STANLEY CUP FINALS JUNE 9, 2026 – CAPTAIN STAAL HELPS CANES PULL EVEN IN FINAL
Jordan Staal may have gone 17 years between Stanley Cup Final appearances, but he’s making the most of his return to the championship series as a 37-year-old captain. Staal has scored in all four games of the Final, including a in Game 4, highlighted by the winning goal in the Canes 5-3 win, to help the Hurricanes even the series at 2-2 with Game 5 set for Thursday in Raleigh.
- Staal (37 years, 272 days) became the third-oldest player to record a multi-goal game in the Stanley Cup Final, following Mark Recchi (43 years, 125 days in Game 3 of 2011) and Igor Larionov (41 years, 187 days in Game 3 of 2002) – both of whom went on to lift the Stanley Cup that postseason. His second goal came in highlight-reel fashion as he shot the puck backhand while falling to the ice.
- Staal became the fourth player in the expansion era (since 1968) to record a goal in the first four games of a Stanley Cup Final. The others are Mike Bossy (4 GP in 1982 w/ NYI), Steve Payne (4 GP in 1981 w/ MNS) and Johnny Bucyk (4 GP in 1970 w/ BOS). He is also the first captain in NHL history to score a goal in each of the first four games of a Stanley Cup Final series.
GORGING ON GOALS IN THE FINAL
The 2026 Stanley Cup Final is averaging 8.3 goals through the first four games of the series with the teams combining for 33 tallies across the four contests.
- The Golden Knights and Hurricanes combined for four goals in the opening period. It marked just the second time in Stanley Cup Final history the teams combined for four or more goals in three straight regulation periods. The other: Islanders and Flyers in 1980 from the second period of Game 5 to the first period of Game 6.
- Logan Stankoven and Jackson Blake both scored within the first 3:28 of the first period, marking Carolina’s second-fastest two goals to begin a playoff game following Game 5 of 2024 First Round (3:13).
MORE STATS AND NOTES FROM GAME 4
There was plenty more action on and off the ice in Game 4:
- Brett Howden scored his 14th goal of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs and established a Golden Knights record for most in a single postseason, surpassing Jonathan Marchessault (13 in 2023).
- The Golden Knights rallied from being down 2-0 and 3-1 to tie the game before falling to Carolina in Game 4, marking the first time in Stanley Cup Final history that four games featured a team rallying from a multi-goal deficit to at least tie the game.
- This marks the third Stanley Cup Final in the expansion era (since 1968) to see each of the first four games tied at any point in the third period. The others are the Blackhawks-Lightning in 2015 (5 GP) and the Blues-Canadiens in 1968 (4 GP).
- Grammy Award-winning artist T-Pain got Vegas fans fired up for Game 4 with a concert outside T-Mobile Arena before puck drop and then sounded the siren inside the arena as part of the pre-game festivities.
TOP DRAFT PROSPECTS ATTEND GAME 4
Continuing an annual tradition, five of the top prospects for the 2026 Upper Deck NHL Draft were on hand for Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final in Vegas: Chase Reid, Alberts Smits, Carson Carels, Keaton Verhoeff and Caleb Malhotra. The group attended practices and morning skates, met with Golden Knights and Hurricanes players as well as various media appearances.
- During the first intermission, Smits was awarded the E.J. McGuire Award of Excellence presented annually “to the NHL prospect who best exemplifies commitment to excellence through strength of character, competitiveness and athleticism.”
- The 2026 Upper Deck NHL Draft will take place at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, with Round 1 set for Friday, June 26 (7 p.m. ET). Rounds 2-7 will be held on Saturday, June 27 (11 a.m. ET).
AVALANCHE OF NHL AWARDS FOR LANDESKOG
In addition to the aforementioned award presented to Albert Smits, the NHL also announced three other NHL Awards recipients prior to Game 4 on Tuesday.
- Bill Tobias was named the U.S. winner of the Willie O’Ree Community Hero Award presented by Discover. The Award is given to an individual who – through the sport of hockey – has positively impacted their community, culture or society. Tobias is the head coach and general manager of the Central Park North Stars, an ice hockey program for children and adults with intellectual, developmental and physical disabilities.
- Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog was named the recipient of two NHL Awards on Tuesday. The first was the Mark Messier NHL Leadership Award, presented “to the player who exemplifies great leadership qualities to his team, on and off the ice, during the regular season and who plays a leading role in his community growing the game of hockey.” The second was the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, awarded to the NHL player who “best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey.”
- Landeskog missed three full regular seasons with knee issues after playing through injury during the Avalanche’s 2022 Stanley Cup run. He had four major procedures done, including knee cartilage replacement surgery in May 2023. He became the first player ever to return to the NHL after having that procedure done when he re-joined the Avalanche during the 2025 playoffs. After watching videos of teammates, family and doctors expressing how proud they are of his rehabilitation journey, Landeskog was surprised with the trophy by his wife, Melissa, and their three children.
GAME 5 SET FOR THURSDAY IN RALEIGH
The Stanley Cup Final is now a best of two out of three with the series shifting to Lenovo Center in Raleigh for Game 5 on Thursday. The Hurricanes are 7-2 on home ice in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs, while the Golden Knights are 7-3 on the road.