Jordan Staal Wins 2026 Conn Smythe at 37, Oldest Ever, as Hurricanes Win Cup

Jordan Staal was voted the 2026 Conn Smythe Trophy winner at 37 years, 277 days old, the oldest playoff MVP in NHL history, after captaining the Carolina Hurricanes to a 3-0 Game 6 shutout of the Vegas Golden Knights on Sunday night at T-Mobile Arena. Staal posted 8 goals and 4 assists in 19 playoff games, scored in each of the first five games of the Final, and became the first player since Maurice Richard in 1956 to do that. Carolina finished the postseason 16-3 and won the franchise's second Stanley Cup, twenty years after the 2006 banner. The wait, finally, is over for Brind'Amour's group.

The vote was not the highlight reel pick. It was the right one. Brandon Bussi was on a bus to AHL Charlotte in October before Carolina claimed him on waivers and the 27 year old rookie went 8-1 with two shutouts after taking the crease in Game 3 of the Final. Either name on the trophy fits. Staal got the votes because the Hurricanes do not get to Sunday without him on the wall and in the dot.

What Staal Actually Did

Staal averaged 19:48 of ice time in the Final and won 58.7% of his draws across the series, per NHL EDGE. He scored in five straight games, a stretch only Richard and Esa Tikkanen have hit in modern Cup Final history, and his Game 6 opener at 3:47 of the first period was the goal that broke the building. The 3-0 final score is the score. Staal's first-period rip past Carter Hart is the moment.

The line of Staal, Jordan Martinook, and Jesper Fast finished plus-9 across the six games and led the team in expected goals share at 5-on-5. They were on for zero high-danger chances against in Games 5 and 6 combined. That is the engine. That is why Vegas did not score a goal at home in a closeout game with the Cup on the ice.

Bussi Wins the Cup, Then Wins the Waivers Bet

Brandon Bussi stopped all 22 shots in Game 6 and finished the postseason 8-1 with a .936 save percentage in the final two rounds. He had not played a single NHL game in October 2025. Eight months later he beat Mark Stone, Jack Eichel, and Mitch Marner in a Stanley Cup closeout.

Frederik Andersen started the postseason as the number one and the first two rounds, then ran into trouble in the Final. Bussi got the net in Game 3 after Andersen was pulled in Game 2, and Brind'Amour never went back. The decision was the series. Carolina's penalty kill ran 89.5% across the final two games with Bussi behind it, up from 71.4% through the first four.

Hurricanes' Path: 16-3 Is Historic

Carolina lost three playoff games total and finished plus-22 in goal differential, the third best for any Cup winner since the salary cap era began in 2005-06. They dispatched the New York Islanders 4-0 in the first round, the Florida Panthers 4-1 in the second round, the Montreal Canadiens 4-1 in the Eastern Conference Final, and Vegas 4-2. Nine of their 16 wins were by multi-goal margins.

Sebastian Aho led all playoff scorers with 30 points (10G, 20A) and was on the Conn Smythe ballot. Andrei Svechnikov hit 9 goals. Seth Jarvis added 23 points. Carolina's depth scoring was the variable Vegas could not match. The Marner-Eichel-Stone top line generated chances but the second and third lines on both sides were not close. Carolina won the bottom-six battle every series.

Betting Impact

The 2026-27 Stanley Cup futures opened Sunday night on FanDuel with the Hurricanes at plus-1100 to repeat, the Edmonton Oilers at plus-650, Vegas at plus-700, and the Colorado Avalanche at plus-800 (lines pulled June 15 at 10:30 a.m. ET). Carolina at plus-1100 to repeat is the market saying the front office will let one or two of Aho, Svechnikov, or Andersen walk over the next two summers. Andersen is a UFA on July 1. Svechnikov is signed through 2026-27 at $7.75M. Aho is locked in through 2031-32.

Conn Smythe futures closed in a strange place. Mitch Marner closed at plus-200 on FanDuel entering Game 6 and never won the award despite leading all skaters in Final points (9 in 6 games). Bussi closed plus-700, Staal closed plus-1100. Tickets on Staal at the long number cashed. Voters split between the captain and the rookie goalie and the captain got the nod. For futures bettors, the takeaway is the obvious one. In a Cup Final that does not produce a singular signature performance, voters reward leadership and the moment-of-game-6 goal scorer. Bussi was the better statistical case. Staal was the story.

The Old Guard Question

Staal at 37 years, 277 days passed Tim Thomas's 2011 mark by 216 days as the oldest Conn Smythe winner. Only two other skaters over 35 have ever won the award (Patrick Roy in 2001 at 35, Bobby Orr in 1972 at 24, not that one). The skater-only record was Daniel Alfredsson territory and nobody had touched it. Staal has now.

He has two years left on a three year deal at $2.9M AAV. Carolina did not give him the C in 2019 by accident. The captaincy has held this group through three Eastern Conference Final exits, a $90M Mikko Rantanen mid-season trade that did not work, and the worst losing streak in franchise history in March. Sunday was the payoff.

What To Watch Next

Three things on the calendar between now and rings night.

1. NHL Awards. Bussi is plus-180 for the Calder at FanDuel as of Sunday night. He is the favorite over Macklin Celebrini and Connor Bedard. Voting closed before Game 6 but the narrative push will not hurt. 2. Andersen's UFA window opens July 1. Carolina will not match a starter contract elsewhere with Bussi in house. Edmonton, the Rangers, and the Devils have goalie needs. 3. Marner's first offseason after the trade. He scored 9 points in the Final and lost. His extension talks with Vegas resume immediately. He is signed through 2027-28 at $10.9M AAV.

For 2026-27 prop bettors, the early read on Carolina is unchanged. Aho will be a 90 point lock at minus-115 or shorter at the open. Svechnikov is a buy-low on goal totals after a 9 goal playoff run. Bussi's regular season starts number is the live one. Carolina will not give a rookie 65 starts in a Cup defense year unless they have to.

Chad AI tracks every team and skater prop on the daily slate inside the StatSniper app. Conn Smythe tickets, Calder odds, futures movement, all live.

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