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Four Former Canucks To Take Part In The 2026 Stanley Cup Final
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- Four Former Canucks To Take Part In The 2026 Stanley Cup Final
Four former Vancouver Canucks will take part in the 2026 Stanley Cup Final pitting the Carolina Hurricanes against the Vegas Golden Knights .
Carolina, a strong team throughout the post-season, swept both the Ottawa Senators and Philadelphia Flyers before taking down the Montréal Canadiens in five games. This is their first Stanley Cup Final appearance since their championship win in 2006.
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Vegas, who defeated the Utah Mammoth and Anaheim Ducks in six games, swept the President's Trophy-winning Colorado Avalanche in the Western Conference Final to advance to their third Stanley Cup Final since their inaugural season in 2017–18.
Last year, five former Canucks took part in the Stanley Cup Final, with Nate Schmidt , Jonah Gadjovich , and Roberto Luongo (Advisor) of the Florida Panthers defeating Vasily Podkolzin and Troy Stecher of the Edmonton Oilers in six games.
These are the four former Canucks who will take part in the 2026 Stanley Cup Final.
Jalen Chatfield , Carolina Hurricanes
Chatfield spent less than 20 games with the Canucks, but stuck with the organization in the AHL for four seasons. He signed with Carolina in July of 2021 and has remained with the Hurricanes since. In his first season with Carolina, he won the Calder Cup Championship with their AHL-affiliate, the Chicago Wolves.
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During the 2025–26 regular season, Chatfield put together a career-high in assists with 15. He also took on a much larger chunk of minutes, averaging over 20 minutes per game through 72 matchups. The defenceman has already hit career-highs in playoff points and TOI this year, scoring a goal and four assists and averaging 22:12 minutes in 13 post-season games.
Nic Dowd , Vegas Golden Knights
Dowd was a Canuck for less than one full season, skating in only 40 games for Vancouver in 2017–18, before joining the Washington Capitals for nearly eight years. The forward was traded to the Golden Knights ahead of this year's trade deadline in exchange for goaltender Jesper Vikman and a 2027 third-round pick and a 2029 second-round pick.
As a staple centre in Vegas' bottom-six, Dowd has been one of the players that have performed well for the Golden Knights throughout their current playoff run, but has fallen under the radar. The centre has scored three goals and put up an assist in 16 games this post-season, potting two of these goals in his team's series against the Avalanche.
May 26, 2026; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Vegas Golden Knights center Nic Dowd (26) warms up before a game against the Colorado Avalanche in game four of the Western Conference Final of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images
Ben Hutton , Vegas Golden Knights
Hutton was drafted by the Canucks in the fifth round of the 2012 NHL Draft, playing for Vancouver from the 2015–16 season to 2018–19. The defenceman skated with the Los Angeles Kings , Anaheim Ducks , and Toronto Maple Leafs before finding a home in Vegas during the 2021–22 season. He hoisted the Stanley Cup as a member of the Vegas team that won the championship in 2023.
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So far this post-season, Hutton has played in a total of seven games for Vegas — six against ex-team Anaheim and one against the Avalanche — already five more than his total from the 2023 post-season. The defenceman collected an assist in Game 1 of the Western Conference Final, with this being his first career NHL playoff point.
John Tortorella, Vegas Golden Knights
Tortorella's time in Vancouver was polarizing, to say the least. The ex-Canucks head coach's stint in Vancouver lasted through only the 2013–14 season, with Tortorella bringing the Canucks to a record of 36–35–11 during this span of time. Vancouver did not make the post-season during Tortorella's time as head coach.
When the Golden Knights made the decision to replace head coach Bruce Cassidy with Tortorella at the end of March, many voiced opinions ranging from both concern and praise. Since then, however, Tortorella and the Golden Knights have lost only four post-season games, with Vegas' record under their new head coach being 19–4–1 dating back to when he was hired.
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2026 Stanley Cup Final Schedule:
Game 1: June 2, 5:00 pm PT
Game 2: June 4, 5:00 pm PT
Game 3: June 6, 5:00 pm PT
Game 4: June 9, 5:00 pm PT
*Game 5: June 11, 5:00 pm PT
*Game 6: June 14, 5:00 pm PT
*Game 7: June 17, 5:00 pm PT
Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News .
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