Imagn
Jun 2, 2026; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Vegas Golden Knights celebrate the win against the Carolina Hurricanes in game one of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images
Players skating past each other, sticks at the ready, the puck flying past defensemen, maybe a fight or two - all of this draws NHL fans to the screen, and what better time than the Stanley Cup Finals? This year, too, the Vegas Golden Knights face the Carolina Hurricanes, but a milestone opportunity has already been missed!
The Carolina Hurricanes hosted the Golden Knights on June 2 for Game 1 of the finals series to win the Stanley Cup. While the Knights won the game, the pairing drew some of the largest numbers of viewers in Stanley Cup history.
But they still weren’t able to crack the top five largest crowds ever registered at a finals opener. Game 1 drew a viewership of 4.782 million people online. Per an X post by a user, this was the sixth most-watched Stanley Cup Finals Game 1.
Lenovo Center in Raleigh, North Carolina, saw a crowd of 18,738 people in the stadium crammed to watch the game.
Within the first 25 seconds of Game 1 beginning, Hurricanes winger Nikolaj Ehlers scored a screamer with assists from Jaccob Slavin and Jalen Chatfield. Ehlers did not wait around after, as he rushed in for another goal at 12:08 in the first period.
The intensity of the matchup is what drew the millions of watchers, as the Knights followed this with three more goals, tacking on the pressure.
With the score even at 4-4 in the last period, Tomas Hertl scored the final goal to seal the Golden Knights' victory, as the teams looked forward to Game 2.
The crowd was treated to an incredibly well-fought Game 1, but this doesn’t come close to some of the viewership numbers pulled in the past.
5 Games With Pulled More Viewers Than The Golden Knights-Hurricanes Matchup
The post that outlined the number of viewers for the Golden Knights-Hurricanes matchup also put forth the other Game 1’s that still hold the record for the most views.
The fifth most-watched Game 1 was between the Nashville Predators and the Pittsburgh Penguins, when the Penguins won Game 1, 5-3. They also went on to defeat the Predators 6-4 in the series. The game drew 4.854 million viewers on Peacock.
Fourth place went to the 2018 Game 1 between the Golden Knights and the Washington Capitals. Game 1 saw Vegas win, but they handed Washington the win after four losses. The matchup drew 5.195 million viewers on Peacock.
The Boston Bruins and St. Louis Blues take third, with their 2019 finals series, which the Blues eventually clinched. Game 1 saw the Bruins go one up, with the game drawing a viewership of 5.251 million on Peacock.
The penultimate Game 1 was when the Chicago Blackhawks bested the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2015. With 5.547 million viewers, this game takes second place.
The most-watched Stanley Cup Final Game 1 was in 2013, when the Chicago Blackhawks beat the Boston Bruins 4-3. They also went on to win the series, with an overall score of 4-2. This game drew a massive viewership of 6.358 million.
Will you be contributing to these numbers in 2026, as we approach the final stretch of the Stanley Cup? Let us know in the comments.
