By: Jake Ferraro | Follow me on Twitter/X @18Jxxx18
The Boston Bruins have had to watch the remaining of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs after being eliminated in six games by the Buffalo Sabres in the first round on May 1. The 2026 playoffs have gone from 16 teams to two teams. After the Carolina Hurricanes won 6-1 against the Montreal Canadiens tonight in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals, the 2026 Stanley Cup Finals matchup is officially set. The Hurricanes will take on the Western Conference champion Vegas Golden Knights in the Stanley Cup Finals.
The Golden Knights are in the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time since 2023, while the Hurricanes have made their first Stanley Cup Finals appearance since 2006. Both franchises have reached the Stanley Cup Finals twice, and each team has won the Stanley Cup once. With the Stanley Cup Finals matchup, former Bruin players have a chance to be part of a championship-winning team. Now, it’s time to take a look and see which former Bruins can win a ring in 2026.
Former Bruins on the Golden Knights
Forward Reilly Smith and defenseman Jeremy Lauzon are former Bruins who can win the Stanley Cup this year as members of the Golden Knights. Both players had a short stint with the Bruins.
Smith was part of the Bruins’ roster from 2013 to 2015, as he was part of the Tyler Seguin trade. Smith recorded 91 points in 163 games as a Bruin. However, Smith joined the Florida Panthers in the 2015 offseason, ending his tenure with the Bruins. Smith was part of the Golden Knights’ 2023 Stanley Cup championship team and the 2018 Western Conference championship team.
After brief stints with the Pittsburgh Penguins and New York Rangers, Smith returned to the Golden Knights last season. Smith recorded 26 points in 69 games this season, and he has recorded two assists in six 2026 playoff games for the Golden Knights. However, Smith hasn’t played in the playoffs for the Golden Knights since the team’s first-round series against the Utah Mammoth.
Lauzon spent three seasons with the Bruins from 2018 to 2021. While he was part of the Bruins’ 2019 Eastern Conference championship team, he didn’t play a game during the 2019 playoffs. Lauzon finished recording 12 points in 76 games during his Bruins tenure. Lauzon had brief stints with the Seattle Kraken and Nashville Predators before joining the Golden Knights this past offseason.
Lauzon recorded a career-high 13 points this season for the Golden Knights in 68 games. However, Lauzon has recorded no points in six 2026 playoff games. Like Smith, Lauzon hasn’t played in the playoffs for the Golden Knights since their first-round series against the Mammoth.
Former Bruins on the Hurricanes
Forwards Mike Reilly and Taylor Hall are two former Bruins who can win the Stanley Cup this year with the Hurricanes. Like Smith and Lauzon mentioned earlier with the Golden Knights, Reilly and Hall each had short stints with the Bruins.
The Ottawa Senators traded Reilly to the Bruins in the shortened 2020-21 season. After that, Reilly remained a Bruin until the 2022-23 season. During his three seasons in Boston, Reilly recorded 26 points in 95 games. Reilly recorded just one assist in the 2022-23 season, where the Bruins set the NHL record for most wins and points in a single season. However, Reilly never turned into the player the Bruins had hoped for.
After 2023, Reilly had brief stints with the Panthers and New York Islanders. This past offseason, Reilly joined the Hurricanes, where he recorded nine points in 42 games this season. Reilly has recorded two assists in two 2026 playoff games for the Hurricanes, but hasn’t played since the team’s second-round series against the Philadelphia Flyers.
Like Reilly, Hall was acquired by the Bruins in the 2020-21 season when the Sabres traded him to Beantown. Also like Reilly, Hall remained a Bruin until the 2022-23 season. Hall was solid as a Bruin, recording 111 points in 158 games during his tenure. After 2023, Hall was traded by the Bruins to the Blackhawks, where his tenure was a rough one.
In 2025, Hall was traded by the Blackhawks to the Hurricanes as part of the three-team Mikko Rantanen trade. Hall re-signed to a three-year contract to remain a Hurricane in April 2025. This season, Hall recorded 48 points in 80 games for the Hurricanes, but has raised his play in the 2026 playoffs. Hall’s 16 points and 11 assists each lead the Hurricanes in the playoffs. Hall recorded three points in the Hurricanes’ Game 5 win over the Canadiens.
The Hurricanes will have home ice advantage against the Golden Knights in the series. Game 1 of the series will begin on June 2 at Lenovo Center in Raleigh, North Carolina, with puck drop scheduled for 8 p.m. ET.
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