Brind'Amour reprises iconic Stanley Cup lift after 2nd title

A second Stanley Cup championship for Rod Brind'Amour means a second memorable trophy lift for Rod Brind'Amour.

The Carolina Hurricanes head coach gave the iconic trophy a “bear hug” on the ice while celebrating after clinching the 2026 Stanley Cup Final with a 3-0 win over the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 6 on Sunday.

"That was just a little bear hug. I don't know," Brind'Amour said with a laugh at the postgame press conference. "I wasn't sure I was going to raise it over my head because that's more of a player thing, but I had no choice."

The hug came 20 years after Brind'Amour won the trophy as a player for the Hurricanes in 2006, when he served as the team’s captain.

After that championship two decades ago, Brind'Amour's excitement got the best of him. Rather than waiting for NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman to hand him the trophy, Brind'Amour grabbed Lord Stanley right off the presentation table and did a little dance while holding it over his head.

The celebration on Sunday was just as memorable, as Brind'Amour — after getting the Cup from Pyotr Kochetkov — tossed the 34.5-pound trophy up in the air, caught it, and hugged it tight.

Brind'Amour is just the fourth individual in NHL history to win the Stanley Cup with the same franchise as captain and head coach. He joins Hockey Hall of Famers Toe Blake (Montreal Canadiens), Hap Day (Toronto Maple Leafs) and Cooney Weiland (Boston Bruins).

He’s the 14th individual to win as a coach and player for any team.