NHL Morning Skate: Stanley Cup Final Edition – June 3, 2026

June 3, 2026

* A city that waited 20 years for a return to the Stanley Cup Final was treated with a back-and-forth thriller that included fast goals, rallies by both teams and eventually a record-setting victory by the visiting Golden Knights.

* After tailgating and catching the Brothers Osborne before the game, Caniacs watching both inside and outside the arena witnessed the fastest goal to open a Stanley Cup Final in 50 years – triggering a historic night on that front – as the trends that define playoff hockey were on full display throughout the contest.

* The opening montage on ABC spelled out how “The Waiting Game” keeps players coming back to “Our Beautiful Game” – as Sportsnet put it – for a chance to have “The Cup in the Building.”

GAME 1 DELIVERED IN SPADES

Vegas fell behind 2-0, pulled ahead 3-2 and then surrendered a pair of tying goals before Tomas Hertl provided the decisive marker to help the Golden Knights improve to 4-0 in Game 1s this postseason and extend their winning streak to a franchise-record seven games. Hertl’s goal – his fourth in eight contests (after 29 without) – came a decade and a day after his most recent Stanley Cup Final appearance, one of the many hurdles he has overcome to reach this stage of his career.

* It was the first multi-goal comeback win by a road team to begin a Stanley Cup Final across the 108 championship series in League history.

* Hertl scored his third go-ahead goal in the third period of these playoffs, tops in the NHL. Teammate Brett Howden gave Vegas a lead earlier in the frame with his fourth go-ahead goal this postseason (in any period), tied for second in the NHL behind only his Final adversary Logan Stankoven (6).

* Howden took sole possession of the League lead with his 11th goal overall this postseason and moved within two of the franchise record set by Jonathan Marchessault in 2023 (13).

DEFENSEMEN STOLE THE SHOW
Eight of the nine goals scored in Game 1 included at least one point by a blueliner as they combined for 11 overall (6 by VGK, 5 by CAR) and matched the Stanley Cup Final benchmark for most points by defensemen in a single game (also Game 5 in 2010 between CHI & PHI).

* Original “Golden Misfits” Shea Theodore (1-2—3) and Brayden McNabb (0-3—3) accounted for all of the defensive scoring for Vegas and became the first teammate defensemen in Stanley Cup Final history to each record three points in Game 1 (and just the third to do so in any Final contest). Their efforts matched the highest output by an active player in Game 1 of the Final and the highest point total by a defenseman ever in a Final opener.

* Theodore boosted his career totals in the Stanley Cup Final to 3-9—12 (11 GP) and surpassed Mattias Ekholm (11 in 19 GP) as well as Evan Bouchard (11 in 13 GP) for the second-most points in the championship series among active defensemen behind Victor Hedman (18 in 23 GP).

* McNabb tied the benchmark for assists by a defenseman in Game 1 of the Final and became the second active skater to with three, alongside forward Brayden Point (0-3—3 in 2021 opener). Forward Sid Abel (1-4—5 in 1943) is the only skater in NHL history with more assists in the first contest of a Final.

* On the Hurricanes side, Jalen Chatfield (0-2—2) became the 10th defenseman in NHL history to record multiple points in the first period of a Stanley Cup Final. Chris Pronger (0-2—2 in 2010 w/ PHI) is the only other blueliner to do so in the past 33 years.

FIRST-OF-ITS-KIND FEAT FOR FAST GOALS
For the first time in Stanley Cup Final history (a span of 556 games), there was a goal in the opening 30 seconds of both the first and second periods. It took all of 81 seconds before a goal was scored in the third period, making Tuesday’s contest just the second in Final history to include a goal in the opening 90 seconds of every period – the other occurred more than 80 years ago (Game 1 of 1943 SCF).

* Nikolaj Ehlers waited more than 800 NHL games for his first taste of the Stanley Cup Final but wasted no time once he got there – he tallied 25 seconds after the opening face-off to produce the fastest goal to open the Final in 50 years and third-fastest ever to begin Game 1.

* Overall, Ehlers scored the 10th goal ever in the opening 25 seconds of any Stanley Cup Final game and fastest since Fernando Pisani tallied for the Oilers 16 seconds into Game 5 of the 2006 Final – played at the same building in Carolina.

PLAYOFF TRENDS ON FULL DISPLAY IN GAME 1

Entering the 2026 Stanley Cup Final, 87% of contests were “close games,” 43% were comeback wins, 22 games included a tying and/or go-ahead goal and 40 were won by the road team. After Game 1, updates are needed across the board as each of those occurred Tuesday.

* Vegas became the first road team ever to stage a multi-goal comeback win in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final. Overall, the Golden Knights were the 16th team to complete a multi-goal comeback win in an opponent’s building during any contest in the Stanley Cup Final (excludes 2020 neutral site).

* Game 1 also marked the second Stanley Cup Final contest in as many years to include both a tying and go-ahead goal in the final 10 minutes of regulation (also Game 4 in 2025). Before that, the last such contest was Game 1 in 2017.

* Vegas improved to 7-2 on the road this season to match a franchise record for road wins in one postseason (7-3 in 2023) and boost the League’s overall record to 41-36 as visitors so far in 2026 – the third time in four years and sixth time overall that road clubs have had that much success at this stage (through 77 GP).

MORE FROM GAME 1

* Jack Eichel (0-1—1) factored on Vegas’ tying goal in the second period to boost his career playoff totals to 12-50—62 (57 GP) and become the eighth-fastest player in NHL history to reach the 50-assist mark, plus the fastest American to do so (besting Craig Janney: 61 GP).

* Carter Hart made 23 saves, including one in the dying seconds, to help preserve a Golden Knights victory and extend his franchise-record win streak to seven games.

* Eric Staal sounded the siren alongside his kids before the Hurricanes hit the ice for Game 1, and his brother later broke a benchmark he set just three years ago as Jordan Staal netted his first Final goal in nearly 17 years.

* For the third year in a row, the NHL in partnership with P-X-P will produce every game of the Stanley Cup Final for NHL in ASL, a three-time Sports Emmy-nominated alternate telecast dedicated completely to the Deaf and hard of hearing community using American Sign Language. Colton Sissons joined the post-game telecast (available in the U.S. exclusively on the ESPN App for ESPN Unlimited plan subscribers and Sportsnet+ in Canada).

* Seth Jarvis‘ traveling band of friends from Winnipeg has followed him from the 4 Nations Face-Off to the Olympics and now to his first Stanley Cup Final, stopping by the Stanley Cup Live before Game 1 to chat with hosts Dan and Chris Powers of The Empty Netters podcast.

* Episode 3 of Quest for the Stanley Cup is now streaming on YouTube, adding to the Episode 1 and Episode 2 drops from earlier this postseason – perfect for off-day viewing before Game 2 on Thursday.

DETAILS OF 2027 NHL ALL-STAR WEEKEND UNVEILED BEFORE GAME 1 OF FINAL

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, alongside Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly, ran through some of the most memorable moments from the 2025-26 regular season during his annual media availability before Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final, highlighting sequences from March 3 and April 1. Bettman also took a moment to honor the lives of Claude LemieuxandJessi Pierce.

Full Media Availability

* Before the Commissioner’s remarks, he and NHLPA Executive Director Marty Walsh announced the format of the 2027 Honda NHL All-Star Game and 2027 NHL All-Star Skills, set to take place Feb. 5-6 at UBS Arena on Long Island, N.Y. The All-Star Game will feature five teams – Canada, Finland, Sweden, the United States and a “World” team comprised of international players from countries outside of the other four teams – competing in a three-on-three, round-robin exhibition tournament. All-Star Skills will spotlight 10 young stars ages 25 or younger competing across eight events, jointly selected by the NHL and NHLPA.

All-Star Format Details

BLUE JACKETS’ ZACH WERENSKI WINS FIRST NORRIS TROPHY

Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski completed a “Zach Trick” by securing the 2025-26 James Norris Memorial Trophy, awarded “to the defense player who demonstrates throughout the season the greatest all-round ability in the position,” as selected by the Professional Hockey Writers Association. Werenski and his wife, Odette, hosted friends and family for one of their weekly family gatherings – and to introduce everyone to their new baby – when he was surprised by the trophy.

* Werenski is the Blue Jackets’ all-time leader in goals, assists and points by a defenseman, and now the first to win the Norris Trophy for the club. He is the sixth American player to capture the award. Click here for more information.