Dramatic Game 1 of Stanley Cup Final draws big audience

Field Level Media|published: Fri 5th June, 13:38 2026

Jun 2, 2026; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Vegas Golden Knights center Tomas Hertl (48) celebrates scoring during the third period against the Carolina Hurricanes in game one of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images

Game 1 of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final drew its largest audience in seven years.

An average of 4.8 million viewers on ABC watched the opening contest of the best-of-seven series between the Vegas Golden Knights and Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday in Raleigh, N.C.

That represents a 98% increase from Game 1 of last season's finals between the Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers that aired on TNT Sports. Game 1 of that series drew 2.4 million viewers.

Tuesday's game marked the highest-viewed opening contest of a Stanley Cup Final since the St. Louis Blues squared off against the Boston Bruins on NBC in 2019. That contest drew 5.25 million viewers.

Tuesday's contest peaked in the third period at 5.5 million viewers, with Golden Knights forward Tomas Hertl scoring the game-winning goal with 3:24 remaining in a 5-4 victory.

The Hurricanes evened the series at one win apiece on Thursday, as Seth Jarvis scored 3:56 into overtime to cement a 4-3 victory.

The series shifts to Las Vegas for Game 3 on Saturday night.

--Field Level Media

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