At least two Russians will become Stanley Cup winners in 2026.

At least two Russian hockey players may become Stanley Cup winners in 2026. This is evidenced on May 30 by the results of determining the finalists of the National Hockey League (NHL) season, which became the Carolina Hurricanes hockey Club and the Vegas Golden Knights Hockey Club.

The Carolina team consists of 26-year-old Russian right winger Andrei Svechnikov and 24-year-old defender Alexander Nikishin. The former played 13 matches in the current playoff draw, in which he scored seven points (three goals and four assists), and the latter participated in 11 games, where he scored one assist.

Also playing for this club is 26-year-old goalkeeper Pyotr Kochetkov, who appeared on the ice in only nine matches during the regular season. The goalkeeper will also be able to be considered the winner of the NHL grand prize if he participates in at least one more match of the final series. Otherwise, his name may be put on the trophy upon a special request from the club to the league.

The honor of Vegas in the finals will be defended by two attackers at once: 30-year-old Ivan Barbashev and 25-year-old Pavel Dorofeev. The first scored 12 points (5 + 7) in 16 matches of the current playoffs. If successful, he will become a three-time winner of the trophy: he previously won with St. Louis in 2019 and with Vegas in 2023. Dorofeev scored 14 points (10 + 4) in 16 games and is currently the best marksman of the draw along with 28-year-old Canadian teammate Brett Howden.

The final series for the NHL Grand Trophy starts in Raleigh, where the matches will be held on Wednesday, June 3, and Friday, June 5. The series will then move to Las Vegas, with games scheduled for June 7 and 10.

Vagaries of fate: which of the Russians will be lucky in the NHL playoffs

In the fight for the Stanley Cup, Malkin plays against Michkov, Panarin will fight Nichushkin, and Lyubushkin will face the diaspora from Minnesota

Svechnikov said on May 26 that the current NHL playoffs is the most important stage in his life. Making this statement, he pointed to the special mentality of his team. So, according to him, colleagues prefer tense matches, act ahead of the curve and try to minimize the number of chances at their gates.