Former Blue Jacket, Eric Robinson, Wins Stanley Cup with Carolina Hurricanes!

It's all over, and the Carolina Hurricanes have captured Lord Stanley's Cup for the first time in over two decades! On that team, former Blue Jacket Eric Robinson, who spent his first 7 seasons in the NHL with Columbus after being undrafted. He then spent a season in Buffalo with the Sabers before joining the Hurricanes in Carolina last season. In his first season with the Hurricanes, he played every regular-season game and helped the team get to the playoffs with a 14-18-32 season.  They'd get past the New Jersey Devils and then the Washington Capitals in Rounds 1 and 2 of the playoffs, but fall short to the Florida Panthers in the Eastern Conference Final. Then, as we all know, the Planthers went on to capture their second cup in as many seasons. This season, from the start of the playoffs, though, I think we can all agree that Carolina felt different. 

After playing in 67 of the 82 regular-season games, finishing with a 12-6-18, Eric Robinson and the Hurricanes went back to work in the playoffs. Their fire and desire to prove doubters wrong took hold, and they never looked back. The Hurricanes would take down the Ottawa Senators 4 games to none, then the Philadelphia Flyers, again, 4 games to none, advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals, again. The Montreal Canadians would prove that the Hurricanes could be beaten in Game 1, but then the Hurricanes won the next 4 games, punching their ticket to the 2026 Stanley Cup Finals. 

The first 3 games of the 2026 Stanley Cup final would go to overtime. The Vegas Golden Knights would win Games 1 and 3 by the same score, 5-4, while the Carolina Hurricanes woudl win Game 2, 4-3. But, then, the Hurricanes would dig deep and win Game 4, 5-3, on the road, followed by Game 5 at home, 4-2. This would all lead up to Game 6 tonight, on the road, in Vegas. The Hurricanes were dominant from start to finish, shutting out the Knights, 3-0, claiming Lord Stanley's Cup in 6 Games! 

Eric Robinson, who appeared in 18 of the Hurricanes' 2026 Playoff Games, finished with a 3-5-8! Robby, as he was known in Columbus, is now on the Stanley Cup forever, and I could not be happier for him. He earned this. It should be an example to any kid playing hockey that just because you are undrafted, it does not mean you cannot achieve every goal you've ever had for yourself in this league. 

Congratulations, Robby, and GO CANES! 


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