The Carolina Hurricanes captured the Stanley Cup on Sunday with a dominant 3-0 shutout victory over the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 6, clinching the series 4-2 and securing the franchise’s first championship since 2006.
When all was said and done, Hurricanes captain Jordan Staal was rewarded for his postseason performance by winning the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP. That result left many fans wondering about the fate of Mitch Marner, who finished as the NHL’s leading playoff scorer.
Mitch Marner’s Conn Smythe Bid Falls Short
Despite leading all players in postseason scoring, Marner received just six points in Conn Smythe voting, showing how heavily voters weighed Vegas’ late-series collapse and his drop in production during the Final.
The Professional Hockey Writers Association uses a 5-3-1 voting system, awarding five points for a first-place vote, three points for a second-place vote, and one point for a third-place vote.
Marner’s six points came from one second-place vote and three third-place votes.
His Stanley Cup Final was a Jekyll and Hyde tale. Through the first three games, Marner looked like the clear Conn Smythe favorite. He recorded three goals and four assists, including a historic natural hat trick in Game 3 that broke a 69-year-old Stanley Cup Final record held by Maurice Richard. By that point, Marner had 28 playoff points in 21 games and was leading the postseason in scoring.
However, the final three games told a different story. Carolina adjusted its game plan and did an excellent job limiting Vegas’ top players. Marner was held to just one assist over Games 4, 5, and 6, struggled on the power play, and posted a minus-5 rating as the Golden Knights lost three straight games and the series.
Meanwhile, Staal surged at exactly the right time.
Although the veteran captain entered the Stanley Cup Final with just five points in 13 playoff games, he elevated his game when it mattered most. Staal scored in each of the first five games of the series, tying an NHL record previously shared by legends such as Yvan Cournoyer and Jean Béliveau. Along with his six goals in the Final, he dominated in the faceoff circle and played a major role in slowing down Vegas’ top line.
That combination of offensive production, leadership, and defensive impact gave voters a compelling case as ballots were being finalized.
History was also working against Marner. Winning the Conn Smythe while playing for the losing team is one of the rarest achievements in hockey. It has happened only six times in NHL history, most recently when Connor McDavid won the award in 2024 despite Edmonton falling short in the Stanley Cup Final.
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In the end, Marner led the playoffs in scoring and helped Vegas reach the Stanley Cup Final, but his quiet finish allowed Jordan Staal to claim the Conn Smythe Trophy.
