Stanley Pup to premiere June 8 in United States, Canada

NEW YORK -- The National Hockey League’s (NHL) Stanley Pup, a friendly competition featuring adoptable rescue dogs, will air in the U.S. and Canada on June 8 to celebrate the 2026 Stanley Cup® Final. All 32 NHL teams will be represented by a four-legged friend, many of which will be available for adoption through adoption partner Brandywine Valley SPCA. Dog “players” Jack & Quinn Chews, Matthew Schaefurry, Macklin Celewienie, Jack Eichowl, Seth Arfis and more will showcase their adorable canine skills on “ice” (see player cards here).

TUNE IN:  The show will premiere on June 8 on truTV and simulcast on HBO Max in the U.S. (9:30 p.m. ET) and on Sportsnet in Canada (8 p.m. ET). All air dates and times listed below.

The show will also air in the D.C. region on Monumental Sports Network (MNMT) on June 15 and will be available to fans on both MNMT’s linear TV and streaming platforms following the national broadcasts.

WHO:  Special appearances by celebrity dog lovers include: Kenan Thompson (Saturday Night Live, D2: The Mighty Ducks), Flavor Flav, Anthony Anderson (black-ish), Jean Smart (Hacks), Brooke Shields (The Blue Lagoon, Pretty Baby), Kelli Giddish (Law & Order: Special Victims Unit), Michael Strahan (Good Morning America), Joel McHale (Community, Animal Control), singer-songwriter Bryan Adams, Kendall Vertes (Dance Moms), Emma Kenney (Shameless, The Connors), broadcasting legend Doc Emrick, Anson Carter, Paul Bissonnette, Liam McHugh and Chris Chelios (NHL on TNT), and Dan Powers and Chris Powers (Empty Netters Podcast).

Appearances by NHL players include Calder Trophy winner Matthew Schaefer (New York Islanders), Logan Thompson (Washington Capitals), Seth Jarvis (Carolina Hurricanes), Will Smith (San Jose Sharks), Devin Cooley (Calgary Flames), Alex Ovechkin (Washington Capitals) and Bill Guerin (Minnesota Wild General Manager). Color and play-by-play commentary will be provided by Mark Shunock and Chris Rose, with Alexa Landestoy reporting rink side.

Elias Weiss Friedman, popularly known as The Dogist, will join the Stanley Pup team to anchor a series of heart-warming adoption follow-up segments, highlighting the real-world impact of the Stanley Pup broadcast.

MORE:  Stanley Pup is executive produced by producer and animal advocate Michael Levitt for Michael Levitt Productions, Steve Mayer (President, NHL Content & Events) and Matt Nicholson (NHL Group Vice President, Production & Creative Development) for NHL Productions, and Jim Kowats (MSE Senior Vice President, Production) and Aimee Brillhart (MSE Vice President, Production) for Monumental Sports & Entertainment.

Adoption partner Brandywine Valley SPCA provided the talented lineup of pups and other furry friends who are ready to find their forever homes. BISSELL, the go-to cleaning and home care brand for pet-loving families, and Halo Collar, the leading GPS containment system for dogs, join this year as sponsors.

Additional highlights and behind-the-scenes content from the Stanley Pup will be available on NHL.com/StanleyPup. For more information about dogs available for adoption, visit BVSPCA.org/StanleyPup.