When will the Stanley Cup Final begin? Here are dates that make sense
When will the Stanley Cup Final begin? Here are dates that make sense
Mike Brehm, USA TODAY Thu, May 28, 2026 at 3:51 AM UTC
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The Vegas Golden Knights have clinched a trip to the Stanley Cup Final with a sweep of the Colorado Avalanche.
Now they're waiting to find out whether they will face the Carolina Hurricanes or the Montreal Canadiens in the championship round. The Hurricanes took a 3-1 lead in the Eastern Conference finals with a 4-0 win on Wednesday, May 27.
But when will the Stanley Cup Final begin?
Generally, the NHL will move up the Final if the conference finals wrap up in five games. Here are opening dates that make sense if that happens or if the Canadiens extend the series.
If Eastern Conference finals end in five games
June 2 would be the ideal starting date.
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That's already set aside for Game 7 in Raleigh, North Carolina. Game 5 would be May 29 in North Carolina, so there's plenty of time for the Golden Knights to fly to Raleigh and for the NHL to hold media days.
If Eastern Conference finals end in six or seven games
How about June 4?
ABC is showing both the Stanley Cup Final and the NBA Finals, so there aren't a lot of open dates. June 4 would fall between Games 1 and 2 of the NBA Finals.
And nothing is going on at the Lenovo Center (Hurricanes) and Bell Centre (Canadiens) that day. The Stanley Cup Final will begin at the home of the East champion, regardless of who wins.
If there is a Game 7, it might be a tight turnaround for the Golden Knights to fly to the winning team's city and take part in media days, but it can be done.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Stanley Cup Final opening day: Here are dates that make sense
Source: “AOL Sports”
