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RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Rod Brind’Amour knows the exact moment he realized the Carolina Hurricanes could be Stanley Cup contenders. “Eight years ago,” he said. That was when Brind’Amour took over as coach, beginning a journey of making the playoffs every year and falling short of the final each time until now. The Vegas Golden Knights were born nine years ago, but from the time they pillaged the rest of the NHL in the expansion draft through this spring, they have set championship expectations. They made the final in their inaugural season and won it all in 2023. Their third visit to the Cup Final is perhaps their most surprising. This Vegas-Carolina final is almost a decade in the making for a pair of teams in non-traditional markets that have become powerhouses. The collision course brought them to this moment, a best-of-seven series that begins with Game 1 on Tuesday night. “It’s for all the marbles,” Golden Knights forward Cole Smith said. “Just the way they play, they play a really fast game. So do we. It’s going to be a really great series.” The Hurricanes won their only Stanley Cup championship in 2006, when Brind’Amour was their captain. He played 9 1/2 seasons for them and spent seven more as an assistant before getting named coach in 2018. He has been a part of 98 of Carolina’s 100 playoff victories since the franchise formerly known as the Whalers moved from Hartford in ’97. “Roddy’s been at the helm of it the whole time and just establishing the culture that we do have here,” said defenseman Jaccob Slavin, now in his 11th season with the team. “It’s been building and building and we’ve been close and knocking at the door. I think we finally just have the right personnel, the right commitment, the right buy-in because our game really hasn’t changed.” Slavin, captain Jordan Staal, grinder Jordan Martinook and center Sebastian Aho have been together since the time Brind’Amour got promoted, and wingers Andrei Svechnikov and Seth Jarvis and goaltender Frederik Andersen got added the well-established core along the way. The Hurricanes won at least one series every year but had never strung together three in a row. “We’ve been trying really hard for eight years, and it’s not anybody’s fault,” Martinook said. “It’s just we’ve fallen short.” Logan Stankoven, acquired at the trade deadline last year when Mikko Rantanen was sent to Dallas six weeks after Carolina got him from Colorado, has thrived at center on the second line between Taylor Hall and Jackson Blake. Stankoven leads the team with nine goals. Hall, who came from Chicago in that initial three-way trade with Rantanen, tops the Hurricanes with 16 points. Nikolaj Ehlers, signed last summer as a free agent, had a monster Game 2 of the East final after they lost the series opener, including scoring the overtime winner. “I don’t think I’ve done anything special to get this group (here),” Ehlers said. “This group was ready for it.” Carolina is 12-1 this playoffs, the fewest losses to get to the final since 1983. Brind’Amour feels like this is where his team has belonged for a long time but still has unfinished business. “I don’t think we have broken through,” Brind’Amour said. “You’ve got to win. I know everyone makes a lot about getting this far, but nobody’s going to remember who comes in second.” Vegas came in second during its inaugural season when no one expected the expansion team to be any good. The Golden Knights went all the way to the final before losing to Washington in five games. “Set the tone right away,” said center William Karlsson, one of the three original so-called “Misfits” who are still around from the beginning. “That came out of nowhere.” First general manager George McPhee plucking Karlsson, defensemen Shea Theodore and Brayden McNabb and winger Reilly Smith — back after a year and a half absence — from other teams put Vegas in position to succeed. Smart selections in the draft, free agent signings and trades by McPhee and now-GM Kelly McCrimmon established a standard of winning at all costs. “It’s what you want to be as an athlete,” McNabb said. “You want to be on a team that does that.” In came Mark Stone, Jack Eichel, Ivan Barbashev and Alex Pietrangelo, and the Knights won the Cup in their sixth season. They’ve only missed the playoffs once. Pietrangelo’s career-ending injury opened space to deal for Mitch Marner on June 30. Marner leads all scorers in the playoffs with 21 points, succeeding at a time of year that he never did in nearly a decade with the Toronto Maple Leafs. “I think our team is deeper and a better team than what he had played on in Toronto,” McCrimmon said. “Not that Toronto didn’t have real good teams, but you have to have that depth throughout your roster because to go through three rounds or ultimately, hopefully, four rounds, everybody’s got to take their turn.” Pavel Dorofeyev has been a breakout star on that front, and he and teammate Brett Howden are tied for the most postseason goals with 10 apiece. Karlsson returned in the second round after missing the previous six months with an undisclosed injury. Goaltender Carter Hart, a controversial signing last fall after he and four other Hockey Canada junior players were acquitted of sexual assault, has rounded into form. Hart stopped 118 of 125 shots in a West final sweep of Colorado. And, most notably, Vegas has won 19 of 24 games since McCrimmon fired coach Bruce Cassidy in late March and hired John Tortorella, whom he had never met or spoken with before. “We asked ourselves, ‘Who can come in and give us that kind of a bump?'” McCrimmon said. “John was the guy that we really felt strongly could do that.” ___ AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/stanley-cup and https://apnews.com/hub/nhl Brought to you by www.srnnews.com

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — The marquee outside of Madison Square Garden in December 1949 once promoted the following event, which was happening a couple of days later: “Geo Mikan vs Knicks.” Not “Minneapolis Lakers vs. Knicks.” Just George Mikan. The NBA’s first one-of-a-kind big man. It feels like history repeating itself now. The NBA Finals start Wednesday, with the San Antonio Spurs facing the Knicks for the title. And the marquee for this series — in San Antonio, in New York, in Paris and countless other points around the globe — may as well say “Wemby vs Knicks.” Victor Wembanyama keeps stepping onto bigger and bigger stages. The latest version of the NBA’s one-of-a-kind big man — a title once held by the likes of Mikan, Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Shaquille O’Neal — will have all eyes on him in this series, and probably for every game he plays for the rest of his life. He’s not “on the way” to superstardom. He’s there. And this series is giving him his first chance at putting champion on his resume. “This is the best basketball on the planet that’s being played right now,” Wembanyama said after San Antonio won Game 7 at Oklahoma City to capture the Western Conference title. “And the crazy thing is … I want to do that 15, 20 more times. Let’s hope it doesn’t become an addiction. Maybe it is already.” It may as well be an addiction. San Antonio is clearly addicted to him. There’s no Major League Baseball in San Antonio, no NHL team, no NFL team. As far as big-time pro sports go, it’s the Spurs and nothing else. And those who drive five minutes in any direction in this city will see the proof. School’s out in San Antonio. It’s summer. The city’s public library was buzzing Monday, and a few kids just happened to be noticing a new display not far from the front desk. “Read Like Wemby,” it said, and it featured five books that Wembanyama has been known to read in the past. An Instagram account — wembybooks — starting posting images of him with books, local media in San Antonio caught on and the library came up with an idea. “We want to make sure people have access to those and people can read them,” said Scott Williams, the marketing manager for the San Antonio Public Library. “And so, we thought, ‘Let’s do a display and let’s do a book list and make sure that people can easily find what Wemby’s reading so that they can read it too.’” The results? “The interest has been huge,” Williams said. “Ultimately, we’re looking at two things. We want people to pay attention to the library, we want people to come here and notice us, and we want people checking out these books and reading. It’s been a success on both fronts.” So, Wemby gets people reading. He also gets people to visit seafood restaurants — even when they’re closed. Rudy’s Seafood isn’t open on Monday. In a 15-minute span Monday afternoon, four cars showed up. They weren’t there for lunch. They were there to see the Spurs murals — current players and coaches are featured, alongside a freshly re-painted Gregg Popovich, a newly added George Gervin and Manu Ginobili, among others. Mark and Christina Lerma have family in San Antonio, but they live in Nebraska. They’re not going to the NBA Finals — ticket prices are way too high — but they headed to Rudy’s to pay homage to their favorite team. Mark was wearing a newly acquired Spurs NBA Finals hat and Wembanyama jersey; Christina was dressed all in black and showed off video of a Spurs dress she was wearing on Sunday. They’ve loved the Spurs forever. And Wembanyama, as one might guess, has quickly acquired a special place in their fandom. “He’s dominant,” Mark Lerma said. “He changes the game.” They proudly pointed out that Wembanyama has been to the restaurant to see the tribute to the Spurs, which has been up for years and gets updated as needed. “A lot of people stop and do selfies,” said Roland Ramirez, who owns the restaurant. “They’re doing graduation pictures with the backdrop. It’s pretty nice for the community. You know, the Spurs are pretty big right now here in San Antonio.” He has met Wembanyama in the past and was blown away by how he carries himself. “The first vibe I got off of him was he was just very humble,” Ramirez said. “He talked to my wife … he was very humble with everybody. You could see all the emotion he had when he won the Western Conference finals and the crying, he’s just a very emotional guy, very humble, very, very nice guy. That’s what people are really feeding off. He’s humble, but he’s hungry for a championship. And when he gets on the floor, he’s a whole different monster.” He’s different. Just like Mikan was 77 years ago. Wemby vs. the Knicks. A marquee matchup awaits. ___ AP NBA: https://apnews.com/nba Brought to you by www.srnnews.com

The deal to send two-time AP Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett from Cleveland to the Los Angeles Rams puts him in company with several other great players who have been traded away in the NFL. The shocking deal Monday for Garrett came about nine months after another stunner involving a star pass rusher with Micah Parsons being dealt from Dallas to Green Bay just before the start of last season. The Rams will send 2024 AP NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Jared Verse, a 2027 first-round pick, a 2028 second-rounder and a 2029 third-rounder to the Browns in the deal that is still pending a physical. Garrett wasn’t the only star player traded Monday, with Philadelphia dealing receiver A.J. Brown to New England for a 2028 first-round pick and 2027 fifth-rounder. The Packers had to give up two first-round picks and defensive tackle Kenny Clark last August when they acquired Parsons from the Cowboys. Parsons had 12 1/2 sacks in 14 games with Green Bay before going down with a season-ending knee injury that derailed the Packers’ season. The Cowboys used the initial first-rounder to drop three spots in the draft in April, picking defensive end Malachi Lawrence in the first round, and cornerback Devin Moore and defensive end LT Overton in the fourth. Here’s a look at some other NFL stars who were traded in their primes: Just before the start of the 2018 season, the Raiders and Chicago Bears made a deal very similar to the Parsons trade. Oakland shipped two-time All-Pro and one-time Defensive Player of the Year winner Mack to Chicago for two first-round picks after failed contract extension talks. That 2018 trade didn’t ultimately work out for either team. Mack was highly productive in Chicago, earning All-Pro honors his first year, but couldn’t do enough to help the Bears win a playoff game in his four seasons before being traded to the Chargers. The Raiders used the first pick on running back Josh Jacobs, who was very productive before leaving as a free agent following the 2023 season. The second first-rounder was wasted on cornerback Damon Arnette, who was cut halfway through his second season. The most famous trade in Dallas history came in Jerry Jones’ first season as owner in 1989 when the Cowboys dealt Herschel Walker to Minnesota for a package that ultimately led to eight draft picks, including three first-rounders. Dallas used those picks to help draft Hall of Famer Emmitt Smith and key contributors to three Super Bowl wins like Darren Woodson, Kevin Smith and Russell Maryland. The Vikings didn’t win a playoff game in two-plus seasons with Walker. Jones has another famous deal that helped fuel Dallas’ 1990s dynasty when he acquired the pass rusher from San Francisco for second- and third-round picks in 1992. Haley was the final piece on defense that the Cowboys needed to win three Super Bowls in his first four seasons, eliminating the 49ers in the NFC title game on the way to the first two titles. Moss was a three-time All-Pro and the most dominant deep threat in the league when Minnesota traded him to Oakland in 2005 for a package that included the No. 7 overall pick in the draft. The deal helped neither team as the Vikings used the pick on Troy Williamson, who caught 79 passes in three seasons, and the Raiders won six games in two seasons. Moss was then traded again in 2007 to New England and set an NFL record with 23 TD catches in his first season as the Patriots became the only team to go 16-0 in the regular season. Six years after being traded by Minnesota to the New York Giants, Tarkenton returned to the Vikings in 1972 after making four Pro Bowls in six seasons in New York. Tarkenton led Minnesota to the Super Bowl three times in seven seasons in his second stint — losing every time — and was the NFL MVP in 1975. The disgruntled Dickerson was traded from the Los Angeles Rams to Indianapolis in 1987 in a blockbuster deal that also sent Cornelius Bennett to Buffalo. Dickerson helped the Colts make the playoffs for the first time in 10 years in his first season and then led the NFL in rushing in 1988. Faulk led the NFL with 2,227 yards from scrimmage in 1998 when Indianapolis made the surprising decision to deal him to St. Louis. The Colts went on to draft Hall of Famer Edgerrin James in the first round as Faulk’s replacement but the Rams really won the deal. Faulk helped form the “Greatest Show on Turf” offense as St. Louis won the Super Bowl his first season. Faulk had nearly 1,500 more yards from scrimmage and 18 more TDs than any other player from 1999-2001 as he won AP Offensive Player of the Year all three seasons and MVP in 2000. McCaffrey helped transform San Francisco’s offense when he was acquired from Carolina during the 2022 season for a package of four picks. McCaffrey gained 3,233 yards and scored 31 TDs in his first 27 regular-season games for the Niners before being hampered by injuries last season. He won AP Offensive Player of the Year in 2023 when he helped San Francisco reach the Super Bowl. Dean was coming off an All-Pro season in 1980 when he was traded the following year to San Francisco for a package that included a first-round pick. His addition helped fuel the start of the 49ers dynasty. He was an All-Pro in 1981 when San Francisco won its first of five titles in a 14-season span and had a 17 1/2-sack season in 1983 before ending up in the Hall of Fame. In one of the biggest star-for-star trades, Denver acquired Bailey from Washington for star running back Clinton Portis. Portis had four 1,000-yard rushing seasons with Washington but the Broncos were the biggest winner. Bailey played 10 more seasons, earning All-Pro honors his first three seasons, leading the league with 10 interceptions in 2006 and getting into the Hall of Fame. Warfield had made back-to-back Pro Bowls for Cleveland when Don Shula acquired him in his first season as Miami’s head coach. Warfield provided a needed deep threat for the Dolphins, making the Pro Bowl in five straight seasons. Warfield was an All-Pro twice and helped Miami win back-to-back Super Bowls, including the perfect 17-0 season in 1972. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL Brought to you by www.srnnews.com

LIMA, Peru (AP) — Peruvian shamans gathered on Monday for a blessing ritual for the two candidates in the country’s presidential runoff next weekend, a decisive vote for the South American country that has seen a revolving door of presidents kicked out of office over corruption scandals. The ritual is a tradition at the start of every year and before elections. The shamans gathered by the sea on Herradura Beach in the Chorrillos district in Lima, Peru’s capital, holding up posters of the two candidates. The two — Keiko Fujimori, the conservative daughter of disgraced former President Alberto Fujimori, and Roberto Sánchez, a nationalist congressman and former minister — are neck and neck in the polls and will face off on Sunday. Fujimori garnered just over 17% of the votes while Sánchez got about 12% in a crowded field of candidates in the first round of voting in April. That round was mired in logistical problems that left thousands in Peru and abroad unable to cast ballots. It then took weeks for the country’s electoral body to finalize the two contenders for the runoff. In the blessing ritual, the shamans used flower petals, fruit, coca leaves and fragrant pieces of palo santo — or “holy wood” in Spanish — as well as black tobacco, swords and dolls. They also lit colorful flares and banged drums. “The ritual we perform is primarily intended to ensure that the best candidate is the one who represents our Peru,” said shaman Andrés de los Santos, who had traveled to Lima from the north of the country. Although the shamans made no forecasts this time, they have previously predicted the future. At the end of 2025, they predicted Venezuela’s then-President Nicolás Maduro, now facing drug trafficking charges in the United States, would no longer be in office by the end of 2026. The winner of the runoff will become Peru’s ninth president in just 10 years, replacing José María Balcázar, who was elected interim president in February. Balcázar replaced another interim leader, José Jerí, who was ousted over corruption allegations just four months into his term. Peru’s next president will be sworn in on July 28 for a five-year term. ___ Follow AP’s Latin America coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america Brought to you by www.srnnews.com

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Five of the 18 American cruise ship passengers who have been staying at a national quarantine facility in Nebraska after being exposed to hantavirus are going home, U.S. health officials said Monday. The five people will complete their monitoring at home after remaining symptom-free and meeting criteria for monitoring outside the quarantine unit at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. They are leaving Omaha about three weeks after they and the 13 other Americans arrived in Nebraska following a deadly outbreak of hantavirus on a cruise ship traveling in the South Atlantic Ocean. Hantaviruses usually spread when people inhale contaminated residue of rodent droppings, but the hantavirus that has caused the current outbreak, called the Andes virus, may be able to spread between people in rare cases. A total of 13 confirmed or probable hantavirus cases, including three deaths, have been linked to the ship, according to the World Health Organization. No Andes virus cases have been confirmed in the U.S., and the risk to the public remains low, health officials said. None of the U.S. passengers has shown any symptoms, a spokesperson for Nebraska Medicine said Monday. Symptoms of hantavirus have taken as long as 42 days to appear in previous outbreaks, but some medical experts say most people who develop symptoms do so within 21 days. The doctors in Omaha monitoring the passengers had said previously that they would work with each person individually to determine if it was appropriate for them to go home to finish their recommended 42-day quarantine period. Federal officials arranged travel for the five people going home, in coordination with state and local authorities. Officials said the travel was not to be on commercial flights, with appropriate biocontainment measures in place. State health departments will continue daily symptom monitoring, maintain 24/7 oversight and provide guidance. Two of the people returning to their homes live outside New York City, said city Health Commissioner Dr. Alister Martin. One of the remaining passengers, Jake Rosmarin, posted on his blog Sunday that he plans to stay at the Omaha unit for his final three weeks of quarantine because he would have immediate access to care if he gets sick and he doesn’t want to risk unnecessarily exposing anyone else. Rosmarin, who posts daily updates about his experience, said he’s not judging anyone who decided to go home. “For me personally, this experience has been incredibly traumatic,” Rosmarin said. “I don’t think I’ve fully processed everything yet, and right now I don’t want to leave until I know there is no risk of me getting sick or putting my family, friends, or the general public at risk.” Not everyone quarantined in Nebraska has been happy about it. About a week after the 18 arrived, U.S. health officials issued quarantine orders forcing two passengers who wanted to leave to stay there. ___ Stobbe reported from New York. ___ The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Brought to you by www.srnnews.com