Former Ex-Kings Defensemen Set For Stanely Cup Final Showdown

The Los Angeles Kings, still watching the playoffs from home, will have their former defenseman competing in his first Stanley Cup game tonight as the Carolina Hurricanes host the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 1. 

For the last few weeks, all the news has centered on which coach the Kings will hire and who they will interview for the job, but tonight they will root for former players Sean Walker and Brayden McNabb, who were ex-defensemen for the Kings, who will look to get it done in the Stanley Cup.

The Carolina Hurricanes have been virtually unbeatable this postseason, posting a 12-1 record in the Eastern Conference and now heading into the Stanley Cup final for the first time since 2006.

Meanwhile, the Vegas Golden Knights have been the biggest surprises of the postseason after firing their Stanley Cup-winning head coach, Bruce Cassidy. Interim head coach John Tortorella led them past Anaheim and Utah and swept No. 1 seed Colorado Avalanche to return to the Stanley Cup Finals.  

In the meantime, Walker has quietly played the best season of his career at 31, finishing with 9 goals, 22 assists, and 31 points in 81 games, all career highs in his eighth season as a pro hockey player. 

The Los Angeles Kings had the Canadian defenseman for five seasons, from 2018-2023, before trading him to the Philadelphia Flyers in the offseason. He spent half a season there after being dealt again at the trade deadline to the Colorado Avalanche. 

Walker's time with the Kings was long, but he could never consistently play on the ice for LA, mostly due to injury. He suffered a torn ACL and MCL in his right knee in the 2021-22 season, when he played just six games. 

The 30-year-old defenseman bounced back the following year, playing 70 games and posting solid numbers, but it was clear the Kings wanted to move in a different direction after five seasons. 

Now, playing on his fourth team in eight seasons, Walker has finally found a home after signing a five-year, $18 million deal in 2024. Playing in the Stanley Cup final for the first time,  he's been one of the key pieces for a Carolina team that's been looking to get over the hump for years. 

If the Hurricanes win the Cup, Walker's defensive contributions for Carolina throughout the season will help elevate his status as one of the league's best defensemen. 

On the other side, Los Angeles will have another former defenseman who is playing against their divisional rival, the Vegas Golden Knights. The Kings acquired McNabb in the 2014 trade deadline from the Buffalo Sabers and had him for three seasons between 2014-2017 before Vegas selected Brayden in the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft.

McNabb has been playing for Vegas for half a decade. In his ninth season with the Golden Knights, he won his first Stanley Cup in 2023 and was named the recipient of the team's Seventh Player Award for the 2023–24 season, voted on by fans to recognize a player who exceeded expectations.   

The 35-year-old veteran clearly isn't the same player he once was a few years ago, but his locker room presence and playoff experience give Vegas an advantage in this series against a Hurricanes team that's never been here before.

Now, with McNabb aiming to win his second Stanley Cup title with the Golden Knights, will Walker stop that feat and win his first Cup? But regardless of which club emerges victorious, a former King will once again skate away with hockey's ultimate prize. 

Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Title will air tonight at 5 P.M. PT on ABC as the Carolina Hurricanes host the Vegas Golden Knights. 

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive, and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting on the article below on THN.com or by creating your own post in our community forum.