Revisiting the Golden Knights’ 2018 and 2023 Stanley Cup Finals – The Hockey Writers – Vegas Golden Knights

The Vegas Golden Knights prepare for their third trip to the Stanley Cup Final. On Tuesday night, the Golden Knifghts will face the Carolina Hurricanes in the first of what should be a fun Final. Both teams are looking for their second championship.

The Golden Knights have been in the league for only nine seasons, so the fact that they are already playing in their third Final is impressive. Today, let’s take a trip down memory lane to the Golden Knights’ appearances in the 2018 and 2023 Stanley Cup Finals.

The Unforgettable Run of 2018

Expansion teams traditionally struggle in their early years, often spending several seasons building a foundation before contending. Vegas shattered those expectations immediately, with a well-conducted expansion draft laying the groundwork for immediate success.

Led by head coach Gerard Gallant, the Golden Knights finished the regular season with a 51-24-7 record and 109 points, winning the Pacific Division. The roster featured players acquired in the expansion draft, including William Karlsson, Jonathan Marchessault, Reilly Smith, Nate Schmidt, and goaltender Marc-André Fleury. These players were left unprotected by their prior teams (or, in some cases, their prior team encouraged Vegas to select them), but the Golden Knights took them and built a contender.

The team’s playoff journey began with a sweep of the Los Angeles Kings in the first round. Vegas then defeated the San Jose Sharks in six games before eliminating the Winnipeg Jets in five games in the Western Conference Final.

Their success caught the attention of hockey fans everywhere. Many thought the team would be competitive following the expansion draft, but to reach the Stanley Cup Final was a whole other thing. The Golden Knights played with speed, confidence, and an underdog mentality, making them one of the league’s most compelling stories. Fleury was outstanding throughout the postseason, posting several dominant performances that helped propel the team to the Stanley Cup Final.

Waiting for Vegas in the championship series were the Washington Capitals, who were making their first Stanley Cup Final appearance since 1998. The Capitals, led by Alex Ovechkin, were determined to capture the franchise’s first championship.

The series began well for Vegas. The Golden Knights won Game 1 by a score of 6-4, igniting hopes that their magical season might end with a Stanley Cup. However, Washington responded by winning four consecutive games.

Ovechkin, Evgeny Kuznetsov, Nicklas Backstrom, and Braden Holtby proved too much for the expansion club. The Capitals captured the series in five games, clinching the Stanley Cup with a 4-3 victory in Game 5 at T-Mobile Arena. Ovechkin finally got his hands on the Stanley Cup at the expense of a historic inaugural season for Vegas.

“I just wanted to do whatever I can to help win the Cup. And we did it.”

Although the Golden Knights fell short of a championship, their inaugural season remains one of the greatest expansion campaigns in professional sports history. Reaching the Stanley Cup Final in their very first year transformed Vegas from a new franchise into an immediate NHL powerhouse.

Completing the Mission in 2023

After the disappointment of 2018, the Golden Knights remained among the league’s elite teams. They reached the conference finals again in 2020 and 2021, while also continuing to make aggressive roster moves aimed at winning a championship.

Key additions over the years included defenseman Alex Pietrangelo, center Jack Eichel, and several veteran contributors who strengthened an already talented core. While injuries created challenges during the 2022-23 regular season, Vegas still finished with a 51-22-9 record and captured the Pacific Division title.

Under first-year head coach Bruce Cassidy, the Golden Knights entered the playoffs as one of the Western Conference favorites. Their path to the Stanley Cup Final began with a six-game victory over the Winnipeg Jets in the opening round.

Vegas then defeated Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and the Edmonton Oilers in six games. The Golden Knights continued their impressive run by eliminating the Dallas Stars in six games during the Western Conference Final.

This time, Vegas entered the Stanley Cup Final with more experience and a deeper roster than the team that reached the championship round in 2018. The opponent was the Florida Panthers, who had become the Eastern Conference’s Cinderella story after upsetting several heavily favored teams.

From the opening game, Vegas controlled much of the series. Eichel emerged as a dominant two-way force, while Marchessault continued his excellent postseason performance. Defensemen Pietrangelo and Shea Theodore provided stability on the blue line, and goaltender Adin Hill delivered a series of strong performances after stepping into the starting role during the playoffs.

The Golden Knights won Games 1 and 2 at home before splitting Games 3 and 4 in Florida. Returning to Las Vegas with a 3-1 series lead, they delivered one of the most dominant Stanley Cup-clinching performances in recent memory.

Vegas crushed Florida 9-3 in Game 5. Mark Stone recorded a hat trick, but nearly every player on the roster got on the scoreboard in some way. With that convincing victory, the Golden Knights were Stanley Cup Champions.

Marchessault was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP after recording 25 points and leading the postseason with 13 goals.

Two Finals and One Championship

The Golden Knights’ Stanley Cup Final appearances in 2018 and 2023 showcase the organization’s remarkable success. The 2018 team captured the hockey world’s attention by reaching the Final during its inaugural season, while the 2023 squad finished the job by bringing the Stanley Cup to Las Vegas.

Together, those two appearances helped establish the Golden Knights as one of the NHL’s model franchises. In less than a decade, Vegas went from expansion newcomer to Stanley Cup champion, proving that smart management, aggressive roster construction, and a winning culture can accelerate success in the modern NHL.

For Golden Knights fans, the magical run of 2018 will always be remembered as the beginning of something special. The championship victory in 2023 ensured that the franchise’s story would include the ultimate prize: a Stanley Cup banner hanging in the rafters of T-Mobile Arena.

2026?

The Golden Knights now have the opportunity to write another championship chapter. Standing in their way is a franchise looking to end a 20-year championship drought.

It will take four to seven games to determine how this chapter in the Golden Knights’ history ends. Our advice? Enjoy the series. The Stanley Cup Final is here!