Wes Stankoven has spent the last couple of days travelling from his home in Kamloops, B.C., to North Carolina, where he’ll be watching his son, Carolina Hurricanes forward Logan Stankoven, play in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup final on Tuesday night.
“It’s been a bit hectic getting flights and catching the redeye here on Sunday night … but we’re here and excited about tonight’s game,” he told CBC’s Daybreak Kamloops from Raleigh.
Logan Stankoven has made it to the playoffs in each of his three NHL seasons, but this will be his first time in the Stanley Cup final.
Much to the chagrin of many Canadian hockey fans, the 23-year-old Kamloops native contributed to the Hurricanes’ victory over the Montreal Canadiens in the Eastern Conference final, scoring one of three goals in the first period of Game 5.
Carolina went on to win that game 6-1, closing a series that sent the Eastern Conference’s top seed on to face Vegas for the Cup.
“Hopefully Carolina comes out on top because Logan keeps on saying he’d love to bring the Stanley Cup back to Kamloops for all his fans and all the support he’s had,” Wes Stankoven said.
It’s a sentiment shared by Stankoven’s former WHL team, the Kamloops Blazers.
“We are very excited to watch Logan compete for the Stanley Cup,” Blazers assistant general manager Tim O’Donovan said in an email to CBC News.
“As a homegrown kid who played four seasons with the Kamloops Blazers, it has been rewarding as an organization to watch him succeed in the National Hockey League. We will be cheering on Logan and hopeful he can bring the Stanley Cup back to Kamloops.”
Stankoven is no stranger to accolades; He was named both CHL and WHL player of the year in 2002. He earned both the Ed Chynoweth and George Parsons trophies during the 2023 Memorial Cup as the lead scorer and most sportsmanlike player, respectively, and was named the AHL’s rookie of the year in 2024.
Wes Stankoven said his son had hoped to get 40 points this season — a goal that wasn’t looking particularly likely during the Olympic break.
“He only had about 21 points and he was kind of saying, ‘oh, man, I’m not too sure if I’m going to get to 40 or not,'” he said of Logan.
“But he ended up with 44 points and with playoffs, he’s playing at another level. So it’s nice to see he’s really pushing himself.”
In the post-season, Logan Stankoven has 12 points — nine goals and three assists — in 13 playoff games so far.
And while Wes Stankoven says “it’s pretty surreal some days sitting at home watching him on TV,” the proud father is looking forward to watching his son play in person in both Raleigh and Las Vegas.
“We’ve met some good people out here,” he said. “They do like barbecues and have a few drinks and visit and then we’ll catch the game and hopefully it’s a good win for us tonight.”
Stankoven isn’t the only Kamloops athlete looking to bring home some hardware. Veteran Kelly Olynyk is a member of the San Antonio Spurs, who will face the New York Knicks in the NBA Finals.
Game 1 of the NBA Finals is scheduled for Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. PT.
Meanwhile, the puck drops at 5 p.m. PT Tuesday for Game 1 of the Stanley Cup final.
