The Carolina Hurricanes punched their ticket to the 2026 Stanley Cup Final on Friday night, knocking out the Montreal Canadiens in five games.
The Canes have been knocking on the door for some time now, with Conference Final appearances (and losses) in 2019, 2023, and 2025.
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2026 became Carolina’s breakthrough, and they sit at an astonishing record of 12-1 entering the Stanley Cup Final.
History will be on the line for obvious reasons, but one subtle reason directly involves a New York Islanders legend.
Hurricanes defenseman Jaccob Slavin seeks to become the first American to win an Olympic Gold Medal and the Stanley Cup in the same season since Ken Morrow accomplished the feat in 1980.
Morrow was part of the 1980 “Miracle on Ice” team that knocked off the Soviet Union en route to a historic gold medal.
Immediately after the Olympics, Morrow signed with the Islanders, playing 18 regular season games, posting three assists.
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Morrow then played 20 of the 21 playoff games for the Islanders, adding his first NHL goal and two more assists on the path to the Stanley Cup.
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