Samwise NHL & Hockey Newsletter
Wednesday, June 10, 2026
Staal’s Go-Ahead Goal Lifts Hurricanes Past Golden Knights 5–3, Tying Series 2–2
Jordan Staal scored twice — including a first-period power-play goal — as the Carolina Hurricanes defeated the Vegas Golden Knights 5–3 in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final on Tuesday at Lenovo Center in Raleigh, tying the series 2–2. Logan Stankoven and Jackson Blake gave Carolina a 2–0 lead before Staal’s power-play tally made it 3–1 after the first period. Staal’s second goal, with 13:28 remaining in the third, restored Carolina’s lead after Vegas tied it 3–3. Nikolaj Ehlers added an empty-net goal at 19:05. William Karlsson, Mark Stone, and Brett Howden scored for Vegas. Brandon Bussi made 18 saves in his first career playoff start; Carter Hart stopped 23 shots.
Sources: ESPN
Bussi’s Historic Cup Final Debut and Staal’s Unprecedented Streak Highlight Carolina’s Game 4 Victory
Brandon Bussi became the third goalie in the expansion era to win his first career playoff start in the Stanley Cup Final, stopping 18 shots in Carolina’s 5–3 Game 4 victory on Tuesday, joining Andrei Vasilevskiy in 2015 and Jussi Markkanen in 2006. Brind’Amour kept his starting goalie decision secret until pregame warmups before tapping Bussi ahead of Pyotr Kochetkov. Jordan Staal also made history, becoming the first player in 44 years to score in each of the first four games of a Stanley Cup Final and the first team captain ever to accomplish the feat. The series is tied 2–2 heading into Game 5 in Raleigh on Thursday.
Sources: NHL.com
Cup Final Shifts to Raleigh for Game 5 With Series Tied 2–2
The 2026 Stanley Cup Final shifts to Lenovo Center in Raleigh for Game 5 on Thursday at 8 p.m. ET, with the series tied 2–2. The four-game run has produced 33 total goals, averaging 8.3 per contest. The Hurricanes are 7–2 at home in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs, while Vegas’s Brett Howden scored his 14th goal of the postseason in Game 4 — a Golden Knights record for most in a single playoff run, surpassing Jonathan Marchessault’s 13 in 2023. Carolina’s penalty kill stands at 92.5 percent while the Golden Knights have converted at 23.9 percent on the power play through the playoffs.
Sources: NHL.com
Kings Hire Peter Laviolette as Head Coach on Three-Year Deal
The Los Angeles Kings hired Peter Laviolette as their new head coach on a three-year contract, the team announced Tuesday. The 61-year-old returns to the NHL in his seventh head coaching role after being fired by the New York Rangers in April 2025. Laviolette replaces D.J. Smith, who served in an interim capacity after Jim Hiller was fired shortly after the Olympic break. Smith guided Los Angeles to the final Western Conference playoff spot, but the Kings were swept by the Colorado Avalanche in the first round. Laviolette won the Stanley Cup with Carolina in 2006 and previously coached the Islanders, Flyers, Predators, Capitals, and Rangers.
Sources: TSN
Top 2026 Draft Prospects Attend Cup Final With Buffalo Draft 16 Days Away
Five of the top prospects for the 2026 Upper Deck NHL Draft attended this week’s Stanley Cup Final — Chase Reid, Alberts Smits, Carson Carels, Keaton Verhoeff, and Caleb Malhotra — participating in practices and morning skates and meeting with players from both clubs. The draft, set for June 26–27 at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, is 16 days away. Gavin McKenna, who ranked No. 1 on NHL Central Scouting’s final list of North American skaters, is widely projected to go first overall to the Toronto Maple Leafs, who won the draft lottery. McKenna posted 51 points in 35 games as a Penn State freshman.
Sources: NHL.com
Red Wings Captain Larkin Submits Three-Team Trade List: Florida, Minnesota, Vegas
Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin has submitted a three-team preferred destination list to the organization, sources told TSN and ESPN, naming the Florida Panthers, Minnesota Wild, and Vegas Golden Knights. The 29-year-old wraps up his 11th season in Detroit — his 10th straight without a playoff berth. He has five seasons remaining on an eight-year, $69.6 million contract with an $8.7 million annual cap hit. All three teams are projected in the bottom half of the NHL in cap space, with Vegas currently ranked 31st with just $4.6 million available. Larkin holds a full no-trade clause, giving him final say on any destination.
Sources: TSN
McNabb and Hanifin Both Managing Injuries as Golden Knights Head to Raleigh for Game 5
Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Brayden McNabb played through a significant facial injury in Games 3 and 4 of the Stanley Cup Final after suffering a puck to the face during Game 2. McNabb left to seek medical attention and returned for Game 3 wearing a full cage, logging 35:47 of ice time in the double-overtime contest. He did not practice before Game 4 but was expected to play. Noah Hanifin also left briefly during Game 3 and did not practice before Game 4. Vegas faces Games 5 and potentially Game 7 on the road at Carolina’s Lenovo Center.
Sources: NHL.com
Stanley Cup Playoffs 2026
Eastern Conference
First Round
Carolina Hurricanes def. Ottawa Senators — 4–0
Philadelphia Flyers def. Pittsburgh Penguins
Montreal Canadiens def. Tampa Bay Lightning
Buffalo Sabres def. Boston Bruins
Second Round
Carolina Hurricanes def. Philadelphia Flyers — 4–0
Montreal Canadiens def. Buffalo Sabres
Conference Final
Carolina Hurricanes def. Montreal Canadiens — 4–1
Western Conference
First Round
Vegas Golden Knights def. Utah Mammoth — 4–2
Anaheim Ducks def. [Pacific No. 2 seed]
Colorado Avalanche def. Los Angeles Kings — 4–0
Minnesota Wild def. Dallas Stars
Second Round
Vegas Golden Knights def. Anaheim Ducks — 4–2
Colorado Avalanche def. Minnesota Wild
Conference Final
Vegas Golden Knights def. Colorado Avalanche — 4–0
Stanley Cup Final — Series Tied 2–2
Game 1: Vegas Golden Knights win 5–4 (@ Las Vegas)
Game 2: Carolina Hurricanes win in OT — Jarvis (@ Las Vegas)
Game 3: Vegas Golden Knights win in 2OT (@ Raleigh)
Game 4: Carolina Hurricanes win 5–3 (@ Raleigh)
🏒 Game 5: Thu. June 11 — Golden Knights at Hurricanes, 8 p.m. ET (ABC/SN/TVAS)
Curated by JD · samwise.agency
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