‘Father’s Day Came Early’ — NFL World Reacts to Hurricanes’ ‘Insane’ Stanley Cup Victory vs. Vegas

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The 2026 Stanley Cup Final was destined to be a grueling battle of attrition, but on Sunday night, the Carolina Hurricanes authored a definitive masterpiece. Securing a commanding 3-0 shutout victory over the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 6, the Hurricanes hoisted Lord Stanley’s Cup, wrapping up the best-of-seven series 4-2. The NFL community soon found itself celebrating the Hurricanes’ win.

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The triumph caught the attention of former NFL Rookie of the Year and Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III. Taking to X via his official show handle, “Outta Pocket with RGIII,” the multi-sport analyst perfectly encapsulated the moment, as he poked fun at the Golden Knights’ Jack Eichel.

He shared an image of Jordan Staal, where he could be holding the Stanley Cup in one hand and Eichel as a baby in the other hand. He wrote, “Father’s Day came early for Jordan Staal :flushed: What a series from the Hurricanes…”

In another post, Griffin commented, “AFTER 20 YEARS THE HURRICANES BRING THE STANLEY CUP HOME 😲 Both teams fought so hard for this, but Carolina looked so insane out there…”

The official X handle for Bussin’ With The Boys wrote, “THE CAROLINA HURRICANES HAVE WON THE STANLEY CUP”

The Carolina Panthers’ official X handle posted, “Made Carolina proud 🏆”

Griffin’s nod to the 37-year-old Hurricanes captain was rooted in a truly historic postseason run. Staal’s leadership and lethal scoring touch throughout the Final led to him becoming the recipient of the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP, making him the oldest player to do so.

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Staal capped off an extraordinary stretch by tying the NHL record for the longest goal-scoring streak in a Stanley Cup Final at five games, joining iconic hockey legends like Yvan Cournoyer, Jean Beliveau, and Maurice Richard.

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Behind him, backup goaltender Brandon Bussi put together an absolute clinic between the pipes for the decisive Game 6 shutout. Filling in flawlessly under the heaviest pressure imaginable, Bussi stopped all 22 shots fired his way by a desperate Golden Knights offense, anchoring a perfect 100% penalty-kill rate on the evening.

Winger Taylor Hall spoke on what this moment means to him post-game. He said, “It’s a state of shock… It’s better than I could’ve expected. My career has taken a lot of different turns. To do it like this is amazing.”

With a dominant regular season punctuated by an equally clinical postseason run, the Hurricanes proved exactly why they belong at the pinnacle of the hockey world.

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