Stanley Cup Final ratings show Olympic hockey fever is alive and well in the United States
The Stanley Cup Playoffs are in the books and all the attention is on this week’s NHL Draft, some coaching moves and blockbuster trades, but there are reasons to celebrate.
Last week, the ratings for this year’s playoffs were announced and they were impressive.
Accordingly Sports Media MonitoringThe Stanley Cup Playoffs on ABC, ESPN and TNT Sports averaged 1.8 million viewers. This was the highest figure since 1996 at 1.56 million, up 68% on last year.
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Andrei Svechnikov of the Carolina Hurricanes holds the Stanley Cup after winning Game Six against the Vegas Golden Knights in the 2026 NHL Stanley Cup Final at T-Mobile Arena on June 14, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
Why?
There have been a lot of good matchups this season but I think there will be a bigger red, white, blue and gold A. Why hockey is currently being killed here in the USA.
It’s been an extraordinary six months for American hockey. Both the U.S. men’s and women’s teams won gold medals at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, with each victory coming in overtime. The men’s championship was particularly historic, marking the program’s first Olympic gold since the 1980 Miracle on Ice. These two victories captivated the country in a way few hockey games have seen in years.
The Olympics came on the heels of an incredible 4-Nation Challenge tournament in 2025 that was similarly well-received, and now the NHL — at least here in the United States — appears to be reaping the rewards of a move toward international play.
U.S. players, including Brady Tkachuk, celebrate after defeating Canada in the men’s ice hockey gold medal game at the Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena in Milan during the 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Milan Cortina on February 22, 2026. (Amber Searls/Imagn Images)
This has helped the game’s popularity across the country, and is perhaps part of the reason why this year’s Stanley Cup Final between the Carolina Hurricanes and Vegas Golden Knights is one of the top five most watched ever.
Of course, if you’ve watched it, you’ll know it’s a classic that features some of the craziest games in Stanley Cup Final history. But before it started, everyone was worried that a team from North Carolina and Las Vegas wouldn’t be able to attract the attention like the Original Six teams.
Yes, they did.
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The 2026 Stanley Cup Final between the Carolina Hurricanes and Vegas Golden Knights was one of the craziest games ever. (Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
Now it’s up to the league to keep that momentum going, and I think the key to that is to continue to focus on international hockey.
Fortunately, the recently announced plan for the 2027 All-Star Game on Long Island suggests that’s exactly the plan.
