Although the Calgary Flames haven’t competed for a Stanley Cup for almost two decades, it doesn’t mean the fans in the Stampede City haven’t had local heroes, like Colorado Avalanche star Cale Makar, to cheer for in the Final.
Currently, Carolina Hurricanes forward Taylor Hall, born in 1991 in Calgary, is looking to earn his first championship this year. Meanwhile, Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Carter Hart, born in 1998 in Sherwood Park, AB, is hoping to lead his team to their second Stanley Cup title in four seasons.
Credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images
Thanks to their performances, which some could consider career-defining, especially in Hart’s case, Alberta is being prominently featured in this season’s Final.
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The Golden Knights netminder is in the conversation for the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP, trailing only his teammate Mitch Marner, who leads all playoff scorers with 22 points. Right now, Hart has a .921 SV% and 2.33 GAA and is only three wins away from a Stanley Cup victory with a 13-4 record.
Meanwhile, his Alberta counterpart, Hall, is no stranger to being in the spotlight. His father is Steve Hall, a Canadian Football player and member of the Canadian national bobsleigh team.
As the 2010 first overall pick of the Edmonton Oilers, Hall is leading Carolina in scoring with 16 points in 14 games, helping the team reach the Final for the first time since 2006. After 16 seasons, highlighted by a Hart Trophy win in 2018, Hall is playing in hockey’s fourth round for the first time in his career, picking up his only playoff overtime goal (May 4, 2026) along the way.
Regarding their respective journeys to the NHL, both players took distinct paths. Hall moved to Ontario as a teenager and played minor hockey in Kingston, and then led the Windsor Spitfires to back-to-back Memorial Cup victories in 2009 and 2010.
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Hart started in Alberta, playing AAA hockey in Fort Saskatchewan and Sherwood Park, winning an Alberta Cup Championship in 2012. In the WHL with the Everett Silvertips, he was named the CHL Goaltender of the Year in 2016 and 2018.
By the end of next week, one of these gifted hockey players will have raised the Stanley Cup above their head, further cementing their status as a top player in today’s game. Moreover, there is a good chance the Silver Chalice will visit Alberta this summer, whether it’s Calgary or Sherwood Park is up to the Hockey Gods to decide.
