Is it finally time for Tomas Hertl to raise the Stanley Cup? It's certainly a possibility, as his Vegas Golden Knights punched their ticket to the Stanley Cup Final on Tuesday night when they completed a sweep of the President's Trophy winning Colorado Avalanche. Hertl isn't the only former Shark on the hunt though, as former Sharks winger Joel Ward, an assistant coach for the Golden Knights, is also looking for his first championship. Neither one were able to raise the prestigious trophy in San Jose, now they'll have the opportunity to do so with one of their greatest rivals. As a 32-year-old center with a long injury history, Hertl is running out of opportunities to etch his name on the grandest trophy in hockey. He's halfway through a massive contract that he signed with the Sharks back in 2022 and his name has been in trade rumors ever since he arrived in Sin City. Ward, on the other hand, never had the chance to win the Stanley Cup during his playing career. He retired as a member of the Sharks organization following the 2017-18 season, just a couple of seasons after the team in teal came up just short and lost to the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Stanley Cup Final. By eliminating the Avalanche, the Golden Knights did crush a pair of former Sharks' Stanley Cup dreams though. Both Brent Burns and Mackenzie Blackwood will have to wait at least one more season to raise the trophy.
