Every 2026 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs Conference Finals jersey and uniform matchup graded, organized series by series. The Western Conference Final is Avalanche vs Golden Knights. The Eastern Conference Final is Hurricanes vs Canadiens. Home team wears color. Road team wears white. That's the NHL playoff standard. We score each sweater matchup on a 10-point scale and give credit for iconic alternates and throwback uniforms that carry the right vibe.
Below, every Conference Finals jersey and uniform matchup graded series by series, newest game first within each series. Avalanche-Golden Knights leads off in the West, followed by Hurricanes-Canadiens in the East.
Colorado Avalanche vs Vegas Golden Knights (Western Conference Final)
Vegas swept the series 4-0 after winning Games 1 and 2 on the road in Denver and Games 3 and 4 at home at T-Mobile Arena to advance to the 2026 Stanley Cup Final. The Western Conference Final opened with the Avalanche in the primary burgundy home sweater and the Golden Knights in road whites for both games at Ball Arena, the textbook NHL playoff white-versus-color matchup. Series shifted to T-Mobile Arena for Games 3 and 4 with the Knights in the primary gold home sweater and the Avalanche in road whites for both nights, the textbook white-versus-color matchup run back twice with both teams in their primary home and road identities and Vegas closing the sweep at home in the gold on the cleanest jersey-and-crowd night of the round. We grade each matchup as the sweater pairing is confirmed.
Game 4: Colorado Avalanche at Vegas Golden Knights
AT
Score: 9 / 10
Knights run back the primary gold home sweater at T-Mobile Arena for Game 4 with the Avalanche again in road whites, the same uniform pairing as Game 3 holding the same 9 out of 10 grade per the same-jersey-same-score rule. Vegas gold and black home identity is one of the most distinctive primary looks in the league and the Avalanche road whites with the burgundy, blue, and silver trim deliver the broadcast contrast cleanly for the second straight night. Textbook NHL playoff white-versus-color, both teams in their primary home and road sweaters, no alternates, no throwbacks. Vegas closed the sweep at T-Mobile Arena to advance to the 2026 Stanley Cup Final, the Knights returning to the Final stage for the first time since their 2023 Cup win. Nine out of 10. Same-jersey-same-score holds the grade level with Game 3, the cleanest closeout-night home identity Vegas could have run for a sweep clincher.
Game 3: Colorado Avalanche at Vegas Golden Knights
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Score: 9 / 10
Knights pull the primary gold home sweater at T-Mobile Arena for Game 3 with the Avalanche in road whites, the textbook NHL playoff white-versus-color matchup. Vegas gold and black home identity is one of the most distinctive primary looks in the league and the Avalanche road whites with the burgundy, blue, and silver trim deliver the broadcast contrast cleanly. Both teams in their primary home and road sweaters, no alternates, no throwbacks, no wrong-color call. Vegas took Game 3 at T-Mobile Arena to grab a 3-0 series lead and a chance to sweep the Avalanche out of the Western Conference Final at home in Game 4. Nine out of 10.
Game 2: Vegas Golden Knights at Colorado Avalanche
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Score: 8 / 10
Avalanche run back the primary burgundy home sweater at Ball Arena for the second straight game with the Golden Knights again in road whites, the same uniform pairing as Game 1 holding the same 8 out of 10 grade per the same-jersey-same-score rule. Colorado's home burgundy with the blue and silver trim is one of the strongest primary identities in the league and the Vegas road whites with the gold and steel grey accents carry the broadcast contrast cleanly. Textbook white-versus-color, no alternates, no wrong-color call. Vegas took Game 2 at Ball Arena to grab a 2-0 series lead heading to T-Mobile Arena for Games 3 and 4. Eight out of 10.
Game 1: Vegas Golden Knights at Colorado Avalanche
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Score: 8 / 10
Avalanche open the Western Conference Final in the primary burgundy home sweater at Ball Arena with the Golden Knights in road whites, the textbook NHL playoff white-versus-color matchup. Colorado's home burgundy is one of the strongest primary identities in the league with the burgundy, blue, and silver palette, and the Vegas road whites with the gold and steel grey trim deliver the broadcast contrast cleanly. Both teams in their normal home and road sets, no alternates, no throwbacks, no wrong-color call. Vegas took Game 1 on the road in Denver to steal home ice and grab a 1-0 series lead. Eight out of 10.
Carolina Hurricanes vs Montreal Canadiens (Eastern Conference Final)
Hurricanes closed out the Canadiens 4-1 at Lenovo Center to advance to the 2026 Stanley Cup Final, their first Cup Final trip since the 2006 championship season. The Eastern Conference Final opened in Raleigh with the Hurricanes in the black home alternate sweater against the Canadiens in road whites, the same black home call Carolina used for the Round 2 series opener against the Flyers. Carolina ran back the same black home alternate for Game 2 with Montreal again in road whites, the same sweater pairing as the series opener. Series shifted to Bell Centre for Games 3 and 4 with the Canadiens in the iconic CH crest red home sweater for both home games against the Hurricanes in road whites, the textbook NHL playoff white-versus-color matchup with full Original Six heritage on the home side, and Carolina stole both games in the road whites to take a commanding 3-1 series lead heading back to Lenovo Center for Game 5. Game 5 returned to Lenovo Center with the Hurricanes running back the black home alternate sweater for the third home game of the series against the Canadiens road whites, the same pairing as Games 1 and 2 holding at 5 out of 10 per the same-jersey-same-score rule, the white rally towel crowd takeover paired with the closeout-clinching Stanley Cup Final stage. Carolina punched the Cup Final ticket in the black home alternate frame to advance to a championship round meeting with the Vegas Golden Knights.
For the full pre-series preview, see our 2026 NHL Eastern Conference Final: Hurricanes vs Canadiens preview.
Game 5: Montreal Canadiens at Carolina Hurricanes
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Score: 5 / 10
Carolina ran back the black home alternate sweater for Game 5 at Lenovo Center against the Canadiens road whites for the closeout-clinching Stanley Cup Final berth, the same pairing as Games 1 and 2 in Raleigh and the same 5 out of 10 grade per the same-jersey-same-score rule. The Hurricanes again passed on the iconic red home sweater for the black home alternate, the third home game out of three this series Carolina opened at home without pulling the primary red identity. A Hurricanes red home sweater would have lifted this Cup-Final-clinching matchup to an 8 or higher with the Canadiens road whites delivering the textbook NHL playoff white-versus-color call. Lenovo Center paired the white rally towel crowd takeover against the black home alternate sweater for the broadcast contrast on the closeout night, the same white-on-black home identity Carolina ran for every Lenovo Center home game of the Eastern Conference Final, but the home jersey choice held the grade at the floor of the matchup pair even in the series-clinching win. Five out of 10. Carolina advances to the 2026 Stanley Cup Final against the Vegas Golden Knights, the franchise's first Cup Final appearance since the 2006 championship season.
Game 4: Carolina Hurricanes at Montreal Canadiens
Score: 9 / 10
Canadiens ran back the iconic CH crest red home sweater at Bell Centre for Game 4 with the Hurricanes again in road whites, the same uniform pairing as Game 3 holding the same 9 out of 10 grade per the same-jersey-same-score rule. Montreal's red home sweater is the most heritage-rich primary identity in hockey, the Original Six look that traces back nine decades, paired against the Hurricanes road whites with the red and black trim for the textbook NHL playoff white-versus-color matchup. Both teams in their primary home and road sets, no alternates, no throwbacks. Bell Centre in the red and white broadcast frame for the second straight night. Carolina took Game 4 on the road at Bell Centre to push the series lead to a commanding 3-1, the second straight road win in the Habs red home sweater frame, sending the series back to Lenovo Center for Game 5 with a closeout chance in Raleigh and the Stanley Cup Final on the line. Nine out of 10.
Game 3: Carolina Hurricanes at Montreal Canadiens
Score: 9 / 10
Series shifted to Bell Centre for Game 3 with the Canadiens pulling the iconic CH crest red home sweater for the first home game of the series against the Hurricanes road whites, the textbook NHL playoff white-versus-color matchup the series had been missing through the first two games at Lenovo Center where Carolina opened in the black home alternate twice. Montreal's red home sweater is the most heritage-rich primary identity in hockey, the Original Six Habs look that traces back nine decades, paired against the Hurricanes road whites with the red and black trim for the clean home-color-versus-road-white call. Both teams in their primary home and road sets, no alternates, no throwbacks. Carolina stole the game in the road whites to take a 2-1 series lead heading into Game 4 in Montreal, the Habs iconic red home debut a winning night for the visiting Canes. Nine out of 10. The Canadiens red home debut at Bell Centre was the home-team identity payoff this series had been waiting for even with Carolina taking the road win.
Game 2: Montreal Canadiens at Carolina Hurricanes
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Score: 5 / 10
Carolina runs back the black home alternate sweater for Game 2 at Lenovo Center against the Canadiens road whites, the same pairing as the series opener and the same 5 out of 10 grade per the same-jersey-same-score rule. The Hurricanes again passed on the iconic red home sweater for the black alternate, the second straight ECF game Carolina opens at home without pulling the primary red identity. A Hurricanes red home sweater would have lifted this matchup to an 8 or higher with the Canadiens whites as the road counterpart, the textbook NHL playoff white-versus-color call. Carolina took Game 2 at Lenovo Center to tie the series 1-1 heading into Game 3 at Bell Centre, where the Canadiens are expected to pull the iconic red home sweater for the first home game of the series.
Game 1: Montreal Canadiens at Carolina Hurricanes
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Score: 5 / 10
Hurricanes black home alternate sweater against Canadiens road whites at Lenovo Center, Carolina passing on the iconic red home sweater for the black alternate to open the Eastern Conference Final, the same call the Hurricanes made for Round 2 Game 1 against the Flyers graded 5 out of 10. Black against white delivers the broadcast contrast and the Canadiens road whites with the red and blue trim are one of the more iconic visitor sweater identities in the league. The matchup pairing earns slightly more identity weight than the Round 2 G1 Hurricanes-Flyers combo because the Canadiens road whites carry more brand heritage than the Flyers road whites, but Carolina's choice to skip the primary red home alternate holds the grade at the same 5 out of 10 per the same-jersey-same-score rule on the home side. A Hurricanes red home sweater would have lifted this to an 8 or higher with the Canadiens whites as the road counterpart. Montreal stole Game 1 on the road at Lenovo Center to grab a 1-0 series lead heading into Game 2 in Carolina.
FAQ: 2026 NHL Conference Finals Jersey Tracker
Which teams are in the 2026 NHL Conference Finals? The Western Conference Final was Colorado Avalanche vs Vegas Golden Knights, with Vegas sweeping the Avalanche 4-0 to advance to the 2026 Stanley Cup Final. The Eastern Conference Final was Carolina Hurricanes vs Montreal Canadiens, with Carolina closing out the Canadiens 4-1 at Lenovo Center in Game 5 to advance to the 2026 Stanley Cup Final against the Knights. The Avalanche eliminated the Wild 4-1 and the Golden Knights eliminated the Ducks 4-2 to lock in the West. The Hurricanes swept the Flyers 4-0 and the Canadiens beat the Sabres 4-3 in a Game 7 closeout in Buffalo to lock in the East.
Who won Game 1 of the Western Conference Final? The Vegas Golden Knights took Game 1 on the road at Ball Arena in Denver to grab a 1-0 series lead. Vegas wore the standard road whites and Colorado wore the primary burgundy home sweater, the textbook NHL playoff white-versus-color matchup graded 8 out of 10.
Who won Game 2 of the Western Conference Final? The Vegas Golden Knights won Game 2 on the road at Ball Arena in Denver to take a 2-0 series lead over the Colorado Avalanche. Both teams ran back the same Game 1 sweater pairing — Vegas in road whites, Colorado in the primary burgundy home sweater — graded 8 out of 10 per the same-jersey-same-score rule.
Who won Game 3 of the Western Conference Final? The Vegas Golden Knights won Game 3 at home at T-Mobile Arena to take a commanding 3-0 series lead over the Colorado Avalanche and a chance to sweep the series in Game 4. Vegas pulled the primary gold home sweater for the first home game of the series with the Avalanche in road whites, the textbook NHL playoff white-versus-color matchup with both teams in their primary home and road identities, graded 9 out of 10.
Who won Game 4 of the Western Conference Final? The Vegas Golden Knights won Game 4 at home at T-Mobile Arena to sweep the Colorado Avalanche 4-0 and advance to the 2026 Stanley Cup Final, the Knights returning to the Final stage for the first time since their 2023 Cup win. Vegas ran back the primary gold home sweater for the second straight home game with the Avalanche again in road whites, the same uniform pairing as Game 3 holding the same 9 out of 10 grade per the same-jersey-same-score rule. Textbook NHL playoff white-versus-color, both teams in their primary home and road identities, the cleanest closeout-night home jersey Vegas could have run for a sweep clincher.
Who won Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final? The Montreal Canadiens stole Game 1 on the road at Lenovo Center in Raleigh to grab a 1-0 series lead over the Carolina Hurricanes. Montreal wore the iconic road whites with the red and blue trim and Carolina wore the black home alternate sweater, the same black home alternate the Hurricanes ran for Round 2 Game 1 against the Flyers, graded 5 out of 10 for skipping the primary red home sweater.
Who won Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Final? The Carolina Hurricanes won Game 2 at Lenovo Center over the Montreal Canadiens to tie the series 1-1 before it shifts to Bell Centre for Games 3 and 4. Carolina ran back the same black home alternate sweater from Game 1 against the Canadiens road whites for the same 5 out of 10 grade per the same-jersey-same-score rule. A Hurricanes primary red home sweater would have lifted the matchup to an 8 or higher.
Who won Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Final? The Carolina Hurricanes stole Game 3 on the road at Bell Centre to take a 2-1 series lead over the Montreal Canadiens. Montreal pulled the iconic CH crest red home sweater for the first home game of the series and the most heritage-rich primary identity in hockey, but Carolina won the game in the standard road whites. The uniform matchup graded 9 out of 10 for the Habs Original Six home red versus the textbook road whites, the white-versus-color call the series had been missing through the first two games at Lenovo Center.
Who won Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Final? The Carolina Hurricanes closed out the Montreal Canadiens 4-1 at Lenovo Center to win the Eastern Conference Final and advance to the 2026 Stanley Cup Final, their first Cup Final appearance since the 2006 championship season. Carolina ran back the black home alternate sweater for the third home game of the series against the Canadiens road whites, the same uniform pairing as Games 1 and 2 holding the same 5 out of 10 grade per the same-jersey-same-score rule even in the series-clinching win. A Hurricanes primary red home sweater would have lifted the Cup-Final-clinching matchup to an 8 or higher.
What sweaters did the Avalanche wear in the Western Conference Final? Colorado ran the primary burgundy home sweater at Ball Arena for Games 1 and 2, the same look that earned 8 out of 10 in both Conference Final home games. The Avalanche pulled the standard road white sweater for Games 3 and 4 at T-Mobile Arena, the NHL playoff visitor standard for both sweep-loss nights in Vegas.
What sweaters did the Golden Knights wear in the Western Conference Final? Vegas ran road whites in Games 1 and 2 at Colorado, the standard NHL playoff visitor sweater. The Knights pulled the primary gold home sweater for Games 3 and 4 at T-Mobile Arena for the sweep clincher, the same gold home identity Vegas wore in Round 2 Games 1, 2, and 5 against the Ducks, the gold and black home palette one of the most distinctive primary identities in the league and the Cup Final-bound home identity Vegas now carries into the championship round.
Where can I find the Round 1 and Round 2 jersey grades? Every Round 1 sweater and uniform matchup is graded in the 2026 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs Round 1 Jersey Tracker and every Round 2 matchup is graded in the 2026 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs Round 2 Jersey Tracker. The 2026 Stanley Cup Final matchup preview is graded in our 2026 NHL Stanley Cup Final jersey matchup: Hurricanes vs Golden Knights post.
What standard are NHL jersey matchups graded against? Home team wears color, road team wears white. That's the NHL playoff standard, the same standard we apply across the entire 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs jersey and uniform tracker, with credit for iconic alternates and throwback sweaters that carry the right vibe. Same-uniform pairings across games in a series carry the same grade per our consistency rule.
