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Game 1 of the Stanley Cup final between the Florida Panthers and the Edmonton Oilers is held on Thursday at 8 pm et in Rogers Place in Edmonton, Canada.
It is the second consecutive season that Oilers and Panthers have been paired in the Stanley Cup final. Last season, the Panthers won their first championship in the history of the franchise.
The Panthers won that series in seven games, but were on the verge of one of the largest collapses in the history of sport.
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The center of Florida Panthers, Aleksander Barkov, speaks with the Edmonton Oilers center, Connor McDavid, at the end of game 7 of the Stanley Cup final, June 24, 2024, in Sunrise, Fla. (Photo AP/Rebecca Blackwell)
The Panthers went up 3-0, but the Oilers won three consecutive games and the forced 7 game, which the Panthers maintained and won, 2-1.
Despite the loss, the superstar of the oilers, Connor McDavid, received the Conn Smythe trophy, the prize awarded to the most valuable player of his team in the playoffs.
It was only the sixth time in the history of the NHL that a player in the losing team received the Conn Smythe trophy.
The final rematch of the Stanley Cup of the Panthers-Oilers is the twelfth time in the history of the NHL that two teams have known in the final in consecutive seasons. The last time it happened was when the Pittsburgh Penguins and Detroit Red Wings played in 2008 and 2009.
The Wings Red won in 2008, while the penguins won in 2009.
The Panthers hope to become the first team to defeat the same opponent in the consecutive finals of the Stanley Cup since the Montreal Canadiens defeated the Boston Bruins in 1977 and 1978.
Below is a preview of this year’s confrontation between the two powers.
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The Edmonton star, Connor McDavid, is shown with the NHL attached commissioner, Bill Daly, while holding the Clarence S. Campbell Bowl after game 5 of the finals of the West Conference on May 28, 2025. (Photo AP/Julio Cortez)
How they got here
Panthers
The Panthers finished third in the Atlantic division with 98 points. The Toronto Maple Leafs won the division with 108 points, while Tampa Bay Lightning was the second with 102 points.
In the playoffs, the Panthers bounced on both teams. In the first round, they defeated Rayo in five games in the “Battle of Florida”.
The second round was not as easy as the Panthers were left behind in the series, 2-0, the Maple Leafs before they recovered and won four of the next five games and defeated Toronto in seven games.
In the East Conference finals, the Panthers dominated Carolina’s hurricanes. They took a dominant advantage of the 3-0 series, with the 16-4 combined score in favor of the Panthers in those games.
The hurricanes avoided being swept with a game of game 4, but the Panthers won game 5, 5-3, to advance to their third consecutive final of the Stanley Cup.
Gown
The oilers finished third in the Pacific division with 101 points. Los Vegas Golden Knights won the division with 110 points, while Los Angeles Kings were second with 105 points.
The oilers, like the Panthers, knocked out both teams that ended in front of them in their division from the playoffs.
In the first round, the Oilers sent to the Kings in six games. In the second round, they beat the Golden Knights in five games.
In the final of the West Conference, the Oilers beat the Dallas Stars in five games and eliminated them in the final of the conference for the second consecutive season.
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The center of Florida Panthers, Aleksander Barkov, on the left, and the attached commissioner of the NHL, Bill Daly, pose with the Prince of Wales trophy at the end of game 5 of the finals of the East Conference on May 28, 2025. (Photo AP/Chris Seward)
The key taxpayers of each team
Panthers
The Panthers have obtained the production of a large part of their list during their career to the final of the Stanley Cup, since 10 players have scored at least 10 points in the 17 playoff games of the team.
The Sam Bennett center leads the team with 10 goals, while Aleksander Barkov and Carter Verhaeghe are tied second in the team with six goals each.
Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk are tied in team leadership with 11 assists each, while the acquisition of commercial deadlines Brad Marchand and Evan Rodrigues are tied in second place in the team with 10 assists.
Barkov leads the team with 17 points.
The goalkeeper Sergei Bobrovsky has started the 17 games in the playoffs and has shone, going 12-5 while allowing 2.11 goals per game with a savings percentage of .912%.
Gown
The Oilers have not received as much production throughout the alignment as the Panthers have done, but they have two of the best players in the sport that have taken the load for them.
Edmonton has seven players who have scored at least 10 points in the playoffs compared to the 10 Panthers players.
Throughout his career, McDavid has raised his game in the playoffs, and these playoffs have not been different.
In 16 games, McDavid has 26 points (six goals, 20 assists), while Leon Draisaitl has 25 points (seven goals, 18 assists).
Draisaitl and Corey Perry, 40, are tied in team leadership with seven goals each in the playoffs for Edmonton.
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is third in the team in scores with 18 points (five goals, 13 assists), with the Ev Bouchard defense just behind him with 17 points (six goals, 11 assists).
Unlike Panthers, the Oilers have not obtained a constant goalkeeper game. Both Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard began games at the playoffs for Edmonton.
Skinner has 6-4 in 10 games began with an average of 2.53 goals against with a .904 savings percentage, while Pickard has 6-0 in six openings with an average of 2.84 goals and a savings percentage of .888.
The oilers turned to Skinner in their series against the stars.
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The right wing of Edmonton Oilers, Corey Perry, on the right, celebrates with the McDavid Connor Center after scoring during the first period of game 5 of the final conference finals on May 29, 2025, in Dallas. (Photo AP/Gareth Patterson)
What the stars say
McDavid said the final loss of the Stanley Cup of the Oilers served as a “learning experience” for the team.
“I think we are better to spend last year. It is a great learning experience and has really taken us all year,” McDavid said after the Oilers finished his second west conference title in a row. “This race has felt differently last year. It has felt very normal … I don’t want to say boring because it is not bored at all. It has not been so emotional.”
“We have not had the ups and downs and we have not had the minimums. It has simply been stable,” said McDavid. “I think that puts us in a good position. You know that these games can be emotionally drainaders. We are not exhausted … you know, we have a chance as good as they are.”
The head coach of the Oilers, Kris Knoblauch, said the team has been preparing for this playoffs race since their defeat in game 7 last season.
“I think we spent seven months preparing for this playoffs race. As I think it was in our minds since we lost that last game,” Knoblauch said. “A long and hard summer camp and training, regular season, and it was just hitting our letter, appearing, wanting the playoffs, just having another chance.”
Draisaitl said it would be good to have the opportunity to take revenge.
“I mean, we know what they are about. We play them seven times and they are a good team,” Draisaitl said. “We are also really a good team. Obviously, it is good to have a chance, you know, take revenge, but far from that.”
Panthers expect the Stanley Cup final to be a battle once again.
“It will be an incredible battle again,” said Panthers striker Sam Reinhart, through NHL.com. “They are playing, obviously, a quite dominant hockey, so we are excited by the challenge. We have to be ready for it.”
“They are a very good team,” said Verhaeghe through NHL.com. “They have been in the final. They are definitely a hungry team. It is not easy to go to the last twice in a row, so they want it badly. So, it is for us to play our game, and we will also be ready.”
The Panthers chief coach Paul Maurice said the Oilers are better in what they do now.
“I think both teams are still quite consistent with their identity and their style of play. Now they are a year beyond their program, and we have also had three years.
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The center of Florida Panthers, Anton Lundell (15) celebrates its goal against Carolina’s hurricanes during game 5 of the East Conference finals, on May 28, 2025, in Raleigh, NC (Photo AP/Chris Seward)
Injury report
Panthers
Three strikers did not practice with the team on Saturday. Anton Lundell and Aj Greer did not skate and Eetu Luostarinen skated on their own.
Maurice said the “only questioning sign” is Greer, according to NHL.com. Maurice said the team will list him as day to day.
Lundell and Luostarinen are “well”, according to Maurice, and should be in the lineup for game 1.
Gown
The oilers are mostly healthy, since Mattias Ekholm and Connor Brown returned during the western conference finals.
However, the team will probably be without striker Zach Hyman during the final of the Stanley Cup. Hyman was injured in a collision in game 4 against the stars and underwent surgery in the lesion at the top of the body.
Hyman’s absence is great, since the striker had five goals and six assists in 15 playoff games.
The Edmonton Oilers center, Connor McDavid, scores against the stars during game 5 of the western conference finals, on May 29, 2025, in Dallas. (Photo AP/Julio Cortez)
Game times and dates
Last year, the Panthers had the advantage of ice at home, but this time the oilers have homemade ice.
Below are the times and dates for the series (* Indicate whether the game is necessary).
Game 1 – Wednesday, June 4, 8 pm et, Rogers Place, Edmonton
Game 2 – Friday, June 6, 8 pm et, Rogers Place, Edmonton
Game 3 – Monday, June 9, 8 PM et, AMERANT BANK Arena, Sunrise, Florida
Game 4 – Thursday, June 12, 8 PM et, AMERANT BANK Arena, Sunrise, Florida
Game 5* – Saturday June 14, 8 pm et, Rogers Place, Edmonton
Game 6* – Tuesday, June 17, 8 pm et, AMERANT BANK Arena, Sunrise, Florida
Game 7* – Friday June 20, 8 PM ET, Rogers Place, Edmonton
