Ehlers Scores Twice as Hurricanes Take Game 1 of Stanley Cup Final

Ehlers Scores Twice as Hurricanes Take Game 1 of Stanley Cup Final

Nikolaj Ehlers scored on the first shot of the series and added a second goal in the opening period as the Carolina Hurricanes defeated the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 1 of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final in Raleigh. Both of Ehlers’ goals were assisted by Jalen Chatfield. Shea Theodore scored on a fortunate bounce to cut the deficit to 2-1 for Vegas, but Carolina held on for the win.

The Golden Knights arrived in Raleigh having clinched the Western Conference title with a sweep of the Colorado Avalanche. Carolina reached the Final by sweeping the Ottawa Senators in the first round and the Philadelphia Flyers in the second, before defeating the Montreal Canadiens in five games in the Eastern Conference Final – recovering from a Game 1 loss to win four straight. The Final marks the Hurricanes’ third appearance in the championship series in franchise history.

Game 2 is scheduled for Thursday in Raleigh. The series then shifts to Las Vegas for Game 3 on Saturday and Game 4 the following Tuesday.