Jordan Staal has done it before. But not like this.
Seventeen years after lifting the Stanley Cup as a 20-year-old with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Staal once again found himself holding hockey’s greatest prize.
Only this time, pretty much everything was different.
He was no longer the young player learning from veteran leaders. He was the captain, the example. The player his teammates looked toward during the most difficult moments of a championship journey—the better part of two decades in the making.
And after years of heartbreak, frustration, and falling just short, Staal and the Carolina Hurricanes finally broke through.
“We’re just so proud of this group. To be able to pull this off is a dream come true,” an emotional Staal told Sportsnet moments after the final horn.
It was an historic championship run for Staal, who became the oldest Conn Smythe Trophy winner in NHL history. His 17-year gap between Stanley Cup victories was also the longest stretch between championships by a player in league history.
Even at this stage of his career, the 37-year-old was not simply along for the ride. The Hurricanes captain played some of the best hockey of his career when it mattered most, including a dominant postseason in the faceoff circle where he won nearly 70 percent of his draws—setting a new playoff record.
“Good time to get hot, hey?” Staal laughed. “I mean, my goodness. I just wanted it. I wanted to win so bad. That’s it.”
But the journey to get there was anything but easy. The Hurricanes had spent years knocking on the door. Over the last eight seasons, no NHL team won more combined regular-season and playoff games than Carolina. The Hurricanes became the definition of consistency, building one of the league’s most respected organizations under head coach Rod Brind’Amour.
They were close. Over and over again. But that final step up the ladder remained the hardest one to fully reach.
“Yeah, I learnt a lot about perseverance and trusting God and all those things,” Staal said. “It’s life, and it’s been such a grind. We’ve been grinding with these guys for so long. Just trying to break through, trying to break through, keeping at it and, my goodness, we pulled it off. I can’t describe it.”
That perseverance became part of Carolina’s identity.
During the final stretch of their championship season, the Hurricanes went 53 consecutive regular-season and playoff games without losing two straight contests—a reflection of the consistency, belief, and resilience built over years. For Staal, that made the breakthrough even more meaningful.
“I always admired that. Sticking with it,” Staal said. “I know some guys jumped ship, but I believed in this organization and everyone in it. From Roddy and Tom taking over all the way through. It’s just such an amazing feeling to build something like that and be a part of that. I can’t imagine anything better.”
Asked by ESPN what the previous 17 years taught him, Staal’s answer was simple:
“Perseverance, trust in God, my family,” he said. “I don’t want to get emotional—but those things for sure.”
For teammate Jaccob Slavin, seeing Staal finally reach that moment was special.
Slavin has spent his entire NHL career in Carolina with Staal as his captain, watching firsthand the leadership required to keep pushing through years of disappointment.
“To the organization, he’s the face of the franchise,” Slavin told NHL Network. “He’s been my captain my whole career. I wouldn’t want any other captain. He’s the best captain I could ask for. The leader that he is on and off the ice, in the room, in the community. He’s amazing.”
Staal was not the only Hurricanes leader whose faith shaped his perspective throughout the journey. For Slavin, the championship capped off a remarkable year of his own.
After helping the United States capture Olympic gold earlier in the season, Slavin became just the second American player ever to win Olympic gold and the Stanley Cup in the same year, joining Ken Morrow, who accomplished the feat in 1980. But when asked about everything he had accomplished, Slavin’s response had nothing to do with trophies.
“It’s unbelievable. Another big thing growing up in the Slavin household is that we put Christ first in everything,” Slavin told Sportsnet. “So, all the glory goes to God. Just thankful for this opportunity to represent Him, but oh this feels good. This feels real good.”
Slavin’s season also came with challenges. Injuries forced him to miss time and created uncertainty, making the ending even more meaningful.
“This year’s been pretty crazy,” the Canes’ alternate captain added. “Being injured the most I’ve ever been injured, but as rewarding as a gold medal and a Stanley Cup are, like I said, all the glory goes to God and that’s where my true fulfillment comes from.”
That perspective remained consistent even after reaching the top of the hockey world.
“I had to really lean into my relationship with Christ and just trust in his timing,” Slavin told NHL Network. “I look at the whole year and the word that comes to my mind is grateful. Grateful for the opportunity to win a gold medal, to represent Christ on a world stage and now with the Cup, represent Him in the biggest stage of hockey with the Stanley Cup Playoffs.”
For Staal and Slavin, the Stanley Cup represented years of work, sacrifice, and perseverance. But that was not where they found their identity.
“It’s amazing to win those things. It’s rewarding, but at the end of the day, it’s not where my joy is found,” Slavin said.
After years of chasing hockey’s greatest prize, Carolina finally reached the top. And for two of the leaders who helped them get there, the journey was well worth the wait.
About
