The Vegas Golden Knights captured the franchise’s first Stanley Cup in just its sixth season of existence on Tuesday after closing out the Florida Panthers at home with a 9-3 win in Game 5 of the finals.
Captain Mark Stone scored a hat trick in the win, helping the Golden Knights become the fastest franchise to win the Stanley Cup in the post-expansion era (beginning in 1967), topping the 1974 Philadelphia Flyers, who claimed the title in the franchise’s seventh season.
The excellent playoff run was particularly sweet for Eichel, who was less than two years removed from neck surgery that sidelined him for a significant period of time.
“This is what everyone dreams of,” said Eichel, who played in the post-season for the first time of his career in his eighth NHL campaign. "You come to an organization like this and the expectation is to win this thing. It’s a special place to play. I can’t give everyone enough credit for putting us in this position.