Hurricanes' Staal, 37, oldest Conn Smythe winner

Greg WyshynskiJun 14, 2026, 11:24 PM ET

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Greg Wyshynski is ESPN's senior NHL writer.

Carolina Hurricanes captain Jordan Staal won the Conn Smythe Trophy for most valuable player in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, becoming the oldest player to win the award at age 37.

The Hurricanes won the Stanley Cup for the second time in franchise history and the first time since 2006, eliminating the Vegas Golden Knights in six games on Sunday night.

The winner of the Conn Smythe in that Cup run was rookie goaltender Cam Ward. Staal became the first player in NHL history to go 17 years from one Stanley Cup to the next, adding to a championship he won with the 2009 Pittsburgh Penguins. The previous mark of 16 years was held by Chris Chelios (1986 to 2002).

The Conn Smythe is determined by a vote by a panel of the Professional Hockey Writers Association. Staal had 12 points in 18 playoff games. He's the fourth straight forward to win the Conn Smythe Trophy.

Staal was traded from Pittsburgh to Carolina in 2012 and he spent the next 14 seasons with the Hurricanes; he ranks second in franchise history with 972 games played. While he had 499 points with Carolina, Staal was best known as one of the most dominant defensive centers in the NHL, despite never winning the Selke Trophy as best defensive forward.

Both sides of his game were on display in the Hurricanes' run to the Stanley Cup. Staal's checking line frequently took on the toughest defensive assignments through all four rounds. He was dominant in the faceoff circle: Entering Game 6, Staal won 56.4% of his faceoffs throughout the playoffs. He was especially dominant in the Stanley Cup Final with a 69% faceoff winning percentage.

But it was Staal's offensive game that ultimately won him playoff MVP honors. The Hurricanes center scored six goals in the first five games against the Golden Knights. He became just the fifth player in NHL history to score a goal in five straight Stanley Cup Final games.

"He's doing it all right now and it's a lot of fun to watch. That's what you want your captain to do," said teammate Jackson Blake. "He's done so many good things for us. He's so good defensively, but scoring every night, winning face offs, penalty killing, on the power play, you name it -- he's doing it. So he's been special and a lot of fun to watch."