The Vegas Golden Knights now know who stands between them and another Stanley Cup.
Vegas will face the Carolina Hurricanes in the 2026 Stanley Cup Final after Carolina finished off Montreal in the Eastern Conference Final. The series opens Tuesday at Lenovo Center in Raleigh, North Carolina, with the Hurricanes holding home-ice advantage.
For the Golden Knights, it is their third trip to the Stanley Cup Final in nine seasons. Vegas lost to Washington in 2018, beat Florida in 2023 and now gets another chance to win the second championship in franchise history.
The matchup also gives the Final a clean regular-season hook. Vegas just swept Colorado, the NHL’s top regular-season team, in the Western Conference Final. Now the Golden Knights get the team that finished right behind the Avalanche. Colorado finished with 121 points, while Carolina finished second in the league with 113.
Stanley Cup Final Schedule
Game 1: Tuesday, June 2 — Vegas at Carolina, 5 p.m. PT, ABC
Game 2: Thursday, June 4 — Vegas at Carolina, 5 p.m. PT, ABC
Game 3: Saturday, June 6 — Carolina at Vegas, 5 p.m. PT, ABC
Game 4: Tuesday, June 9 — Carolina at Vegas, 5 p.m. PT, ABC
Game 5: Thursday, June 11 — Vegas at Carolina, 5 p.m. PT, ABC, if necessary
Game 6: Sunday, June 14 — Carolina at Vegas, 5 p.m. PT, ABC, if necessary
Game 7: Wednesday, June 17 — Vegas at Carolina, 5 p.m. PT, ABC, if necessary
How Carolina Got Here
Carolina’s path to the Final was nearly as clean as Vegas’ finish against Colorado.
The Hurricanes swept Ottawa in the first round, swept Philadelphia in the second round and then beat Montreal in five games in the Eastern Conference Final. Their only loss came in Game 1 against the Canadiens, a 6-2 defeat they answered by winning four straight.
The Hurricanes have been built around defensive control and goaltending during this run. Carolina has allowed only 21 goals in 13 playoff games. Outside of the 6-2 loss to Montreal, the Hurricanes have not allowed more than two goals in any postseason game.
That makes the Final feel like a strength-on-strength matchup, even before the deeper breakdown begins. Vegas scored enough to get through Colorado, but it also limited the Avalanche to seven total goals in four games. Carolina, meanwhile, has turned the postseason into a grind for nearly everyone it has played.
Golden Knights Had the Regular-Season Edge
Vegas swept the regular-season series against Carolina.
The Golden Knights beat the Hurricanes 4-1 in Las Vegas on Oct. 20, then went to Raleigh and won 6-3 on Oct. 28. Akira Schmid was in net for both wins, and Jack Eichel was listed as a top performer in the road victory.
Those games came early in the season, so they only tell part of the story. However, they do give Vegas one important starting point: the Golden Knights already know they can beat Carolina in both buildings.
A deeper matchup breakdown will come later. For now, the schedule is set, the opponent is known, and the stakes are simple.
Vegas is four wins from its second Stanley Cup.
Waiting, But Not Relaxing
The Golden Knights will have several days between sweeping Colorado and opening the Final in Carolina. That gives them time to rest, but Tortorella made clear Friday that the layoff brings its own concern.
“It worries the crap out of me,” Tortorella said. “You lose your edge for just a little bit, that’s a big disadvantage.”
Still, Tortorella also made clear why he trusts this group. He pointed to character, leadership and a veteran room that has already handled multiple postseason swings.
“This team knows how to win,” Tortorella said.
That belief now gets its biggest test. Vegas already knocked out the league’s best regular-season team. Carolina was next on that list.
Now, only one of them gets the Cup.
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Dice City Sports editor Mark Hebert covers the Vegas Golden Knights, Las Vegas Raiders, Athletics, and UNLV baseball and softball. He has 24 years of journalism experience, is also a senior reporter at Exhibit City News, and previously covered the Dallas Stars and Texas Rangers. Follow him on X or connect on LinkedIn.
