Hurricanes' Stanley Cup championship parade, rally bring record crowd to Downtown Raleigh
RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- Sound the Siren!
Twenty years in the making, the Carolina Hurricanes are the 2026 Stanley Cup champions and North Carolina is ready to celebrate.
A championship parade and rally is scheduled for Saturday, June 20, starting at 11 a.m. in downtown Raleigh.
A rally on City Plaza will follow the parade. All of Fayetteville Street will be closed for the rally.
If you can't make it to the parade or you don't want to deal with the traffic you can watch the entire celebration wherever you stream ABC11, our website ABC11.com and our ABC11 North Carolina mobile app.
Parade Route
The Carolina Hurricanes' championship parade route has been revealed.
- Parade begins at the intersection of Hillsborough Street and St. Mary's Street
- Travels east down Hillsborough Street toward the NC State Capitol
- Turns right on Salisbury Street, then turns left on Morgan Street
- Turns right onto Fayetteville Street, heading South
- Ends on Davie Street. Fan rally that takes place after the parade in City Plaza.
- Fayetteville Street will be closed for fans to see the rally.
Traffic Alert
Several streets will be closed for the parade starting between 3:30 a.m. and 5:30 a.m.
The Hurricanes claimed their second Lord Stanley's chalice in franchise history with the 3-0 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 6 on Sunday.
Hurricanes fans gathered at Raleigh-Durham International Airport on Monday night to welcome the team home after its Stanley Cup victory, cheering as a Delta charter flight carrying the players touched down and taxied in under a water cannon salute from Raleigh Fire crews.
Fans erupted into chants of "Let's Go Canes" as the plane arrived, celebrating the franchise's first championship in 20 years.
WATCH: Canes arrive with the Stanley Cup
"Everyone is here for the Hurricanes, the whole city's happy, so it's cool," said Matthew Yahyapour, one of many supporters waiting near the terminal.
Canes captain Jordan Staal was among the first to step off the aircraft, hoisting the Stanley Cup as fans pressed against barricades for a glimpse.
"I just want to see the Stanley Cup with my own eyes and Jordan. Lift it up," said Allison Rogers.
Crowds lined the street outside the general aviation terminal, eager to witness what many described as a once-in-a-generation moment.
"I just want to be here for the guys, you know, everything they've done for us," said Carson Cherry. "They won it in Vegas, so we have to welcome them back to Raleigh. Big show them how we do it here."
The celebration drew fans of all ages.
"Being able to bring it home this year, it means a lot to us," said Tommy Perez. "You know, we stood by the team. We're always there every game."
Another fan, Will Snow, added, "The boys deserve it. They went out there. They finished it in six, first one in 20 years. The least we can do is come out here and support."
Players waved from the tops of buses, twirling towels and shirts as they departed the airport for home.
"It's an experience I'm going to remember for the rest of my life, and I'm going to tell my kids about," said a 14-year-old fan.
Team celebrations are expected to continue throughout the week, culminating in the victory parade Saturday through downtown Raleigh.
SEE ALSO | A big trade swing, then a bold reset that powered the Hurricanes to the Stanley Cup
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