The 32-year-old Czech agreed to a four-year contract for $2.2 million a year.

Kaberle led Carolina’s defensemen in scoring during the regular season, finishing with 44 points (six goals, 38 assists) in 77 games. In the postseason, he had 13 points, and his fourth goal clinched the title for the Hurricanes in their 3-1 Game 7 win.

"Frank had an outstanding season and quietly led our defense in scoring," general manager Jim Rutherford said. "He is a good-skating and experienced defenseman in the prime of his career, and he will play a big role in the team’s future."

Aaron Ward, Frantisek Kaberle and Justin Williams scored for the Hurricanes at RBC Center in Raleigh, North Carolina last night. Ward and Kaberle gave the Hurricanes a 2-0 lead and Williams scored an empty-net goal with 1:01 left after the Oilers had pulled within 2-1.

Hurricanes goaltender Cam Ward, a 22-year-old rookie, made 22 saves and was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player of the finals. Ward wasn’t Carolina’s starter to open the playoffs, having replaced an ineffective Martin Gerber during the first round against Montreal.

“Everybody knows we had the best goalie in the playoffs,'’ Hurricanes captain Rod Brind’Amour said at his post-game news conference. “We got to raise the cup because of that kid.'’

There have been 14 series deciders since the NHL’s championship went to a seven-game format in 1939 and the home team has now won 12 of them. The past three Stanley Cup Finals have all gone seven games.

Fernando Pisani had the lone goal for the Oilers, who were denied a sixth Stanley Cup title.

Brind’Amour, a 17-year NHL veteran, was the first player to lift the Cup after the game. He then handed the trophy to 18- year veteran defenseman Glen Wesley, who raised it above his head and skated around as confetti fell and Queen’s “We Are the Champions'’ blared on the arena’s sound system.

Early Goal

Carolina, which let slip a three-games-to-one lead in the series, scored just 86 seconds after the opening faceoff, as Ward one-timed a centering pass from Mark Recchi through traffic and under Edmonton goaltender Jussi Markkanen.

The first period ended in controversy after a near-goal by the Hurricanes with five seconds left.

On a delayed penalty, Carolina broke into the Edmonton zone and Craig Adams got off a back-hand shot that bounced over Markkanen and rolled down his back. As the puck neared the goal line, Oilers defenseman Steve Staois crashed into the crease and landed on the puck.

Officials ruled it wasn’t a goal after a review and also said a penalty shot wouldn’t be awarded because the delayed penalty took effect when Staois gloved the puck and took possession. NHL rules state a player other than the goaltender isn’t permitted to cover a puck in the crease.

“On a delayed penalty, when there is possession and control, the play dies,'’ NHL Director of Officiating Steve Walkom said in a televised interview with NBC. “When (Staois) gloves it, it was whistled dead.'’

Rookie in Goal

Carolina scored its second goal 4:18 into the second period and just eight seconds after Edmonton’s Jaroslav Spacek was sent to the penalty box for holding.

Kaberle took a cross-ice pass from Cory Stillman off a faceoff and ripped a slapshot that hit the hip of diving Edmonton winger Ryan Smyth and skipped past Markkanen. It was Kaberle’s fourth goal of the postseason.

Pisani made it 2-1 less than two minutes into the third period, stuffing a second rebound past Ward for his playoff-best 14th goal. It was the only score Edmonton would get against Ward, who is the third rookie goaltender to lead his team to a Stanley Cup title in the past 35 years after Patrick Roy and Ken Dryden.

“Cam Ward shut the door on the few chances we had in the third period,'’ Oilers coach Craig MacTavish said as his post- game news conference.

Ward finished with 15 wins during the playoffs after winning 14 games during the regular season as Gerber’s backup.

Formerly the Hartford Whalers, the Hurricanes moved to North Carolina from Connecticut in 1997. They reached the Stanley Cup Finals in 2002, losing in five games to Detroit.

“Peter Karmanos had a dream that hockey would work in Carolina, and guess what? He was right,'’ NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said at the trophy presentation ceremony.

Eric Staal assisted on both goals and Cam Ward had 20 saves for Carolina, which leads the National Hockey League’s best-of- seven championship series three games to one.

The Hurricanes can take the Stanley Cup by winning Game 5 on June 14 at the RBC Center in Raleigh, North Carolina. Carolina scored five goals at home in each of the first two games of the series.

“This is going to be the toughest game for us, the one that closes the series,'’ Stillman said at a televised news conference. “And you know what? We’re looking forward to doing that on home ice.'’

Recchi snapped a 1-1 tie with his seventh goal of the postseason with 3:04 left in the second period at Rexall Place in Edmonton, Alberta. His goal came after a turnover by Oilers defenseman Chris Pronger.

The Oilers opened the scoring 8:40 into the first period as Sergei Samsonov beat Ward for his fourth goal of the postseason.

Stillman tied it 29 seconds later, scoring on a power play after Raffi Torres received a two-minute tripping penalty. With the goal, Stillman extended his point-scoring streak in consecutive playoff games to 12.

The Oilers were 0-for-5 on the power play and have scored just once on 25 power-play opportunities in the series.

“We lost the momentum and it was just a product of, not getting outplayed, but just getting out-capitalized,'’ Oilers coach Craig MacTavish said. “They capitalized on their chances.'’

Carolina lost to Detroit in five games in the 2001-02 Stanley Cup Finals. Edmonton won its previous five trips to the championship series, the last in 1990.