Stanley Cup makes its way to NC General Assembly

The Carolina Hurricanes’ Stanley Cup celebration moved from downtown Raleigh to the North Carolina General Assembly, as lawmakers in both chambers honored the team for capturing its second championship in franchise history.

During the celebrations, head coach Rod Brind’Amour, team captain Jordan Staal, forward Jordan Martinook, Hurricanes CEO Brian Fork, and the Stanley Cup itself were recognized by lawmakers in both chambers.

The Hurricanes defeated the Vegas Golden Knights in six games, clinching the title with a 3-0 Game 6 win in Las Vegas on June 14. It was Carolina’s second Stanley Cup, their first since 2006.

In the House, Speaker Destin Hall, R-Caldwell, jokingly asked Brind’Amour for a pregame-style pep talk as lawmakers worked through the final stages of budget negotiations.

“Coach, we are in the midst of a budget right now, and we are to the end, and we are in need of a little pep talk,” Hall said. “Whatever you said before Game 6, maybe say some of that to these folks.”

Brind’Amour responded with a message about unity, saying the Hurricanes’ championship run showed what a team can do — and what can happen when people from different backgrounds come together and unify an area around a shared goal.

Rep. Erin Paré, R-Wake, said the championship’s impact extends beyond hockey.

“The championship’s impact reaches far beyond the ice, showcasing Wake County as a destination for sports, business, and opportunity,” Paré said.

Rep. Mike Schietzelt, R-Wake, added that the team’s impact could be seen in the thousands of fans who gathered in downtown Raleigh for the championship celebration.

“The 180,000 people that came out for that parade, that was moments that parents shared with their children,” Schietzelt said. “Those were moments that friends shared with each other, that neighbors shared with each other. These men didn’t just entertain fans. They inspired our city, they inspired our state, and you can’t put a price tag on that.”

The House passed a resolution honoring the Hurricanes for their 2026 Stanley Cup championship, recognizing the team’s regular-season success, dominant playoff run, community engagement, and role in building civic pride across North Carolina.

In the Senate, lawmakers praised the Hurricanes for bringing North Carolinians together after the championship run.

Sen. Norman Sanderson, R-Carteret, said the team’s success showed the value of North Carolina’s investment in professional hockey.

“This team has shown all the people in this state what an investment — and a good investment — that we made and that your owners have made,” Sanderson said. “I’ve never in my life and certainly not in my career seen any event that brought this whole state together the way that you guys did.”

Sen. Ralph Hise, R-Mitchell, praised the organization’s work in western North Carolina after Hurricane Helene, saying the Hurricane Foundation helped rebuild sports fields in the region.

Sen. Tom McInnis, R-Richmond, said the Hurricanes helped introduce hockey to rural North Carolina.

“We want to thank you for bringing rural North Carolina, where I live, up to speed on such a fabulous game, a family game, a game that brings people together,” McInnis said.

Senate Leader Phil Berger, R-Rockingham, said the Hurricanes’ championship had united North Carolinians in a way few sports moments can.

“The UNC Tar Heels can win a national championship, and half the state is pulling for somebody else,” Berger said. “NC State can win one, and half the state is pulling for somebody else. But when you win the Stanley Cup, all of North Carolina is pulling for you.”

The General Assembly ceremonies came three days after more than 180,000 fans packed downtown Raleigh for the Hurricanes’ championship parade — a turnout officials said made it the largest single-day event in Raleigh history.

“Stanley Cup makes its way to NC General Assembly” was originally published on www.carolinajournal.com.