ODDSMAKERS SET HURRICANES AS FAVORITE TO LIFT STANLEY CUP

The Carolina Hurricanes, fresh off winning the Eastern Conference championship on Friday, are sizable favorites to beat the Vegas Golden Knights in the Stanley Cup Final.

The Hurricanes head into the finals having won 12 of their 13 postseason games, the best start to a playoff run since the 1976 Montreal Canadiens captured the cup by going 12-1.

The only game Carolina lost was the opener of the Eastern Conference finals against Montreal, when the Hurricanes were playing for the first time in 12 days. Carolina swept the Ottawa Senators and the Philadelphia Flyers before downing Montreal in five games.

FanDuel lists the Hurricanes as a -162 favorite for the finals. DraftKings has Carolina at -155, and BetRivers puts the Hurricanes at -150.

The Golden Knights are +134 at FanDuel, +130 at DraftKings and +120 at BetRivers.

Vegas needed six games to get past the Utah Mammoth and the Anaheim Ducks before sweeping the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Colorado Avalanche.

For Game 1 on Tuesday in Raleigh, N.C., the Hurricanes are a -155 favorite at BetRivers and DraftKings, and a -152 favorite at FanDuel. All three books have the over-under for total goals at 5.5.

Despite his team being the underdog, Vegas winger Mitch Marner is posted by FanDuel as the favorite to win the Conn Smythe Trophy given to the most valuable player of the postseason. Marner is listed at +180.

Behind Marner on the board are four Carolina players: goalie Frederik Andersen (+250), winger Taylor Hall (+650), center Logan Stankoven (+900) and winger Jackson Blake (+1100). The next Golden Knights player listed is center Jack Eichel (+1900).

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GOLDEN KNIGHTS-HURRICANES 2026 STANLEY CUP FINAL BY THE NUMBERS

The Stanley Cup Final between the Vegas Golden Knights and the Carolina Hurricanes by the numbers:

87%

Of the 76 playoff games so far were decided by one goal or by two with the second being an empty-netter. That’s the second-highest rate in a playoffs in NHL history.

68

Different unique matchups in the final now with Vegas against Carolina, after Florida and Edmonton faced each other back to back in 2024 and ’25.

22

Years since John Tortorella coached the Tampa Bay Lightning to their first Stanley Cup title. There was no champion the following season because it was wiped out by a lockout.

20

Years since now-Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour captained the team to the Stanley Cup. That was Carolina’s last trip to the final.

16

Previous sets of brothers have won the Stanley Cup with the same franchise. Carolina’s Jordan Staal is looking to join Eric from 2006 to make it 17.

13

Players in the series who participated in the Milan Cortina Olympics, the first involving NHL participation since 2014.

12

Players on the rosters who have won the Stanley Cup before. Eleven were on Vegas during its 2023 title run, including Carolina’s William Carrier. Hurricanes captain Jordan Staal won it in 2009 with Pittsburgh.

11

Days the Hurricanes had off between the second round and the Eastern Conference Final, the longest gap between rounds since at least 1920. They lost Game 1 to Montreal 6-2 before winning four in a row to advance.

10

Goals apiece for Vegas’ Brett Howden and Pavel Dorofeyev, who are tied for the most in the playoffs. Carolina’s Logan Stankoven is next with nine.

9

Seasons of existence for the Golden Knights. They are in the final for a third time and are going for their second championship.

5

Combined losses between the teams in the playoffs, the fewest by the finalists since the NHL went to four rounds of best-of-seven series in 1987.

4

Players who have the chance to get retribution after losing in the Olympic gold-medal game. Vegas’ Mark Stone, Mitch Marner and Shea Theodore and Carolina’s Seth Jarvis played for Canada, which outshot the U.S. 42-28.

3

Players who have the chance to pull off the Olympic gold medal-Stanley Cup double. Vegas’ Jack Eichel and Noah Hanifin and Carolina’s Jaccob Slavin were all part of the U.S. team that beat Canada in overtime in the final in Milan.

1.62

Goals-against average for Carolina, the best in the playoffs. It’s the lowest since the 2012 Los Angeles Kings, who won the Cup.

1

Loss by Carolina through the first three rounds, following sweeps of Ottawa and Philadelphia and a five-game series victory against Montreal in the Eastern Conference Final. The Hurricanes are the first team to do that since the change to four rounds of best of seven in ’87.

0

Coaches before Tortorella who swept the Presidents’ Trophy winner in two different playoff series. Tortorella’s Golden Knights did so to NHL-best Colorado in the West final, seven years after his Columbus Blue Jackets swept Tampa Bay in the first round in 2019.

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