The Carolina Hurricanes' 20-year wait to win the Stanley Cup had finally come to an end on Sunday, a day after the New York Knicks won the NBA Finals. Both teams went on to claim championships just within 24 hours.

Not only that, but the teams ended their playoffs with a 16-3 record. The Knicks and Hurricanes both swept two rounds and won a round in 5 and 6 games. Each team's captain also won the playoff MVP title.

Jalen Brunson won NBA Finals MVP honors for New York, while Jordan Staal claimed the Conn Smythe Trophy in the NHL. Jordan became the oldest player ever to win that award.

The Knicks had a relatively smooth path to the championship. They recorded two clean sweeps, won another series in six games, and then captured the NBA Finals in five games.

The Hurricanes also enjoyed a dominant playoff run. They swept their opponents in the first and second rounds, won the Eastern Conference Finals in five games, and then secured the Stanley Cup with a six-game victory in the final series.

Fans around the sports have noticed how unusual it is for two huge teams in both leagues to be almost the same. Not only with the same record but with matching records in the same postseason.

Both teams were ending their lengthy championship gaps. The Knicks had not won an NBA title since 1973, which is a gap of 53 years. The Hurricanes had not won the Stanley Cup since 2006, closing the 20-year wait.

How Carolina Reached the Stanley Cup Summit

The Hurricanes entered the 2026 playoffs as the Eastern Conference's top team, which easily passed through the early rounds. Carolina defeated the Ottawa Senators in four games, then the Philadelphia Flyers in four more.

They also defeated the Montreal Canadiens. It happened in five games, right before they played against Vegas for the Cup.

The finals were tight and tough. The Golden Knights, who had recently won the Cup in 2023, pushed Carolina to the brink. That was when the rookie goaltender Brandon Bussi stepped in, right after Frederik Andersen was injured in Game 3.

Jordan Staal also showed an outstanding performance throughout. He scored six goals in just the finals, and Carolina ended the finals with a 3-0 win in Game 6.

The Hurricanes' head coach, Rod Brind'Amour, was also the team's captain when they won the Stanley Cup in 2006. With this victory, he became only the fourth person in NHL history to win a championship with the same team as both a captain and a head coach, per NHL.com.

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Written by

Aadhya Nalla

Edited by

Ankita Yadav