By Alan Snel, LVSportsBiz.com Publisher-Writer
LAS VEGAS, Nevada — If the Carolina Hurricanes polish off Montreal in Game 5 in the Eastern Conference Final Friday, the Vegas Golden Knights will start the NHL Stanley Cup Final in Raleigh, NC in Game 1 on June 2, next Tuesday.
Under that scenario, the Golden Knights would host Game 3 on Saturday June 6 and Tuesday June 9 in Las Vegas. If a Game 6 is played in Las Vegas it would be Sunday June 14.
If the Carolina-Montreal ECF series extends to either a Game 6 or a Game 7, then the Eastern Conference champ would host the Golden Knights on June 4, the National Hockey League announced today. And the VGK would host Game 3 of the Cup Final at T-Mobile Arena Tuesday June 9 and Thursday June 11. And under this scenario, a Game 6 in Vegas would be Wednesday June 17.
Both Carolina and Montreal had more points than Vegas, so either the Hurricanes or the Canadiens will host Games 1 and 2 of the Cup Final.
The MLB Athletics, which plan to open a new stadium on the Strip in 2028, are also hosting six games the week of June 8.
Vegas knocked the Colorado Avalanche out of the playoffs with a four-game sweep to reach the Final.
The Knights had 95 points in the NHL’s 82-game season, finishing 12th out of the 16 playoff teams in points. But the Pacific Division champs are playing their best hockey of the season, defeating both Utah and Anaheim in six games each before sweeping Colorado, the team that piled up the most points in the league.
Vegas coach John Tortorella was hired as the VGK skipper with only eight games left in the season to spark what was then an under-performing hockey club.
The man known as “Torts” went 7-0-1 to finish the regular season, and has gone 12-4 in the postseason for a combined record of 19-4-1.
This photo from the VGK’s first Stanley Cup Final from 2018:
PSA