The Carolina Hurricanes are Stanley Cup champions once again. They ended a 20-year wait for the trophy by beating the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 6. But while celebrating the championship in Las Vegas, Carolina also took one last shot at Golden Knights head coach John Tortorella.

Soon after their 3-0 win at T-Mobile Arena on Sunday, the Hurricanes’ social media team posted a funny message on X that quickly grabbed the attention of hockey fans around the league.

“We’ll send them to you. Might take a few days, though. A little busy," Hurricanes wrote.

The post was a direct response to comments made by John Tortorella after the Vegas Golden Knights lost Game 5 in Raleigh. Vegas trailed 3-2 in the Stanley Cup Final at the time, but Tortorella remained confident that his team would win the next game and force a Game 7 back in North Carolina.

“I’m going to leave my clothes here,” Tortorella said after the 4-2 defeat. “At the hotel. We’ll be back.”

The comment showed the confidence inside the Knights' locker room. Instead of thinking about the offseason, John Tortorella believed his team would win Game 6 at home and send the series back to Raleigh for a deciding Game 7.

But the Carolina Hurricanes had other plans. Carolina entered Game 6 with a chance to finish the series and never let Vegas build any momentum. 

When the final horn sounded, Tortorella’s prediction had turned into the perfect setup for one of the best championship trolls of the season. The Hurricanes won the Stanley Cup and got the final laugh as well.

Hurricanes Shut the Door on Vegas in Game 6

The social media joke worked because the Carolina Hurricanes backed it up with a championship-winning performance on the ice.

Taylor Hall scored late in the first period to give Carolina an early lead and calm any nerves on the road. The Hurricanes kept control of the game in the second period, and Jackson Blake made it 2-0 a little more than eight minutes into the period.

With the Vegas Golden Knights struggling to create scoring chances, Carolina relied on its strong defensive system and protected the lead throughout the third period. Vegas pushed hard to get back into the game, but the Hurricanes stayed in control.

Nikolaj Ehlers put the game away with an empty-net goal in the final minutes, turning the closing moments into a celebration for the Carolina Hurricanes.

The win gave Carolina its first Stanley Cup since 2006 and completed an impressive playoff run. For John Tortorella, the season ended one game sooner than he expected.

His confidence after Game 5 was understandable, but the Hurricanes made sure there would be no return trip to Raleigh for a Game 7.

What are your thoughts? Did the Hurricanes' Stanley Cup win make their playful troll of John Tortorella even sweeter? Comment down below. 

Read more at NHL Fan Central.

Written by

Kapil Manghnani

Edited by

Ankita Yadav