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Logan Stankoven has the most goals this postseason for the Canes. Photo: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images
The Carolina Hurricanes are in the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in 20 years after cruising through the first three playoff rounds 12-1.
Why it matters: This team has the talent and experience to win it all, meaning Raleigh could be in for an unforgettable summer.
- If you haven't been paying attention yet, now is the time. We'll help you catch up.
🏒 The big picture
Every year under head coach Rod Brind'Amour, the Canes have made the playoffs. That's eight straight seasons.
- They suffered some excruciating losses, though, and haven't broken through to the finals until now.
Driving the news: The Canes have lost just once this postseason, sweeping the Ottawa Senators and the Philadelphia Flyers in the first two rounds.
- They then polished off the Montreal Canadiens in five games.
- Next, Carolina faces the Vegas Golden Knights.
What they're saying: Analysts and bettors have widely picked the Canes.
- "I'm not only convinced they are the better of the two teams remaining, I'm also convinced this is their year. They are healthy, focused and — to use a sports cliche — all pulling on the same rope," NHL.com editor-in-chief Bill Price wrote.
Catch up quick: Carolina won its first and only Stanley Cup 20 years ago, in 2006.
- Today's Canes play an aggressive and suffocating style.
- During the playoffs, they've outshot their opponents 438-290, which makes the games extremely fun to watch, even for a casual fan.
Between the lines: The NHL added the Vegas Golden Knights in 2017, and they've been extraordinarily successful since, winning the Stanley Cup in 2023 and missing the playoffs only once.
- Vegas fans haven't dealt with the pain other franchises have experienced, so it's easy to root for the Canes.
Players to know
The Canes have an extraordinarily deep roster, with many of their top scorers this postseason being acquired in the past two years.
Zoom in: We have our superstars — Sebastian Aho, Seth Jarvis and Andrei Svechnikov — who skate together on what's called the top line.
- They've been outscored this postseason by our young talent, though. It's been magic lately for 23-year-old Logan Stankoven, 22-year-old Jackson Blake and the older player in their trio, Taylor Hall.
- Defensive stars include Jaccob Slavin, whom we drafted over a decade ago, and K'Andre Miller, who arrived via trade last year.
- There's also our team captain, Jordan Staal, who's had a great year despite being 37. That's old for a hockey player. Skating is extremely physically demanding, which is why the players' shifts typically last less than a minute.
Our goalie is Frederik Andersen, a 6-foot-4 veteran player from Denmark.
- Andersen struggled with injuries this season, but was picked to start in the playoffs due to his extensive experience. He's 36.
- He's played very well, and already has three postseason shutouts, leaving the team's two younger goalies riding the bench.
Stuff you'll hear
- 😎 Nicknames: They're big in hockey. Aho is Fishy. Slavin is Slave-oh. Shayne Gostisbehere is Ghost.
- 🚨 The siren: Games start with someone sounding the siren, most often a local celebrity or sports figure. Friday night, it was former Carolina Panthers player Luke Kuechly.
- 🇺🇸 The anthem: The whole crowd shouts "RED!" when the "rocket's red glare" line comes.
- 🥅 Freddie! Freddie! This cheer is for our goalie.
- ❌ Cheaters! Never! Win! The arena chants this whenever a player from the other team goes to the penalty box.
- 📣 The Ric Flair "wooo!" Fans do this all the time — to celebrate a win, a goal, a power play or just the joy of being alive to watch this team play.
- 🏟️ The Lenny: Some people are calling the recently renamed Lenovo Center this. Probably a psyop. May or may not stick.
The schedule
The Carolina Hurricanes have the home ice advantage.
State of play: This is the full lineup, with all games airing at 8pm on ABC.
- 🎟️ Game 1 at home, Tuesday, June 2
- 🎟️ Game 2 at home, Thursday, June 4
- 🛫 Game 3 in Vegas, Saturday, June 6
- 🛫 Game 4 in Vegas, Tuesday, June 9
- 🎟️ Game 5 at home, Thursday, June 11
- 🛫 Game 6 in Vegas, Sunday, June 14
- 🎟️ Game 7 at home, Wednesday, June 17
🏟️ Where to watch games
If you can afford a ticket, good for you. If not, get out and make some memories anyway.
- The official watch party is at Carolina Ale House, specifically the Cary location at 2240 Walnut St.
Also, just try any bar with TVs. No wrong answers this time of year.
- In Raleigh, the Rialto Theatre puts away games on the big screen. The Avenue and Smoky Hollow in Glenwood South both have massive outdoor screens.
- In Cary, Sports & Social at Fenton is a popular spot.
- And E.O.'s Athletic Club in downtown Durham has great food for a sports bar.
📲 Accounts to follow
The official @Canes team account is a good follow across platforms.
- There's an active Reddit community at r/canes. For memes, there's @wurricanes on Instagram and @soIoucity on X. Also, Gov. Josh Stein has taken up live-tweeting during games.
- For game coverage, try The News & Observer, radio station 99.9 and The Athletic.
- That should be enough to get hockey showing up in your algorithm.