The Stanley Cup Playoffs are in the books, and all the attention has turned to this week’s NHL Draft — and some coaching moves and blockbuster trades — but there’s reason to celebrate.
Last week, the ratings for this year’s playoffs came out, and they were impressive.
According to Sports Media Watch, the Stanley Cup Playoffs on ABC, ESPN, and TNT Sports averaged 1.8 million viewers. That’s up 68% over last year, and the highest since 1996, which topped out at 1.56 million.
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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 in Las Vegas, Nevada, on June 14, 2026. (Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
The reason?
Well, there were a lot of good matchups this season, but I think there’s one bigger red, white, blue and gold reason why hockey is killing it right now here in the U S of A.
It has been a remarkable six months for American hockey. The U.S. men’s and women’s teams both captured gold at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, with each victory coming in overtime. The men’s title was especially historic, marking the program’s first Olympic gold since the 1980 Miracle on Ice. Together, the two wins captivated the nation in a way few hockey games have in years.
The Olympics came on the heels of the incredible 4 Nations Face-Off tournament in 2025 that was similarly well received, and now it looks like the NHL — at least here in the United States — is reaping the rewards of leaning into the international game.
United States players including Brady Tkachuk celebrate after defeating Canada in the men’s ice hockey gold medal game at the Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games on Feb. 22, 2026. (Amber Searls/Imagn Images)
That has helped the game’s popularity nationwide, and maybe that’s a reason why this year’s Stanley Cup Final between the Carolina Hurricanes and the Vegas Golden Knights wound up being one of the top five most-watched ever.
Sure, if you watched, you’ll know that it was an instant classic with a couple of the wildest games in Stanley Cup Final history. But, before it started, everyone was worried that a team from North Carolina and another from Las Vegas wouldn’t bring in eyeballs like a pair of Original Six teams.
Well, they did.
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The 2026 Stanley Cup Final between the Carolina Hurricanes and Vegas GOlden Knights was one of the wildest ever. (Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
Now, it’s up to the league to keep up this momentum, and I think a key to that is to continue to lean into international hockey.
Fortunately, the recently announced plan for the 2027 All-Star Game on Long Island shows that’s precisely the plan.
