Favorite photos of Carolina Hurricanes fans in the quest for the 2026 Stanley Cup
By Scott Sharpe
Carolina Hurricanes fans are fiercely devoted to the NHL team, and that was all the more apparent during the quest for the Stanley Cup. After several hiccups over the years, 2026 was the year that maybe, just maybe, the Canes could win the whole shebang.
The Canes faithful seemed to grow each round of the series. You could see it as more tailgaters camped outside the Lenovo Center on game days; fans snatched up tickets for sold-out Lenovo Center watch parties for away games; and the sheer amount of joy that rippled across the city — and the state — when the Canes ultimately won the title on June 14. As captain Jordan Staal hoisted the massive Stanley Cup to the sky from Las Vegas, fans in North Carolina were right with him, even though they were 2,330 miles away.
Myranda Miller and Kaleb Snide (L-R) keep themselves cool with a miniature pool in the parking lot of the Lenovo Center on June 11, 2026, in Raleigh, North Carolina. The Carolina Hurricanes take on the Vegas Golden Knights for Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final. Ben Pennington ben.pennington@newsobserver.com
Kathryn Nix reacts while watching the first period of Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final during a watch party at Lenovo Center on Sunday, June 14, 2026, in Raleigh, N.C. Kaitlin McKeown kmckeown@newsobserver.com
Fans celebrate the Carolina Hurricanes’ Stanley Cup victory over the Vegas Golden Knights during a game 6 watch party at the Lenovo Center on Sunday, June 14, 2026, in Raleigh, N.C. Kaitlin McKeown kmckeown@newsobserver.com
Fans waited in the parking lot to greet the families of Carolina Hurricanes players outside Lenovo Center on June 15, 2026, in Raleigh, North Carolina, as they arrived back home following the Stanley Cup finals game 6, which took place in Las Vegas. Ben Pennington ben.pennington@newsobserver.com
The Stanley Cup makes an appearance at Teets bar in Raleigh's Glenwood South district on Monday, June 15, 2026, as Carolina Hurricanes fans celebrated with the team’s players and staff following the Hurricanes’ Stanley Cup final 4-2 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights the evening prior. Ben Pennington ben.pennington@newsobserver.com
Carolina Hurricanes fans celebrate the team's Stanley Cup Final victory at Teets in Raleigh's Glenwood South district as the Stanley Cup, accompanied by Hurricanes players and staff, makes an appearance during a victory celebration Monday, June 15, 2026. The Hurricanes defeated the Vegas Golden Knights 4-2 in the Stanley Cup Final to win the franchise's second championship since 2006. Travis Long tlong@newsobserver.com
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