How many times has the Stanley Cup Final ended with an overtime goal?

With this year’s riveting Stanley Cup Final guaranteed to go at least six games, fans are already dreaming of the excitement an overtime conclusion to this series would bring.

The 2026 Stanley Cup Final between the Carolina Hurricanes and Vegas Golden Knights is officially a best-of-three, with both teams splitting the first two games in Raleigh and Las Vegas to set the stage for a pivotal Game 5 in North Carolina.

In a series that has been defined by lackluster goaltending, high-octane offense and feverish comebacks, both the Hurricanes and Golden Knights are proving to fans that you truly never know what’s going to happen in playoff hockey.

As a hockey fan who doesn’t really have a dog in this race (I’m partial to Carolina in this series), I’m always rooting for close, exciting games that keep the incredible energy going into an overtime period.

While this series has already gifted hockey fans two overtimes, including an incredible double-overtime in Game 3 that followed a historic four-goal comeback from Carolina, nothing could possibly replicate what overtime is like in a clinching game.

Although this possibility won’t arise until Game 6, there is no more triumphant of a way to win the most famous trophy in North American professional sports than to find the back of the net in overtime – the kind of moment that etches names into the history books forever as childhood dreams turn into reality.

Though it hasn’t happened in 12 years, there have been 17 separate occasions in NHL history when the Stanley Cup Final has ended on an overtime goal – most recently occurring in 2014, when Alec Martinez of the Los Angeles Kings finished off the New York Rangers by burying a rebound past Henrik Lundqvist to give L.A. their second ring in just three years.

This goal occurred in a Game 5, making it one of three all-time Cup Final winners to occur in the fifth game of the best-of-seven series.

Of the 17 game-winners, 12 of them have occurred in either a Game 4 or a Game 6, meaning a Stanley Cup Final winner has only been scored in a Game 7 on two occasions – both coinciding with Detroit Red Wings victories in the 1950’s.

After Pete Babando became the first player to win a Stanley Cup Final with an overtime goal in Game 7 in 1950, Tony Leswick accomplished the same feat just four years later – with Detroit triumphing over the New York Rangers and Montreal Canadiens, respectively.

A potential series-winner in this matchup would serve as the perfect conclusion for what has been an incredible duel between two clubs that likely weren’t envisioned by the NHL as the ideal Stanley Cup Final meeting.

With neutral hockey fans holding out hope that this series could meet the same fate as some of the aforementioned Stanley Cup Finals, here’s a look at the 17 times a series-winner has been scored in overtime:

1. 1933, Bill Cook, New York Rangers: Game 4 vs. Toronto Maple Leafs
2. 1934, Mush March, Chicago Blackhawks: Game 4 vs. Detroit Red Wings*
3. 1940, Bryan Hextall, New York Rangers: Game 6 vs. Toronto Maple Leafs
4. 1944, Toe Blake, Montreal Canadiens: Game 4 vs. Chicago Blackhawks
5. 1950, Pete Babando, Detroit Red Wings: Game 7 vs. New York Rangers*
6. 1951, Bill Barilko, Toronto Maple Leafs: Game 5 vs. Montreal Canadiens
7. 1953, Elmer Lach, Montreal Canadiens: Game 5 vs. Boston Bruins
8. 1954, Tony Leswick, Detroit Red Wings: Game 7 vs. Montreal Canadiens
9. 1966, Henri Richard, Montreal Canadiens: Game 6 vs. Detroit Red Wings
10. 1970, Bobby Orr, Boston Bruins: Game 4 vs. St. Louis Blues
11. 1977, Jacques Lemaire, Montreal Canadiens: Game 4 vs. Boston Bruins
12. 1980, Bob Nystrom, New York Islanders: Game 6 vs. Philadelphia Flyers
13. 1996, Uwe Krupp, Colorado Avalanche: Game 4 vs. Florida Panthers**
14. 1999, Brett Hull, Dallas Stars: Game 6 vs. Buffalo Sabres**
15. 2000, Jason Arnott, New Jersey Devils: Game 6 vs. Dallas Stars*
16. 2010, Patrick Kane, Chicago Blackhawks: Game 6 vs. Philadelphia Flyers
17. 2014, Alec Martinez, Los Angeles Kings: Game 5 vs. New York Rangers*

*denotes game went into double overtime
**denotes game went into triple overtime