Will the Vegas Golden Knights Win a Second Stanley Cup?

^{The Stanley Cup will be awarded to the Vegas Golden Knights for the first time since 2023 or the Carolina Hurricanes for the first time since 2006. (Photo: Klara Steffkova / Alamy)}

LAS VEGAS – The Vegas Golden Knights are not used to playing the role of underdogs in the NHL’s championship round after making the playoffs in eight of their first nine years and getting to the Stanley Cup for the third time over that stretch. This time, the Golden Knights will face the Carolina Hurricanes, who are listed as small betting favorites at Las Vegas sportsbooks thanks to going a record 12-1 in their first 13 games this postseason.

Carolina won the Metropolitan Division with an Eastern Conference-leading 113 points during the regular season, earning home-ice advantage versus Vegas. That may or may not matter though considering the Hurricanes suffered their lone loss at home.

Meanwhile, the Golden Knights won the Pacific Division title with 95 points, which would not have been enough to qualify for the playoffs in the East. Vegas had the fourth-highest point total in the Western Conference but just upset the top-seeded Colorado Avalanche with a surprising four-game sweep to get here. The Knights have won six games in a row.

The Stanley Cup Final will get underway Tuesday at the Lenovo Center in Raleigh, North Carolina. The official Game 1 Watch Party will take place at T-Mobile Arena, with tickets for Games 3, 4 and 6 also going on sale Tuesday. Stadium Swim at Circa Resort & Casino will host free watch parties for every game of the series as well for those 21 and older.

Here’s the full 2026 Stanley Cup Final schedule:

Game 1 - June 2nd VGK at CAR
Game 2 - June 4th VGK at CAR
Game 3 - June 6th CAR at VGK
Game 4 - June 9th CAR at VGK
Game 5 - June 11th VGK at CAR (if necessary)
Game 6 - June 14th CAR at VGK (if necessary)
Game 7 - June 17th VGK at CAR (if necessary)

All games will start at 5 p.m. (PT) and be televised on ABC.

Golden Knights Trying to Pull Off Another Upset

Nobody expected Vegas to beat Colorado, the consensus favorite to win the Stanley Cup this year (and already next season). However, the Golden Knights earned the respect of oddsmakers in their previous two Stanley Cup Final appearances in opening as series favorites. That is obviously not the case against a hungry Carolina team which became the first ever to have only one loss through the first three rounds of the playoffs.

Todd Fuhrman – a Vegas local who is a former oddsmaker at Caesars Palace and current sports betting analyst at FOX Sports and CBS SportsLine – said he thinks the Hurricanes hold a distinct edge defensively, with both teams possessing near-equal talent and skills.

“This is a fascinating Cup Final from a variety of fronts,” Fuhrman told Casinos.com. “Vegas has a core that knows what it takes to win the Cup and dealt with their fair share of adversity. But this is also a Carolina side that’s been close the last few years and now finally gets to that elusive Cup Final. The Hurricanes’ blue line is deeper than any group Vegas has faced yet, as both (Jaccob) Slavin and (K’Andre) Miller are performing at an all-NHL level.” 

Home ice does not seem like it will be a deciding factor because each team knows how to win on the road. In fact, the Golden Knights will probably need to win at least one of the first two games in order to have a solid chance to hoist the Cup for the second time in team history. If they do not, the odds will be stacked against them even more. Fuhrman believes the depth of the teams makes the matchup almost too close to call.

“I think both environments will be electric, but I don’t think either of the teams will be rattled playing on the road given that sometimes it’s easier to simplify your approach away from home,” Fuhrman said. “Carolina’s and Vegas’s ability to roll four lines is extremely valuable this time of year. This should be an outstanding Cup Final where it pains me to say I think Carolina gets it across the finish line for the first time since 2006.”

Marner, Andersen Top Betting Board to Win Conn Smythe

Another piece of hardware will be on the line in the NHL’s championship series – the Conn Smythe Trophy, awarded to the postseason’s top performer. It rarely goes to a player from the losing team in the Stanley Cup Final, although Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers won it two years ago following his team’s seven-game loss to the Florida Panthers.

Golden Knights winger Mitch Marner is the favorite to win the Conn Smythe Trophy heading into the series with a playoff-leading 21 points (seven goals and 14 assists). Marner’s odds range between +150 (bet $100 to win $150) and +210 at Vegas sportsbooks. Meanwhile, Hurricanes goalie Frederik Andersen is the second choice between +210 and +250.

That said, Fuhrman likes another Carolina player to win the Conn Smythe if his prediction on the winning team comes through for him. His pick can be found between +550 and +800, so it definitely pays to shop around in order to get the best number possible.

“Don’t see much upside in any of the short shots right now,” Fuhrman said. “(But) Taylor Hall’s resurgent postseason has made him the most intriguing option among the guys in single digits.”