Key facts
- Jaccob Slavin achieved the rare feat of winning an Olympic gold medal and the Stanley Cup in the same year.
- Slavin is the second American and eighth player overall to accomplish this milestone.
- Ken Morrow was the only other American to achieve this, in 1980 with the 'Miracle on Ice' team and the New York Islanders.
- Several Canadian players have also achieved this, including Steve Yzerman, Brendan Shanahan, Jonathan Toews, Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook, and Drew Doughty.
- William Carrier won his second Stanley Cup, having previously won with the Vegas Golden Knights.
- Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen dedicated the win to his late agent, Claude Lemieux.
Jaccob Slavin of the Carolina Hurricanes has joined an elite group of athletes by winning both an Olympic gold medal and the Stanley Cup in the same year. This achievement makes him the second American and the eighth player in history to accomplish this rare feat.
Slavin's accomplishment places him alongside Ken Morrow, who was the sole American to achieve this milestone in 1980 when he was part of the 'Miracle on Ice' Olympic team and the New York Islanders dynasty. Morrow noted his unique status for many years, joking about being a trivia question.
All other players who have achieved this distinction are Canadian: Steve Yzerman and Brendan Shanahan with Detroit in 2002, Jonathan Toews, Duncan Keith, and Brent Seabrook with Chicago in 2010, and Drew Doughty with Los Angeles in 2014.
In other news from the Stanley Cup victory, William Carrier celebrated his second Cup win, having previously been part of the Vegas Golden Knights' championship in 2018. He acknowledged being older and cherishing the moment more this time around.
Carolina goaltender Frederik Andersen also reflected on the win, dedicating it in part to his late agent, Claude Lemieux, who passed away shortly before the Stanley Cup Final. Andersen expressed how much Lemieux meant to him and how proud he would be.
Additionally, Carolina's Jackson Blake became visibly emotional after hugging his father, Jason Blake, a former NHL player who never won the Stanley Cup. The younger Blake expressed the significance of his family's presence and the culmination of years of support.