Governor Stein Proclaims Stanley Cup Summer

Stanley Cup Summer

2026

By The Governor Of The State Of North Carolina

A Proclamation

Whereas, the Carolina Hurricanes have filled North Carolina with pride and excitement by winning the 2026 Stanley Cup Championship, securing the National Hockey League franchise’s second league title and first since 2006, proving once and for all that North Carolina is a hockey state and the puck stops here; and  

Whereas, the Hurricanes delivered a season of extraordinary performance and heart, overcoming injuries, seamlessly integrating new players, rising to the top of the NHL’s Eastern Conference, and powering through the postseason with a dominant 16-3 record – one of the most impressive playoff runs in NHL history; and  

Whereas, on June 14, 2026, the Hurricanes defeated the Vegas Golden Knights in six games, sealing the championship with a commanding 3-0 victory that reflected the team’s unmatched skill, defensive intensity, discipline, and unity; and  

Whereas, Coach Rod Brind’Amour, celebrated across North Carolina as a former championship captain and now a championship coach, has further cemented his legacy by leading the Hurricanes back to hockey’s pinnacle exactly 20 years after raising the Stanley Cup as a player; and  

Whereas, the championship run was powered by heroic goalkeeping from Freddie Andersen and Brandon Bussi; dazzling overtime-winning goals by Seth Jarvis, Nikolaj Ehlers, Jackson Blake, Taylor Hall, Jordan Martinook, and (almost) Mark Jankowski; elite defensive contributions anchored by Jaccob Slavin, K’Andre Miller, Jalen Chatfield, and Alexander Nikishin; winning performances from Logan Stankoven, Sebastian Aho, Andrei Svechnikov, Shayne Gostisbehere, and Eric Robinson; punishing pressure by Mark Carrier, Sean Walker, and Mike Reilly; and, most of all, a Conn Smythe Trophy-winning Stanley Cup Playoffs performance by team captain Jordan Staal; and

Whereas, the Hurricanes united North Carolina’s often fractious sports fans, who donned red, white, and black as they packed into the Lenovo Center and united in one roar at “The Loudest House in the NHL”; and

Whereas, the Hurricanes spark hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue for our local hotels, restaurants, and retail stores, and bars and restaurants statewide saw revenue surges as Caniacs flocked to lively watch parties during the playoff run; and  

Whereas, North Carolina proudly celebrates this historic achievement and honors the players, coaches, staff, ownership, and fans whose passion and dedication lifted the Hurricanes to victory and brought the Stanley Cup back to our state, where we honor this exceptional and memorable season with a shining new Hurricanes Highway sign along Raleigh’s Edwards Mill Road;

Now, Therefore, I, Josh Stein, Governor of the State of North Carolina, do hereby proclaim June 20, 2026, as the beginning of “Stanley Cup Summer” in North Carolina and commend its observance to all residents today and throughout the summer of 2026. Sound the siren! 

In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the Great Seal of the State of North Carolina at the Capitol in Raleigh this twenty-sixth day of May in the year of our Lord two thousand and twenty-sixth and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and fiftieth.