RALEIGH, N.C. — The Stanley Cup Final opens Tuesday night with the Vegas Golden Knights leaning on recent championship experience and the Carolina Hurricanes returning to this stage for the first time since 2006, both teams working to keep distractions in check amid the spotlight.
Media Day Highlights
Media Day filled the Arena Club at the Lenovo Center with cameras and crowds, where the Cup was on display and large images of past champions ringed the room, including Rod Brind’Amour lifting the trophy in 2006 and Mark Stone in 2023. For 24-year-old Hurricanes forward Seth Jarvis, making his first Final, the scene felt chaotic but exciting, a memorable part of the journey.
Experience is a clear divider. Since entering the League in 2017-18, Vegas has reached the Final three times, losing to Washington in five games in 2018 and defeating Florida in five in 2023. Carolina is back in the championship series for the first time in two decades. The Golden Knights’ roster carries a combined 134 games of Final experience and 18 championship rings; the Hurricanes’ roster totals 34 games and two rings.
Veteran Vegas defenseman Brayden McNabb, in his third Final, described the benefit of having been through the media crush, ticket demands, and family logistics before, saying the familiarity helps players narrow their focus when it matters.
Jack Eichel’s path underscores that experience isn’t everything. He missed the playoffs in each of his first seven NHL seasons, then led the 2023 postseason with 26 points in 22 games and won the Cup in his first try with Vegas. He emphasized being deliberate with time and attention this week, acknowledging the excitement around the event while keeping the team’s objectives front and center.
On the Carolina side, captain Jordan Staal returns to the Final for the first time since winning it with Pittsburgh in 2009. He noted that requests from friends and family can pile up, and that managing them is essential so the team can be ready from the opening puck drop.
Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour brings deep perspective. As a player, he reached the Final three times, losing with Philadelphia in 1997 and Carolina in 2002 before winning with the Hurricanes in seven games in 2006. Now, in his eighth season behind the Carolina bench, he is back in the Final as a coach for the first time. He acknowledged the rush of outside attention that comes with this week but maintained that both teams will ultimately settle into their games.
When the cameras leave, only the names etched into the Cup endure. Both clubs head into Game 1 at 8 p.m. ET intent on making this run one they will remember.