Mike Commodore sounds Hurricanes siren in bathrobe before Game 5 of

Mike Commodore, a former Carolina Hurricanes defenseman, stepped onto the ice in a bathrobe emblazoned with his old No. 22 and the Hurricanes logo and sounded the team’s siren just before the start of Game 5 of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final against the Vegas Golden Knights at the Lenovo Center [2]. The moment, a nod to his pre‑game ritual from the 2006 championship run, was captured by fans and broadcast as the Hurricanes looked to seize a pivotal win.

Key takeaways

• Commodore wore a Hurricanes‑logo bathrobe purchased from the team’s public store catalogue [2].
• He blew the Hurricanes’ siren before Game 5, a tradition he began during the 2006 Stanley Cup run [2].
• The siren moment occurred as the Hurricanes sought to build momentum in the series, which was tied 2‑2 after Game 4 [4].
• Commodore’s appearance was brief; he fixed his robe and left the ice after the siren [2].

A nostalgic ritual on the ice

The former defenseman’s bathrobe has become a symbol of his connection to the Hurricanes’ 2006 championship, when he first wore it in pre‑game and post‑game interviews. For Game 5, Commodore arrived in the same robe, complete with his former number and team logo, and used a handheld siren to signal the start of the contest [2]. After the siren blared, he raised his fist, adjusted the robe that was beginning to come undone, and then stepped away, allowing the game to proceed. The brief but memorable act was a reminder of the team’s past glory and a morale boost for the fans in the stands.

The broader context of Game 5

Game 5 was a crucial matchup in a series that had seen both teams trade victories. Carolina’s Jordan Staal opened the game with a goal, tying the score early in the first period, while Vegas’ Pavel Dorofeyev broke the deadlock with a power‑play goal at 6:52 [4]. The Hurricanes eventually took a 3‑1 lead after a goal by Sebastian Aho at 17:51, but the contest remained tightly contested. Brandon Bussi, the Hurricanes’ backup goalie, delivered a standout performance, making 23 saves—the best of any goalie in the series to that point [4]. Commodore’s siren thus sounded amid a high‑stakes environment where both teams were vying for a decisive advantage.

Why it matters

Commodore’s siren moment underscores how former players can influence team culture and fan engagement, even after retirement. By reviving a tradition from a previous championship, he provided a symbolic link between the Hurricanes’ past success and their current pursuit of another Stanley Cup. The ritual also highlighted the emotional intensity surrounding Game 5, a pivotal contest that could swing the series in either direction. As the series moved toward a potential Game 6 in Las Vegas, the Hurricanes aimed to capitalize on the momentum generated by both on‑ice performances and off‑ice gestures like Commodore’s.