CHL Alumni Define Final; 10 Win Stanley Cup with Hurricanes
OHL Ontario Hockey League

CHL Alumni Define Final; 10 Win Stanley Cup with Hurricanes

Published on June 19, 2026 under Ontario Hockey League (OHL) News Release


TORONTO, ON - The 2026 Stanley Cup Final once again showcased the Canadian Hockey League's impact at the highest level of the game, with alumni from the Western Hockey League (WHL), Ontario Hockey League (OHL), and Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) playing a leading role throughout the championship series between the Carolina Hurricanes and Vegas Golden Knights.

In total, 29 CHL alumni competed in the Stanley Cup Final, accounting for roughly half of all players who appeared in the series - more than any other development hockey league in the world. Both captains - Jordan Staal (Peterborough Petes / OHL) and Mark Stone (Brandon Wheat Kings / WHL) - developed in the CHL, while alumni from the WHL, OHL and QMJHL accounted for 31 of the 42 goals scored (73.8%) and 70 of the 111 total points recorded (63.1%) across the six-game championship series.

That impact extended to the Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes, who defeated the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 6 on Sunday night to capture the second National Hockey League (NHL) championship in franchise history and first since 2006. Carolina's championship roster featured 10 CHL alumni, including four OHL graduates, three QMJHL graduates, and three WHL graduates.

The Hurricanes' victory extended a remarkable run for the CHL, marking the eighth straight season that at least 10 alumni from the WHL, OHL or QMJHL have won the Stanley Cup.

Leading the way for Carolina was Staal, who was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs MVP. The Hurricanes captain became the oldest player in NHL history to win the award, while also becoming the first player in League history to go 17 years between Stanley Cup victories after previously winning the championship with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2009.

Staal's win marked the fourth straight year that a CHL alumnus has captured the Conn Smythe Trophy, following Sam Bennett (Kingston Frontenacs / OHL) in 2025, Connor McDavid (Erie Otters / OHL) in 2024, and Jonathan Marchessault (Québec Remparts / QMJHL) in 2023. It also marked the seventh time in the last 10 years that a CHL alumnus has received the honour.

The 37-year-old delivered a dominant performance in the Stanley Cup Final, scoring in each of the first five games of the series to tie the NHL record for the longest goal streak in a Final. Staal finished the championship series with six goals and seven points, set a Hurricanes franchise record for goals in a playoff series, and led the NHL in playoff face-off wins.

Carolina's CHL alumni lead championship run

Fellow CHL alumni Taylor Hall (Windsor Spitfires / OHL), Logan Stankoven (Kamloops Blazers / WHL), and Nikolaj Ehlers (Halifax Mooseheads / QMJHL) also played key roles in powering Carolina's championship run. Hall scored the Stanley Cup-clinching goal in Game 6 to win his first championship after 1,062 career NHL games and seven NHL franchises.

Hall and Stankoven helped drive one of Carolina's most productive forward lines alongside Jackson Blake, with the trio combining for 25 goals and 55 points during the postseason, including 22 points across four potential series-clinching games. Stankoven led the Stanley Cup champion Hurricanes with 11 goals during the 2026 postseason, finishing one shy of the single-postseason franchise record of 12, set during Carolina's 2006 Stanley Cup run.

Ehlers also made history as one of the first three Danish players in NHL history to win the Stanley Cup, joining Hurricanes teammate Frederik Andersen and Lars Eller in achieving the feat.

Several members of Carolina's championship roster arrived with decorated CHL résumés. Hall won back-to-back Memorial Cup titles and OHL Championships with Windsor in 2009 and 2010. He also captured the Stafford Smythe Memorial Trophy as Memorial Cup MVP in both years - making him the only player in CHL history to win the award in consecutive seasons - earned the Ed Chynoweth Trophy as the Memorial Cup's top scorer in 2010, and was named CHL Rookie of the Year, OHL Rookie of the Year, and OHL Playoff MVP during his junior career. Hall was recently voted No. 48 on the CHL's Top 50 Players of the Last 50 Years list.

Stankoven also brought major CHL credentials to Carolina's Cup-winning roster. The former Kamloops captain was named CHL David Branch Player of the Year and WHL Player of the Year in 2021-22, won the WHL's Brad Hornung Memorial Trophy as Most Sportsmanlike Player, and later claimed both the Ed Chynoweth Trophy as the tournament leading scorer and George Parsons Trophy as Most Sportsmanlike Player at the 2023 Memorial Cup.

Carolina's CHL connections extended throughout the lineup. Ehlers was named CHL Rookie of the Year in 2013-14 after a 104-point season with Halifax, while also earning QMJHL Rookie of the Year honours and the Michael Bossy Trophy as the league's top professional prospect. Seth Jarvis (Portland Winterhawks / WHL) won the Brad Hornung Trophy as the WHL's Most Sportsmanlike Player in 2019-20, while Andrei Svechnikov (Barrie Colts / OHL) was named the CHL Top Prospect Award winner and OHL Rookie of the Year in 2017-18. The roster also included Jalen Chatfield (Windsor Spitfires / OHL), a 2017 Memorial Cup champion with Windsor, and Staal, who helped Peterborough capture the 2006 OHL Championship before appearing in that year's Memorial Cup.

The CHL's presence extended throughout the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs. In total, more than 190 CHL alumni competed during the NHL postseason, representing more than 45% of the 420+ players taking part and giving the CHL the largest representation of any development league in the world.

Quick Facts

Seven of the top 10 scorers in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs were CHL alumni: Mitch Marner (Vegas Golden Knights / London Knights - OHL), Taylor Hall (Carolina Hurricanes / Windsor Spitfires - OHL), Nikolaj Ehlers (Carolina Hurricanes / Halifax Mooseheads - QMJHL), Brett Howden (Vegas Golden Knights / Moose Jaw Warriors - WHL), Shea Theodore (Vegas Golden Knights / Seattle Thunderbirds - WHL), Nick Suzuki (Montreal Canadiens / Owen Sound Attack & Guelph Storm - OHL), and Logan Stankoven (Carolina Hurricanes / Kamloops Blazers - WHL).

Eight of the top nine goal scorers in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs were CHL alumni: Brett Howden (Vegas Golden Knights / Moose Jaw Warriors - WHL), Logan Stankoven (Carolina Hurricanes / Kamloops Blazers - WHL), Mitch Marner (Vegas Golden Knights / London Knights - OHL), Nikolaj Ehlers (Carolina Hurricanes / Halifax Mooseheads - QMJHL), Jordan Staal (Carolina Hurricanes / Peterborough Petes - OHL), Taylor Hall (Carolina Hurricanes / Windsor Spitfires - OHL), Nathan MacKinnon (Colorado Avalanche / Halifax Mooseheads - QMJHL), and Mark Stone (Vegas Golden Knights / Brandon Wheat Kings - WHL).

Shea Theodore (Vegas Golden Knights / Seattle Thunderbirds - WHL) led all defencemen in scoring during the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs with 18 points, while also finishing tied for fifth among all skaters in postseason assists with 12.

The Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes and finalist Vegas Golden Knights were two of 12 playoff teams to feature 10 or more CHL alumni on their roster during the 2026 NHL postseason.

The CHL's development impact extended beyond players in the 2026 Stanley Cup Final, with six of the eight officials who worked the series (75%) having officiating roots in the WHL, OHL or QMJHL.

The CHL's impact also extended beyond the ice, with 28 alumni represented in hockey operations and team staff roles across Carolina and Vegas.

Complete list of the 10 CHL alumni who won the Stanley Cup in 2026

Carolina Hurricanes (10)

William Carrier (Cape Breton Eagles & Drummondville Voltigeurs / QMJHL), Jalen Chatfield (Windsor Spitfires / OHL), Nicolas Deslauriers (Rouyn-Noranda Huskies & Gatineau Olympiques / QMJHL), Nikolaj Ehlers (Halifax Mooseheads / QMJHL), Taylor Hall (Windsor Spitfires / OHL), Seth Jarvis (Portland Winterhawks / WHL), Jordan Martinook (Vancouver Giants / WHL), Jordan Staal (Peterborough Petes / OHL), Logan Stankoven (Kamloops Blazers / WHL), Andrei Svechnikov (Barrie Colts / OHL)

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