The GIST: The Vegas Golden Knights are back in the Stanley Cup Final for the third time in just nine years of existence. And while folks often love to root for an underdog, this squad isn’t getting that same love for good reason. Let’s discuss their quest to hoist Lord Stanley for a second time.
▶️ How they got here: With just eight regular-season games remaining, Vegas shockingly fired head coach Bruce Cassidy (who won a Cup in Vegas in 2023) and hired another Stanley Cup–winning head coach, John Tortorella.
- It was a savvy move — the Knights have thrived under Torts, defeating both the Utah Mammoth and Anaheim Ducks in six games before sweeping the Presidents’ Trophy–winning Colorado Avalanche in the Western Conference Finals.
💪 Can right winger Mitch Marner lead the Golden Knights to victory?: To the dismay of Toronto Maple Leafs fans, playmaker Marner has excelled in the postseason: He’s the league’s playoff points leader (seven goals, 14 assists), just ahead of his teammate Jack Eichel, another favorite for the Conn Smythe Trophy.
- But Marner’s true lieutenant is linemate Brett Howden, who boasts 10 postseason goals, six of them assisted by Marner. A match made in icy heaven.
☝️ One more thing: We have to talk about Vegas’ starting goaltender Carter Hart, who, along with four other Canada world juniors players, was acquitted of sexual assault in July 2025. The fact that he’s in the NHL at all, especially after the league itself called the 2018 events “deeply troubling and unacceptable,” has led to massive outcry. We still have a long way to go.