Carolina regains the Stanley Cup after 20 years... Defeat Vegas 3-0 thanks to ‘suffocating defense’

The Carolina Hurricanes of the North American Ice Hockey League (NHL) lifted the championship trophy for the first time in 20 years with a 'suffocating defense'.

Carolina defeated the Vegas Golden Knights 3-0 in Game 6 of the 2025-2026 NHL Stanley Cup Finals (4 wins out of 7) held at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA on the 15th (Korean time).

With this, Carolina won its second Stanley Cup in 20 years after winning its first championship in 2006.

Carolina, which had struggled with an aggressive slugfest in the early part of the series, regained its solid defense in the game.

After tying the opponent's score to just 5 goals in games 4 and 5, they did not allow a single goal in game 6, which confirmed the championship.

Goalie Brandon Bush recorded his first playoff shutout by blocking all 22 shots, and starting with Taylor Hall's first goal at 3 minutes and 47 seconds in the first period, additional points from Jackson Blake and Nikolai Ehlers added the key.

Carolina's incredible tenacity shined in this series.

After losing the first game 4-5, they were down 0-2 in the second game, but were able to turn things around with a dramatic 4-3 overtime win.

In particular, in the third game, they showed their fighting spirit by dragging the game from 0-4 behind to overtime, completely taking control of the series regardless of win or loss.

The Conn Smythe Trophy, given to the playoff MVP (MVP), was won by 37-year-old veteran center Jordan Staal.

Staal set a new record by scoring a goal in every game from Game 1 to Game 5 of the finals.

He could not hide his joy, saying, “This is the result I have been longing for since my first win.”

Coach Rod Brandamour, who was the captain when Carolina won its first championship in 2006, once again engraved his name on the Stanley Cup as head coach.

Coach Brandamour expressed his feelings, saying, “When I won as a player, I felt like a heavy burden had been lifted off my shoulders, but this win is even more meaningful because it was entirely for our players.”