Why little Logan Stankoven is thriving in big-boy hockey with Hurricanes

RALEIGH, N.C. – The morning before the most important hockey play of his life, the shortest skater in the Stanley Cup Final stood in front of his tidy stall as long as he could and made a proclamation.

“I have no respect for other teams, but it’s hockey for big boys,” Logan Stankoven said without a hint of irony.

The man who may still have to step on his toes to ride the terrifying roller coasters must have forgotten to take off his skates the day the NHL measured him at five feet and eight inches.

“It’s a big team,” he continued. “There’s not a lot of time and space to play. I think they do a good job blocking shots and playing up front, so we have to find ways to get to the net.”

Give the “Little Engine that Could” credit for both underscoring the importance of breaking the Vegas Golden Knights’ fortress and for sparking Game 2’s remarkable third-period rally that has squared this series.

Vegas, as Taylor Hall has accurately explained, is tougher than all three Eastern Conference foes that Carolina took out of the bracket. And the Knights trapped the Hurricanes and their stalwarts on Thursday with a 2-0 deficit and a 50-minute sleeper hold before the try-hard 23-year-old single-handedly sparked a comeback that extended, if not saved, the Canes’ season.

Stankoven outmaneuvered Rasmus Andersson, a defenseman to whom he ceded almost 40 pounds, behind the net, chasing the puck and smearing a backhand through Carter Hart, and breathing life into the barn, the series.

“We needed someone who could get us going, and he made a great individual effort to do that,” said Mark Jankowski. “Not the biggest man. But he has the biggest heart.”

Rod Brind’Amour tapped four times in the postgame when asked how a player of Stankoven’s stature continually defeated the Goliaths of David.

“I can’t measure that,” said the proud coach. “He keeps doing it night in and night out. Determination, all that stuff. It’s pretty amazing.”

The second-line center’s top 10 goals this postseason are surpassed in the franchise record book only by Brind’Amour’s 12 scored en route to winning Carolina’s only Stanley Cup in 2006.

“I got to play against him when he was in Dallas, right?” said teammate William Carrier. “He’s feisty out there. He might not be the biggest guy, but I would hate to play against him.”

“And that’s exactly what a playoff goal is. … It was exactly what we needed.”

Stankoven’s three game winners and 50 shots in these playoffs lead all skaters. The man packs a lot into his compact frame and 17 minutes of ice time.

“It’s what you dream about as a kid. One day the goal is to win the Cup, but you want to be a difference maker in the NHL. I know I’m not a finished product. I still have work to do,” Stankoven said.

“I still have so much to learn, but I’m very happy with how I played the second half of the season and the play-offs.”

Considering the grind of getting here, of spending most of his rookie year developing in the American League, of pushing himself into a 20-goal NHLer this season, Stankoven says he refuses to take the opportunity for granted.

Stankoven’s points per game routinely rise when playoff time rolls around, and he grins when it’s suggested he shines brightest under the glare. He longs for the connection.

“Honestly, I’ve had a few rough sleeps since the series against Philadelphia. You just start thinking. Just overthinking things, I guess. Part of it is just being excited. I feel like I’m a guy who brings a lot of energy, so sometimes it’s hard to fall asleep,” Stankoven said.

“Imagine, of course, that you are raising the cup.”

Three more wins and it will be a family photo like no other.

Mother Deana, who cuts hair from the parental home; father Wes, who works for BC Hydro; and younger sister Macie, who would come along to Logan’s 5 a.m. minor hockey practices, have all taken vacations. They have flown south and will follow Stankoven the entire way.

“They’re pretty nervous,” Stankoven said. “Growing up, my mom was always quite involved. I think my dad is a little more relaxed, and then my sister is just very supportive.”

Stankoven will repay all their support.

The eighth highest-salaried Cane is certainly outperforming his paychecks. Shortly after being traded from Dallas as part of the 2025 deadline Mikko Rantanen blockbuster, Stankoven signed a max-term deal that should keep him in Raleigh through 2033-34.

On the one hand, his $6 million AAV will look more of a bargain as the cap increases. On the other hand, would you dare turn down $48 million guaranteed?

“It’s what every kid dreams of, to be able to play in the NHL for years to come. And I thought it was a no-brainer for me to sign long term. I know the cap is going to go up, but I couldn’t be happier to sign here long term,” Stankoven said.

“It gives me and my family some security, and I want to be able to provide for them.”

Pretty sensible reasoning from such a young athlete.

That’s because, as Seth Jarvis said, Stankoven is “a 45-year-old man in a 23-year-old body.”

The boys good-naturedly poke fun at Stankoven’s mature, detail-oriented approach. The middle man takes on the teasing, but order soothes his mind.

“It’s just the mentality that I bring with me. I feel like I’m a pretty organized guy. I kind of have my schedules that I stick to. I’ve always been that way,” Stankoven said. “Maybe it’s just part of the way I was raised. I like things organized.”

He keeps his apartment tidy and his locker spotless, making sure no mess is left behind for the Canes coaches.

“I don’t know if it’s OCD or what,” Stankoven said. “It’s just something I’ve had for a while: being organized, ready to go, and then going out and doing my thing.”

That’s collecting pucks, refusing to back down from a big opponent or a bigger moment, and capitalizing on his hard-earned opportunities.

Rantanen wasn’t as fond of Brind’Amour’s pressing system as Stankoven, who describes all that skating and checking as “a fun brand of hockey,” even if the coach’s fitness standard is “a little tougher” than the one he was held to by the Stars.

When his son was traded, Wes Stankoven said The Dallas Morning News the family was ‘devastated’. They swore he would wear green for life.

“Everything happens for a reason,” Logan says now. “Dallas got their guy. But I’m super happy to come here. I just felt the way I play and my motor, I could fit in here, and the coaching staff really supported me, and all my teammates are great.”

Funny how things work out.

Stankoven has only become a brighter star since Dallas let him go. The kid nicknamed “Stanky” smells like roses, and big boy hockey couldn’t be a better fit for an undersized man.