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Andrei Svechnikov will celebrate this Stanley Cup win for a long time.
In their eighth straight playoff appearance, the Carolina Hurricanes finally got over the hump and brought the Cup back to North Carolina for the first time since 2006.
The first stop on Svechnikov’s celebratory tour was a Raleigh Raising Cane’s where he got to take pictures, sign autographs and serve up some combos to some Caniacs, both the food and the team.
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Andrei Svechnikov celebrated his Stanley Cup win with Carolina Hurricanes fans at Raising Cane’s. (Repeal of Cane’s)
Fans had waited a long time and suffered years of heartache before getting the trophy back, while Svechnikov had a front row seat to it all.
The second overall pick by the Canes (not the Raisings) in the 2018 NHL Draft, Svechnikov has never missed the playoffs. But he always lost his last game of the season.
Three times it came in the Eastern Conference Final; three more times it was in the semifinals, and the second time came in the first round.
Of course, Svechnikov would appreciate this title, regardless of when it came. But knowing he’d been so close so many times, he’s definitely taking it in a little more.
Andrei Svechnikov of the Carolina Hurricanes holds the Stanley Cup after winning Game Six against the Vegas Golden Knights in the 2026 NHL Stanley Cup Final at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on June 14, 2026. (Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
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“Just when you think about how much we went through, how much hard work we went through, and you know, we’ve been knocked out in every playoff, pretty much, it was kind of a kick in the butt every time,” Svechnikov told Pakinomist Digital in a recent interview.
“But we knew at one point we were going to win the Stanley Cup and this was the year. So, you know, very excited and we did it this year.”
It didn’t come easy – the Vegas Golden Knights took a 2-1 lead in the series and looked well on their way to their second Cup in their short history.
But there was never any doubt for Svechnikov.
Andrei Svechnikov of the Carolina Hurricanes poses on the ice with confetti after game six of the 2026 NHL Stanley Cup Final against the Vegas Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nev., on June 14, 2026. (Ben Jackson/NHLI via Getty Images)
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“We just knew what we had in the locker room, in each other. We supported each other, the coaching staff did such a good job preparing us for every game, and we picked up a little momentum after that.”
