LAS VEGAS (AP) — The Vegas Golden Knights’ improbable run through the Stanley Cup Final came to a crashing halt Sunday night with a 3-0 loss to Carolina in Game 6.
Vegas, which has been to the Cup final three times in its nine-year existence, had never been shutout in a Stanley Cup Final game.
Click to Gallery
Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Brandon Bussi (32) stops a shot from Vegas Golden Knights right wing Mark Stone (61) during the first period in Game 6 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Final series, Sunday, June 14, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Candice Ward)
Vegas Golden Knights right wing Reilly Smith (19) reaches for the puck next to Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Sean Walker (26) during the second period in Game 6 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Final series, Sunday, June 14, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Vegas Golden Knights center Tomas Hertl (48) is defended by Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Jalen Chatfield (5) during the second period in Game 6 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Final series, Sunday, June 14, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Carter Hart (79) stops a shot on goal during the third period in Game 6 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Final series against the Carolina Hurricanes, Sunday, June 14, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Candice Ward)
Vegas Golden Knights players watch from the bench during the third period in Game 6 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Final series against the Carolina Hurricanes, Sunday, June 14, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
In all three trips to the final, the champion celebrated on the Golden Knights' home ice.
In Vegas' first year, it was Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals celebrating after winning in five games. In 2023, the Knights won the Cup in just their sixth year, beating the Florida Panthers in five games.
Sunday, it was the Hurricanes who stormed into T-Mobile Arena and dominated behind the stellar play of goalie Brandon Bussi.
As the Hurricanes raced from the bench to celebrate, and later skated around the ice with the Cup, several thousand Carolina fans in attendance cheered them on.
“It’s not a good feeling right now, this is tough to be on the side of it,” Vegas defenseman Brayden McNabb said. “But on the other side, luckily, these chances don’t come around very often. So, it stings. You guys have no idea what some of these guys went through, and just the fact that they’re out there, it’s pretty special to be a part of.”
For Vegas, it was the end of a magical ride that began on March 30, when John Tortorella replaced Bruce Cassidy as coach, with hopes of sparking life into one of the league’s most talented lineups, but one that had lost its spark.
Though Cassidy just led Vegas to the title three years earlier, general manager Kelly McCrimmon felt a new bench boss was needed to spark the Knights’ confidence.
It worked, immediately.
Vegas went from third place in the Pacific Division and in jeopardy of missing the playoffs altogether with the trajectory it was on, to finishing the season 7-0-1 and winning the division.
“He was awesome coming in,” Vegas defenseman Shea Theodore said. “I felt like he really brought a change going into the postseason. ... He’s been great.”
After falling behind 2-1 to the Utah Mammoth in the opening round, the Knights went on an 11-2 run through the playoffs, including a sweep of the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Colorado Avalanche in the Western Conference Final.
The Knights opened the Cup final with a 2-1 series lead, but Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour switched goaltenders — from Frederik Andersen to Brandon Bussi — and it proved to be the difference.
Meanwhile, Tortorella stood firm on his goalie choice, Carter Hart, in favor of Adin Hill, the starting goaltender when Vegas won the Cup three years earlier.
Hart became the first goalie in NHL history to allow at least four goals in the first five games of a Stanley Cup Final, and saw his save percentage go from .922 through the first three rounds to .826 against the Hurricanes.
As the Golden Knights head into the offseason, the first order of business for McCrimmon will be to determine whether or not to retain Tortorella for a long-term contract or move on to what would be the team’s fifth coach in 10 seasons.
“I like the team,” Tortorella said. “It’s a good group of guys. Driven. As I said, the experience, they’re good pros. it’s a really good team.”
AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/NHL
Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Brandon Bussi (32) stops a shot from Vegas Golden Knights right wing Mark Stone (61) during the first period in Game 6 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Final series, Sunday, June 14, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Candice Ward)
Vegas Golden Knights right wing Reilly Smith (19) reaches for the puck next to Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Sean Walker (26) during the second period in Game 6 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Final series, Sunday, June 14, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Vegas Golden Knights center Tomas Hertl (48) is defended by Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Jalen Chatfield (5) during the second period in Game 6 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Final series, Sunday, June 14, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Carter Hart (79) stops a shot on goal during the third period in Game 6 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Final series against the Carolina Hurricanes, Sunday, June 14, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Candice Ward)
Vegas Golden Knights players watch from the bench during the third period in Game 6 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Final series against the Carolina Hurricanes, Sunday, June 14, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
EVIAN-LES-BAINS, France (AP) — President Donald Trump is headed to the French Alps on Monday to meet with fellow world leaders at the Group of Seven summit after announcing an agreement that he says will bring an end to the U.S. war with Iran.
Trump and Iranian officials had been saying for days they were making progress toward reaching a deal, but even on Sunday, things appeared to be on shaky ground after a new round of strikes between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah militants in Lebanon.
With the agreement, Trump is due to arrive in Evian-les-Bains on Monday afternoon with some wind at his back for talks with G7 leaders, including some who have been sharply critical of his managing of the roughly 15-week conflict that has led to a surge in global energy prices.
The conflict, which polls show American voters largely disapproved of, had made some Republicans nervous about the political impacts it could have on the November midterm election.
“Ships of the World, start your engines," Trump said in a social media post celebrating the deal that he said would lead to the U.S. ending its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, through which about 20% of the world’s crude had flowed before the conflict. “Let the oil flow!”
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi, however, said the Iranian closure of the strait would continue until the agreement is officially signed.
Neither the White House nor Iran published the final agreement or revealed many details. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, whose country served as a mediator in the negotiations, said there would be “pre-implementation discussions” this week to lay the ground for 60 days of technical talks on Iran's nuclear program.
Sealing an agreement before jetting off to the summit could certainly change the dynamic of the gathering for Trump. He has had friction with French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni over failing to consult them before the decision to go to war.
Meanwhile, Trump has pushed back on the four European leaders — all members of the NATO military alliance — for their lack of support for the U.S. in the conflict.
Trump is expected to discuss with leaders the demining of the Strait of Hormuz, according to the White House. Britain and France have expressed interest in assisting with the demining once the conflict is paused. Fear of potential mines is among the reasons that tanker traffic has come to a halt during the war, and quickly clearing them will be crucial to regaining the confidence of commercial vessels.
Macron, this year’s summit host, invited the leaders of three nations that aren’t part of the G7 — Egypt, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates — to take part in a session on the Middle East on Tuesday where Iran is expected to be a central focus.
"The aim will be to assess the implications of this agreement, support for Lebanon, the long-term reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, and, of course, reaching a deal on Iran’s nuclear and ballistic (missile) programs,” Macron said in a video posted on social media on Sunday evening.
In a separate development, Trump ahead of departing for the summit said in an interview with the New York Post he has warned Macron the US will “have no choice” but to slap 100% tariffs on French wines unless Paris eliminates its digital tax on American tech companies, renewing a long-running threat from the Republican that dates to his first administration.
Wines and spirits exported to the U.S. from the European Union currently face a 15% tariff.
Trump had fiercely criticized former President Barack Obama for the 2015 nuclear agreement that Trump argued failed to stop Tehran from advancing toward a weapon and funneled billions into the Islamic Republic’s coffers.
In 2018, Trump exited the deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the European Union were also signatories to the pact.
But Trump hasn't detailed how his agreement will address some key issues about Iran's nuclear program, including who will be in charge of verifying that Iran is complying with the agreement and who will destroy or remove 972 pounds (441 kilograms) of highly enriched uranium believed to be buried under nuclear sites that were badly damaged by U.S. strikes last summer.
The deal is also expected to include some sanctions relief and economic incentives for Tehran as it meets certain benchmarks aimed at assuaging White House concerns, senior administration officials said ahead of the two sides reaching an agreement.
Some Democrats and hawkish critics say Trump has failed to explain how the financial relief in his agreement will differ from what Obama did in the 2015 nuclear deal.
“For all his critique of JCPOA, we had international observers, we actually had an alliance there that included the Europeans, and Russia and China were all signatories,” Sen. Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, told CBS' “Face the Nation” on Sunday. “Now it is America going alone or going with Israel only, and that does not make us safer.”
Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham, a close ally of Trump and an Iran hawk, expressed skepticism, saying that Congress will need to review and vote on any nuclear deal with Iran, and said he expects Vice President JD Vance — “the architect of the deal” — to present it. “I am somewhat concerned that Iran’s view of the agreement seems different than what the American negotiating team is claiming,” Graham said on social media.
Macron also invited Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for a working session with G7 leaders on Tuesday to discuss the Russia-Ukraine war.
At the moment, Zelenskyy is not scheduled to hold one-on-one talks with Trump while they're both in France, but Trump on Sunday held separate phone calls with Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Putin’s call with Trump lasted just under an hour, according to Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov, who briefed reporters afterward.
On Ukraine, Ushakov said Trump emphasized the need to end hostilities and stated his readiness to influence European allies and Kyiv toward that goal, including at the G7.
According to Ushakov, Trump also said that recent strikes on civilian targets in Russia complicate a settlement. The White House did not comment on the call.
U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner are expected to travel to Russia soon, Ushakov said.
Zelenskyy said in a statement posted on Telegram that he told Trump about how Ukraine’s position along the eastern frontline has improved and strengthened.
“We agreed to discuss more during our meeting at the G7 summit,” he said.
Madhani reported from Geneva and Superville from Washington.
President Donald Trump gestures as he boards Air Force One, Monday, June 15, 2026, at Joint Base Andrews, Md. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
President Donald Trump departs at the conclusion of the UFC Freedom 250 on the South Lawn of the White House, Monday, June 15, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
President Donald Trump attends the UFC Freedom 250 on the South Lawn of the White House, Sunday, June 14, 2026, in Washington with Lara Trump, Tiffany Trump and Donald Trump Jr. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
