Jordan Staal is carrying Carolina through the Stanley Cup Final—two wins away from putting his name on the Lord Stanley’s Cup for a second time—while his five goals in the first four games have put him in rare company with Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux.
RALEIGH — The Stanley Cup Final doesn’t usually wait for anyone, but Jordan Staal is sprinting through his moment.
Carolina’s captain arrives in Game 5 tied at 2 against Vegas, needing just two more wins to get his name etched onto the Lord Stanley’s Cup for the second time. Through the first four games, he has scored five goals—matching a feat shared only with hockey icons Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux.
What’s making the surge travel with such force is that it isn’t showing up as flashy randomness. It’s threaded through everything people describe about him in the room: preparation, consistency, and the tone he sets when the stakes climb.
“You see the way Jordan plays every night,” Carolina forward Jordan Martinook said ahead of Game 5. “Some stretches aren’t filled with however many goals he’s scoring right now. but every night he is the guy that sets the tone for our team and. in the most important series of our season. he’s setting the tone every night and playing phenomenal. That just shows you what type of captain he is.”.
Asked what makes Staal such a leader, Martinook answered with a simple question back: “How much time [do] we have?”
That question lands because Staal’s story has always been about using the time he’s been given. His leadership has been part of the franchise identity for years, and it’s arriving now in a series where goals do the talking.
Carolina coach Rod Brind’Amour—himself a former Hurricanes captain—puts it bluntly: when he watches Staal, he feels like he’s cheating.
“When you watch him all the time, you kind of get spoiled. I coach him all the time, I know I’m spoiled with that player,” Brind’Amour said. “It’s great that you guys get to see it because that’s what he is, night in, night out for however long he’s been around.”
Staal reached the Stanley Cup Final in 2008 and won the Stanley Cup in 2009 with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Traded to the Hurricanes in 2012, it has taken him 17 seasons to get back to this stage. He has played more than 1,400 career regular-season games, and Game 5 will be his 180th playoff game.
Staal talked about leadership the way some players talk about fundamentals—no theatrics, just repetition.
“Showing up ready to work is probably the biggest thing, no matter what,” Staal said. “Whatever’s going on, just being consistent with that. I believe in that.”
If Carolina can close this series, that consistency could convert into the biggest kind of recognition. A Conn Smythe Trophy for Staal is possible if the Hurricanes win, and when his career is over, it’s likely he will join his brother, Eric, in having his jersey retired above the Lenovo Center ice.
And there is more to the captain than the goals—though they’ve become impossible to ignore. Known for his defensive prowess, Staal is often matched up with the other team’s top line. In this series, he has played a big part in keeping Vegas star Jack Eichel in check. His faceoff ability has also been a steady weapon.
But during this Final, the offensive side has become part of his reputation’s headline.
Staal has seven goals in the playoffs. He has been a constant force in front of the net during the Final, including a Game 4 that Carolina won 5-3 with Staal delivering two goals.
“He’s big and strong and he takes every shift like it’s his last and takes a lot of pride in that. ” Brind’Amour said. “He takes pride in being the leader of this team and does it by example. We’re putting some good players with him that now can really bring out the other side of him. Everyone knew he was a good defensive player, but he’s got some real offensive abilities, too. Just for whatever reason, now the goals are going in. He’s always played like this.”.
In that 5-3 Game 4 win, Vegas coach John Tortorella didn’t mince words after seeing Staal’s impact up close. Tortorella said the 6-foot-4. 220-pound Staal was “killing us in front of the net.” Both of Staal’s goals came from in front of goaltender Carter Hart—one off a rebound and the other off a broken play. Staal was falling down as he backhanded the shot, and he celebrated while face down on the ice.
Even the people who’ve lived with him for years describe the same engine. Defenseman Jaccob Slavin, who has been teammates with Staal since 2015, called him one of the hardest workers on the team and someone who always wants to get better.
“He loves every guy in this room. He cares for every guy in this room,” Slavin said. “When he’s on the ice. he expects a lot from himself. he expects a lot from us. he leads by example. leads with his voice. Guys look up to him. He’s one of those guys that carries respect with him and guys respect that. He’s been here for a very long time. He leads by example.”.
And when Staal does speak, people listen. Martinook said it carries weight.
“When he’s playing like the way he’s playing,” Martinook said, “I don’t think he needs to say anything.”
For Carolina, that might be the most frightening part. In a series tied at 2 and headed into Game 5 in Raleigh, Staal isn’t just scoring. He’s setting the rhythm—until the next two wins turn a captain’s preparation into permanent history.
Jordan Staal Carolina Hurricanes Vegas Golden Knights Stanley Cup Final Game 5 Lord Stanley's Cup Conn Smythe Rod Brind'Amour Carter Hart Jack Eichel