Gov. Josh Stein wasted no time jumping into the celebration, hitting retweet on a Carolina Hurricanes post on X early Monday crowing, "THE #CANES WIN THE CUP." His repost landed minutes after Carolina locked up the Stanley Cup Final in Las Vegas and helped fuel a wave of cheers and late-night watch parties across North Carolina.
Carolina clinched the championship with a 3-0 win in Game 6, taking the series 4-2, according to NHL.com. Stein's repost of the team's all-caps victory lap is visible on his X account, and both the original message and the governor's retweet can be seen here: Governor Josh Stein's post on X.
Raleigh Erupts At Watch Parties And Tailgates
Downtown Raleigh poured into bars, plazas and the area around the Lenovo Center as fans gathered for the clincher, with photo galleries showing shoulder-to-shoulder crowds at Red Hat Amphitheater and outside the arena, according to The News & Observer. Hoodline had already mapped out the local watch-party plans and ticket drops leading up to Game 6 at the arena; see Lenovo Center watch party.
Second Cup, Big Moment For North Carolina
This marks the Hurricanes' second Stanley Cup in franchise history and their first since 2006, a milestone laid out as Carolina wrapped its postseason run. The trophy brings top tier pro hockey hardware back to North Carolina after twenty years and is already nudging plans for local celebrations and team events.
Stein's retweet dropped the governor's voice into a feed overflowing with fan reactions and joined a broader wave of public congratulations across the state. Expect official statements and more local coverage as the team and city hammer out the details for formal celebrations once Carolina is back home.
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