Samwise NHL & Hockey Newsletter
Thursday, June 4, 2026
Hertl's Late Winner Lifts Golden Knights Past Hurricanes in Cup Final Opener
The Vegas Golden Knights erased a 2-0 deficit to defeat the Carolina Hurricanes 5-4 in Game 1 of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final on Tuesday in Raleigh. Nikolaj Ehlers scored just 25 seconds in, and the Hurricanes extended their lead to 2-0 within the first 12 minutes. Vegas rallied with goals from Shea Theodore, Ivan Barbashev, William Karlsson, and Brett Howden. Shayne Gostisbehere tied the game at 4-4 late in the third period, before Tomas Hertl scored the winner with 3:24 remaining off a give-and-go with Colton Sissons. It marked the first multigoal road comeback in Game 1 of a Stanley Cup Final across 108 championship series in League history.
Sources: NHL.com
Golden Knights Aim to Keep Momentum, Push for 2-0 Series Lead in Game 2
The Vegas Golden Knights arrive in Raleigh for Thursday's Game 2 riding a franchise-record seven-game winning streak, having outscored opponents 27-14 during that run. Vegas has not lost since May 10, a span of 24 days. Coach John Tortorella dismissed any notion of settling for a road split. “We want to keep the momentum on our side, so there's no question we're looking to get two,” Tortorella said ahead of Game 2 at Lenovo Center (8 p.m. ET, ABC). Teams that take a 2-0 series lead in a Cup Final own an all-time record of 50-5. Game 2 is tonight at Lenovo Center in Raleigh.
Sources: NHL.com
TSN's Dreger: Jonathan Toews 'Seems Likely' Retiring After Jets Comeback
TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger reported Wednesday that Jonathan Toews is likely to retire, potentially ending the 38-year-old's NHL career after a one-year comeback with the Winnipeg Jets. “Nothing official, but at this point it seems likely Jonathan Toews is retiring,” Dreger wrote. Toews had been away from hockey for two seasons managing Chronic Immune Response Syndrome and Long COVID before signing with the Jets, his hometown team, last summer. He appeared in all 82 games this season, scoring 11 goals and adding 18 assists. Toews finishes with 383 goals and 529 assists in 1,149 career games, having won three Stanley Cups with the Chicago Blackhawks.
Sources: TSN
Jon Cooper Wins 2026 Jack Adams Award in Closest Three-Way Race in Decades
Tampa Bay Lightning coach Jon Cooper won the 2025-26 Jack Adams Award as the NHL's top coach on Wednesday. Cooper received 36 first-place votes and 226 voting points, narrowly edging Buffalo Sabres coach Lindy Ruff (223 points) in the closest three-way race since balloting results were first published in 1983-84. Cooper guided Tampa Bay to a 50-26-6 record with 106 points, securing the Lightning's ninth consecutive playoff berth. He was presented the trophy at Tampa General Hospital while attending a ribbon-cutting for his Coop's Catch for Kids Family Lounge, funded through his charity fishing tournament. It was Cooper's first Jack Adams Award.
Sources: NHL.com
McKenna's Tattoo, Czech Goalies Headline 2026 NHL Scouting Combine in Buffalo
The 2026 NHL Scouting Combine in Buffalo continued Wednesday with projected No. 1 pick Gavin McKenna, 18, displaying a forearm tattoo honoring his grandfather, Joe Mason, a survivor of Canada's Indian residential school system. “This is my cabin that my grandpa built,” McKenna said of the tattoo, which depicts his family's Yukon cabin and his Indigenous clan animal. The Toronto Maple Leafs hold the top pick in the June 26-27 draft at KeyBank Center after winning the lottery in May. Five of the top six North American netminder spots in the Central Scouting rankings were taken by Czech-born goalies, led by Michal Orsulak of Prince Albert at No. 2.
Sources: NHL.com
Islanders Exploring Barzal Trade; Trocheck, Skinner Among Names on the Move
With NHL free agency just under a month away, TSN reported Wednesday that the New York Islanders are exploring the trade market for star centre Mathew Barzal, who carries a $9.15 million cap hit through 2030-31. Barzal, 29, produced 19 goals and 72 points in 81 games this season. The New York Rangers' Vincent Trocheck, whose $5.65 million contract runs through 2028-29, is also generating interest, with the Montreal Canadiens expected to circle back after a trade fell through at the deadline. In Pittsburgh, goaltender Stuart Skinner appears unlikely to be re-signed, while Anthony Mantha is expected to find a new team after a career-high 33-goal season.
Sources: TSN
Devils Legend Patrik Elias Named General Manager of Czech National Hockey Team
Former New Jersey Devils star Patrik Elias was named general manager of the Czech men's national hockey team on Wednesday. Elias, who spent 20 seasons with the Devils and played 1,240 NHL games before retiring after the 2015-16 season, has spent the past three years as a sports advisor with HC Slavia Prague. Czech Hockey president Alois Hadamczik cited Elias's knowledge of both NHL players and players in the Czech Republic in the appointment. Elias won two Stanley Cups with New Jersey and, on the international stage, won bronze at the 2006 Winter Olympics and at the 1998 and 2011 IIHF World Championships.
Sources: TSN
Stanley Cup Playoffs
Eastern Conference
First Round: Hurricanes def. Senators 4–0
Second Round: Hurricanes def. Flyers 4–0
Conf. Final: Hurricanes def. Canadiens 4–1
Western Conference
First Round: Avalanche def. Kings 4–0; Ducks def. Oilers 4–2; Wild def. Stars 4–2
Second Round: Avalanche def. Wild 4–1; Knights def. Ducks
Conf. Final: Golden Knights def. Avalanche 4–0
Stanley Cup Final
Vegas Golden Knights vs. Carolina Hurricanes — Golden Knights lead 1–0 (Game 2 tonight, 8 p.m. ET, ABC)
Curated by JD · samwise.agency
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