RALEIGH, N.C. — When the Carolina Hurricanes face the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final on Tuesday night, one player will have a unique perspective. William Carrier, a member of Vegas’ 2023 championship team, now suits up for the Hurricanes after signing a six-year, $12 million contract in July 2024.

Carrier, an Original Misfit acquired by the Knights in the 2017 expansion draft from the Buffalo Sabres, spent seven seasons in Las Vegas. He experienced the agony of losing the Cup Final in 2018 and the joy of winning it in 2023. Now he wants to help his new teammates capture their first title.

“There’s a lot of guys here who need their name on that Cup,” said Carrier, one of three Hurricanes with a championship ring. “It’s magical in a way. I’m trying to do it for them and bring them up and get them to know that same winning feeling.”

His role remains the same: be physical, win puck battles, and do the dirty work on the fourth line. Carolina center Mark Jankowski praised Carrier’s impact. “He is a winner, he’s a champion. His strength down low on the puck is second-to-none in this league. He can create so much space and O-zone time for us.”

Carrier downplayed any advantage from knowing the Knights’ tendencies, noting they know his as well. But he holds a special place for T-Mobile Arena, where Vegas lost and won Cups. “That building is special and will always be special,” he said. “Skating there and playing there will always be special.”

He said the transition from a winning culture in Vegas to Carolina has been seamless. “When you go from a culture of winning one place to another the next, it’s a special thing. That’s what they do here — bring in people with high expectations.”