exits and three eastern conference finals exits. It is only fitting that the team would break through after finally getting past their own conference and advancing to their first Cup final since 2006.
The next question is what’s next for Carolina? Can the Hurricanes do it again? This group has been around for a while, it will be interesting to see if they can continue to maintain success and join the list of clubs that have won multiple championships in recent times. General manager Eric Tulsky has a tall task ahead of him when it comes to keeping this team intact as the offseason begins.
Justin Lynch Justin Lynch is a Heavy Sports writer who specializes in NHL coverage. He is also a Chicago Blackhawks contributing writer for FanSided after having previously written for The Sporting News. After spending a year working with Chicago Hockey Radio, he now covers Blackhawks/NHL content on his own personnel YouTube channel and across various social media platforms. Justin has consumed the sport of hockey his whole life; it is his number one passion. More about Justin Lynch