Samwise NHL & Hockey Newsletter
Monday, June 22, 2026
Over 180,000 Fans Pack Downtown Raleigh for Hurricanes' Stanley Cup Championship Parade
The Carolina Hurricanes brought the Stanley Cup home on Saturday, June 20, as more than 180,000 fans packed downtown Raleigh for the franchise's second championship celebration. Players and coaches paraded from Hillsborough and St. Mary's streets to a rally at City Plaza, drawing a crowd 50 percent larger than initial estimates of 100,000. During the rally, General Manager Eric Tulsky announced a two-year contract extension for forward Nic Deslauriers, a trade deadline acquisition who contributed to Carolina's playoff run. The Hurricanes defeated the Vegas Golden Knights 4-2 in the Stanley Cup Final, completing the postseason with a 16-3 record.
Sources: NHL.com / Carolina Hurricanes
Kucherov Claims Second Hart Trophy with 130-Point Season, Edges McDavid in Third-Closest Vote in 30 Years
Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov was announced as the 2025-26 Hart Memorial Trophy winner on June 21, capturing his second career NHL MVP award. Kucherov posted 44 goals and 86 assists for 130 points in 76 games, leading the league at 1.71 points per game and recording at least one point in 60 of 76 contests. He edged Connor McDavid by just 10 voting points — 1,436 to 1,426 — in the third-closest Hart Trophy vote in 30 years. Kucherov earned first-place recognition on 72 of 198 ballots and becomes the 20th player in NHL history to win the award multiple times.
Sources: ESPN
Werenski Becomes First Columbus Blue Jacket to Win Norris Trophy as NHL's Top Defenseman
Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski claimed the 2025-26 James Norris Memorial Trophy on June 21, becoming the first player in franchise history to win the award as the NHL's best defenseman. Werenski recorded 22 goals and 59 assists for 81 points in 75 games, leading NHL defensemen in shots with 260 and tying for first in even-strength goals. He received first-place votes on 113 of 198 ballots, 66 more than runner-up Cale Makar of the Colorado Avalanche. Werenski is the sixth American-born player to win the Norris Trophy and also assisted on the golden goal for the United States at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan.
Sources: NHL.com
Schaefer Youngest-Ever Calder Winner; Vasilevskiy Adds Vezina at NHL Awards Night
New York Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer and Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy were also honored at the June 21 NHL Awards. Schaefer won the Calder Memorial Trophy as the NHL's top rookie by a unanimous vote — the first unanimous Calder selection in 33 years. At 18 years and 223 days, Schaefer is the youngest Calder winner in league history. The 2025 first-overall pick recorded 23 goals and 36 assists for 59 points in 82 games, breaking Phil Housley's record for points by an 18-year-old defenseman. Vasilevskiy won the Vezina Trophy as the NHL's best goaltender, edging finalists Ilya Sorokin and Jeremy Swayman.
Sources: NHL.com (Calder), NHL.com (Vezina)
McKenna, Top Prospects Enter Final Countdown to 2026 NHL Draft at KeyBank Center in Buffalo
The 2026 NHL Draft opens at KeyBank Center in Buffalo on June 26, with Round 1 at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN and Rounds 2-7 continuing June 27. Penn State forward Gavin McKenna is the consensus first-overall pick for the Toronto Maple Leafs, who won the draft lottery for the first time since selecting Auston Matthews in 2016. McKenna, 18, finished his NCAA freshman season with 51 points in 35 games and added 14 points in seven games at the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship, helping Canada win bronze. The San Jose Sharks are expected to select defenseman Chase Reid at No. 2.
Sources: NHL.com
Maple Leafs Land Raddysh from Lightning in Sign-and-Trade, Lock Him Up for Eight Years at $8.5M AAV
The Toronto Maple Leafs acquired defenseman Darren Raddysh from the Tampa Bay Lightning in a sign-and-trade on June 19, surrendering a fifth-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft. Raddysh, 30, signed an eight-year contract extension worth $8.5 million annually — $68 million through the 2033-34 season. The Toronto-born blueliner recorded career highs in goals (22), assists (48), points (70), and plus-minus (+21) in 73 games for the Lightning in 2025-26. General Manager John Chayka called Raddysh one of the NHL's premier two-way defensemen with elite puck-moving ability and poise in all three zones.
Sources: NHL.com
Hurricanes GM Announces Deslauriers Two-Year Extension at Stanley Cup Parade Rally
Carolina Hurricanes General Manager Eric Tulsky announced a two-year contract extension for forward Nic Deslauriers at the team's Stanley Cup championship parade rally in downtown Raleigh on June 20. Deslauriers was acquired by Carolina at the trade deadline and was part of the team's 16-3 postseason run. The announcement drew a strong response from the crowd of more than 180,000 fans who gathered at City Plaza for the championship celebration. The Hurricanes won the 2026 Stanley Cup by defeating the Vegas Golden Knights 4-2 in the Stanley Cup Final, earning the franchise's second championship.
Sources: TSN
2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs — Final Results
Eastern Conference
First Round
Carolina def. Ottawa — 4–0
Montreal def. Tampa Bay
Philadelphia def. Pittsburgh
Second Round
Carolina def. Philadelphia — 4–0
Montreal advanced
Conference Finals
Carolina def. Montreal — 4–1
Western Conference
First Round
Vegas def. Utah Mammoth — 4–2
Colorado def. Los Angeles — 4–0
Minnesota def. Dallas — 4–2
Anaheim advanced
Second Round
Vegas def. Anaheim — 4–2
Colorado advanced
Conference Finals
Vegas def. Colorado — 4–0
Stanley Cup Final
🏅 Carolina Hurricanes def. Vegas Golden Knights — 4–2 | 2026 STANLEY CUP CHAMPIONS
Curated by JD · samwise.agency
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