BURSTTwo athletes from Kamloops, at very different parts of their professional careers, are both four wins away from reaching the pinnacle of their respective sports.
Logan Stankoven will hit the ice with the Carolina Hurricanes in the Stanley Cup Final against the Vegas Golden Knights starting on Tuesday, June 2, while Kelly Olynyk will hit the hard court with the San Antonio Spurs against the New York Knicks in the NBA Finals, which start on Wednesday, June 3. Both series are best-of-seven.
Stankoven, 23, has arguably been Carolina’s best forward through the first three rounds of the NHL players. He’s scored nine goals and added three assists through 13 playoff games so far, sitting third on Carolina in scoring.
Meanwhile, Olynyk, 35, has been in a leadership role for the up-and-coming Spurs, who are in the NBA Finals for the first time since 2014.
In the playoffs, Olynyk has appeared in nine games, playing an average of just under four minutes per game. In those appearances, he’s averaging 2.8 points and 0.8 rebounds. In the regular season, he played in 42 games, averaging 3.2 points per game.
The Spurs acquired the 7-foot-tall centre from the Washington Wizards on July 9, 2025.
Stankoven was traded from the Dallas Stars to the Hurricanes a few months earlier, on March 7, 2025, at the NHL trade deadline.
Both Stankoven and Olynyk are looking for their first career championships.