With three rounds of playoffs in the rearview, its time for the Stanley Cup Finals.

This year, either the Carolina Hurricanes or Vegas Golden Knights will lift the Stanley Cup.

Both franchises ran through the conference finals quickly, as Vegas swept the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Colorado Avalanche in four games and Carolina shut down Montreal in five to set up this year’s championship matchup.

Carolina is the epitome of continuity, returning to the Final for the first time since 2006 under the steady, long-term vision of head coach Rod Brind’Amour. Conversely, Vegas pulled off a stunning mid-season pivot, replacing head coach Bruce Cassidy with John Tortorella with just eight games left in the regular season. The gutsy gamble has unlocked a highly physical, locked-in version of the Golden Knights.

The series continues on Thursday with Game 2.

Golden Knights vs. Hurricanes Game 1 start time

Game 1of the Stanley Cup Finals between the Golden Knights and Hurricanes is scheduled to begin at 8 p.m. ET tonight (June 2).

How to watch Golden Knights vs. Hurricanes for free

If you don’t have cable, you’ll need a live TV streaming service to stream the Stanley Cup Finals for free.

DIRECTV is our favorite service for watching sports live for free thanks to its five day free trial and the number of sports channels included in packages. We recommend the premium Choice plan, which includes ABC among its 90+ live channels. Right now, you can get $30 off your first month after the free trial is up.

Sling TV is another affordable way to watch TV live and stream NHL games; its Select plan includes ABC and starts at $19.99/month.

Stanley Cup Finals 2026 schedule

• Game 1: June 2, 8 p.m. ET (ABC)
• Game 2: June 4, 8 p.m. ET (ABC)
• Game 3: June 6, 8 p.m. ET (ABC)
• Game 4: June 9, 8 p.m. ET (ABC)
• *Game 5: June 11, 8 p.m. ET (ABC)
• *Game 6: June 14, 8 p.m. ET (ABC)
• *Game 7: June 17, 8 p.m. ET (ABC)

* If necessary

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This article was written by Angela Tricarico, Commerce Streaming Reporter for Post Wanted Shopping, Page Six, and Decider.com. Angela keeps readers up to date with cord-cutter-friendly deals, and information on how to watch your favorite sports teams, TV shows, and movies on every streaming service. Not only does Angela test and compare the streaming services she writes about to ensure readers are getting the best prices, but she’s also a superfan specializing in the intersection of shopping, tech, sports, and pop culture. When she’s not writing about (or watching) TV, movies, and sports, she’s also keeping up on the underrated perfume dupes at Bath & Body Works and testing headphones. Prior to joining Decider and The New York Post in 2023, she wrote about streaming and consumer tech at Insider Reviews.

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