Carolina Hurricanes captain Jordan Staal was awarded the 2026 Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP following the team's Stanley Cup victory on Sunday.
At 37 years and 277 days, Staal is the oldest player to win the award. Tim Thomas, at 37 years and 62 days, was previously the eldest winner when he hoisted the trophy with the Boston Bruins in 2011.
Staal is also the first captain of the Cup winning team to claim the Conn Smythe since Alex Ovechkin in 2018.