LAS VEGAS (AP) — The Carolina Hurricanes won their first Stanley Cup championship in 20 years on Sunday night, using a suffocating defense in Game 6 to shut down the Vegas Golden Knights 3-0 and winning three straight games of a thrilling final filled with momentum swings and spectacular offense. Brandon Bussi, who entrance late into Game 3 helped turn around the series, recorded his first career playoff shutout in stopping 22 shots. Jackson Blake backed him up with a goal and assist, and Taylor Hall scored just 3:47 into the game to set the tone. Nikolaj Ehlers added an empty-net goal.
Jordan Staal has won the Conn Smythe Trophy for leading the Carolina Hurricanes to the Stanley Cup. Staal was their top goal-scorer in the final against Vegas and for the entire playoff run was a shutdown center and an ace in the faceoff circle. The longest-tenured player in the organization after joining in a trade from Pittsburgh in 2012, Staal has been captain for the past seven years. He is the oldest Stanely Cup MVP at the age of 37.
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Rod Brind'Amour praised Brandon Bussi before the Stanley Cup Final, relieved the Carolina Hurricanes hadn't needed their backup goalie. But Bussi ended up backstopping the team to the franchise's secnd championship. Frederik Andersen played the first three rounds, but Bussi came in during Game 3 and finished the series. Bussi, 27, was crucial in the clincher, making key saves in Game 6. Once a journeyman, he played nearly half the season's games, helping Carolina earn the top seed. Now, he's a Stanley Cup champion.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump hosted a UFC event on the White House Lawn for his 80th birthday. Fighters from around the world joined the celebration, marking a unique moment for the sport. The event, called Freedom 250, featured seven fights and celebrated the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. UFC President Dana White and Trump enjoyed chants of "USA! USA!" as they watched the action. Bo Nickal won his match and thanked Trump for the opportunity. The event highlighted the close relationship between Trump and White, with thousands of fans attending, including notable figures like Mark Zuckerberg.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Hockey stars Matthew and Brady Tkachuk were part of pre-fight festivities for UFC Freedom 250, the mixed martial arts event on the South Lawn of the White House on President Donald Trump’s 80th birthday. While the crowd around the Octagon was full of VIPs, the Ellipse hosted a viewing party for the more common fan. The weather was a significant concern for a while. There were dark clouds hanging over the area around the time the fighting started. But the area avoided any storms.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Iran captain Mehdi Taremi says his team is having a challenging World Cup experience amid the multifold disruptions caused by the tensions created by their nation’s war with the co-host U.S. The Iranians arrived in the Los Angeles area on Sunday from their training base in Tijuana, Mexico. Tijuana is just over the U.S. border and about 140 miles from the stadium where they will open group-stage play against New Zealand. Taremi says he has felt the tension from the first moment Iran arrived, and he says this experience is not as joyful as his two previous World Cups.
And just like that, it’s next season in the NBA. The New York Knicks continued the unprecedented run of NBA parity, with eight different franchises winning championships in the last eight seasons. There was Toronto in 2019, the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020, Milwaukee in 2021, Golden State in 2022, Denver in 2023, Boston in 2024, Oklahoma City last year and now New York. Every team is now chasing the Knicks. They had all the answers. For 29 other franchises, at least on some levels, there seems to only be questions.
LONG POND, Pa. (AP) — Denny Hamlin is still planning to retire at the end of next season but won the NASCAR Cup Series race at Pocono Raceway for his third consecutive victory. That moves him past the late Kyle Busch for ninth on the all-time wins list. Hamlin is the oldest full-time driver in NASCAR's Cup Series at 45. He now has 64 career victories. Despite his success, including four wins this season, he remains firm on retiring when his deal with Joe Gibbs expires in 2027. Tyler Reddick finished second, and William Byron was third. NASCAR's next event is a street race at Naval Base Coronado in San Diego.
LAS VEGAS (AP) — All those home games at hitter-friendly Coors Field, and the Colorado Rockies never rang up the scoreboard the way they did Sunday in steamy Las Vegas. If this is what big league baseball looks like in Sin City, pitchers might run for cover in a couple of years under every craps table in town. Willi Castro had seven RBIs, Hunter Goodman got a career-high five hits and the Rockies set a franchise record for runs with a 23-9 victory over the Athletics on a 101-degree afternoon at Las Vegas Ballpark. Scheduled to move to Las Vegas full time in 2028, the A’s got a taste of the city this week with a wild six-game homestand at the site of their top minor league affiliate.
MONTERREY, Mexico (AP) — Yasin Ayari scored twice and Sweden showed it belonged at the 2026 World Cup, pounding Tunisia 5-1 to move atop Group F. Alexander Isak and Viktor Gyökeres each had a goal and an assist, and Mattias Svanberg also scored for Sweden, which entered ranked 39th in the world and missed the 2022 World Cup after reaching the quarterfinals eight years ago in Russia. Omar Rekik scored for 45th-ranked Tunisia, which is playing in its seventh World Cup but has never advanced beyond the group stage. Ayari bookended the scoring for the Swedes at Estadio BBVA in Monterrey, Mexico, with long-range goals in the seventh minute and in second-half stoppage time.
Finals
INTERLEAGUE
Final Washington 10 Seattle 1
Final San Diego 5 Baltimore 2
Final Chicago White Sox 6 L.A. Dodgers 4
Final Minnesota 5 St. Louis 4
Final Colorado 23 Athletics 9
AMERICAN LEAGUE
Final Kansas City 4 Houston 0
Final N.Y. Yankees 8 Toronto 3
Final Tampa Bay 8 L.A. Angels 3
Final Texas 6 Boston 4
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Final Miami 4 Pittsburgh 2
Final Arizona 5 Cincinnati 3
Final N.Y. Mets 8 Atlanta 1
Final Milwaukee 4 Philadelphia 0
Final San Francisco 5 Chicago Cubs 1
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE PLAYOFFS
Final Carolina 3 Vegas 0