The Carolina Hurricanes may have stormed back to win Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final, but they now find themselves facing a threat no weather model could have predicted.
Friday, WWE superstar Danhausen, a creepy vampire-like figure who is both “very nice” and “very evil,” cursed the Hurricanes after a Vegas Golden Knights fan paid him lots of his hard-earned monies on Cameo.
“Yes, it is I, Danhausen, here,” the video begins. “Very nice, very evil. Very famous WWE legend, superstar, champion. Yes, that’ll do. Now that we’re wiser. All right — let’s do the Vegas Golden Knights fanhausens. OH. What is the occasion? Stanley Cup Finals. Possibly some sort of beverage.
“All right, please curse the Carolina Hurricanes for the 2026 Stanley Cup Finals. We want Vegas Golden Knight to win Lord Stanley Cup. Oh, they’re going to win a king or something! All right. Please make sure to say ‘Go Knight Go.’
“Carolina Hurricanes: YOU. ARE. CURSED. Go Knight Go.”
[Editor’s note: He pronounces the team’s name as Karolina Hurricañes]
While Danhausen’s curse seems frivolous, its power has been potent and a much-talked-about storyline during the NBA postseason.
The phenomenon began in April when Danhausen appeared on ESPN’s First Take and jokingly cursed ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith, an outspoken New York Knicks fan. At the time, the Knicks trailed 2-1 in their playoff series, and fans quickly began blaming the team’s struggles on the so-called “Danhausen Curse.”
When a Knicks supporter later paid Danhausen through Cameo to remove the curse, New York promptly caught fire. The Knicks eliminated Atlanta, swept Philadelphia, and reached the Eastern Conference Final, where the wrestler leaned even more into the bit. Ahead of New York’s series against Cleveland, Danhausen appeared on ESPN’s NBA Today and publicly cursed the Cavaliers — and noted Cleveland superfan and fellow WWE personality The Miz in the process.
When the Knicks erased a 22-point fourth-quarter deficit to win Game 1 of that series, the public’s belief in Danhausen’s magical powers only grew. The Knicks promptly swept the Cavaliers and have won the first two games of the NBA Finals. They’ve won 13 straight games since Danhausen lifted the curse.
Danhausen has jokingly issued demands to Knicks fans and management as his notoriety has increased, insisting that he be provided courtside seats at Madison Square Garden between actor Timothée Chalamet and Kylie Jenner if New York wishes to remain free of supernatural interference.
Vegas, clearly aware of Danhausen’s paranormal influence, began courting the dark arts conjurer after eliminating the Colorado Avalanche in the Western Conference Final. Golden Knights mascot Chance invited the wrestler to one of the team’s Stanley Cup Final games while holding up one of his shirts with CM Punk — one of Danhausen’s close friends.
While the Hurricanes have Seth Jarvis‘s friends and a tailgating GM, who is very nice, very awkward, those vibes may not be enough to combat Danhausen’s dark arts. Good luck, “Karolina,” you will need it.
