When the clock hit zero on the Carolina Hurricanes' 3-0 win over the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 6, Jaccob Slavin cemented his place in American hockey history. The Hurricanes defenseman became just the second American, along with Ken Morrow, ever to capture an Olympic gold medal and the Stanley Cup in the same season.
Back in February, Slavin was celebrating on the ice in Milan after ending the Americans' 46-year Olympic gold medal drought. Four months later, he was lifting the Stanley Cup over his head and skating it around T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
"It is unbelievable," Slavin told NHL Network after the game. "Injuries at the beginning of the year, I didn't know when I'd come back. Just had to really lean into my relationship with Christ and just trust in his timing. I looked at the whole year, and the word that comes to mind is grateful."
Slavin is only the ninth player in history to win an Olympic gold medal and a Stanley Cup in the same year. Prior to Slavin, the most recent players to accomplish that feat were Drew Doughty and Jeff Carter, who won gold with Canada at the 2014 Olympics before leading the Los Angeles Kings to their second Stanley Cup win in three years.
The list of the first eight double-dippers is littered with current or future Hall of Famers:
| Player | Country | Team | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
Jeff Carter | Canada | Los Angeles Kings | 2014 |
Drew Doughty | Canada | Los Angeles Kings | 2014 |
Canada | 2010 | ||
Canada | Chicago Blackhawks | 2010 | |
Canada | Chicago Blackhawks | 2010 | |
Brendan Shanahan | Canada | 2002 | |
Steve Yzerman | Canada | Detroit Red Wings | 2002 |
Ken Morrow | USA | 1980 |
That list is so short primarily because NHL players have only competed in six Olympics. The first year NHL players participated was in 1998, and there was a 12-year gap from 2014 to 2026 due to issues between the NHL and the International Olympic Committee.
Oddly enough, the only American to win a gold medal and the Stanley Cup in the same year was Morrow, who did it 18 years before NHL players were in the Olympics. Morrow was a defenseman on the 1980 "Miracle on Ice" team, and he signed a professional contract with the New York Islanders shortly thereafter. Immediately, Morrow became a key part of the Islanders' dynasty that rattled off four straight Cup victories from 1980-83.
For 46 years, Morrow has stood alone as the only American to double-dip in the same year. Now he has some company thanks to the efforts of Slavin.
