* Three of four teams that skated in last year’s Conference Finals will return to the final four in 2025 as the Panthers, Oilers and Stars continue their quest for the Stanley Cup.

* The road to the Stanley Cup Final will once again run through Sun Belt states. The 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs are the third in NHL history to feature three of the final four teams from the Sun Belt, with each instance having taken place in the past six postseasons (also 2023 & 2020).

* The puck drops on the Eastern Conference Final when the Hurricanes host the defending Stanley Cup champion Panthers at 8 p.m. ET on TNT, Max, Sportsnet, TVA Sports and CBC.

FAMILIAR FACES FEATURED IN 2025 CONFERENCE FINALS
The 2025 Conference Finals will feature three of the four teams that competed in the final four in 2024, including the reigning Stanley Cup champion Panthers, the Oilers – who pushed the champions to seven games in last year’s Final – and the Stars.

* The Panthers and Stars are set to become the fifth and sixth teams in the past 20 years to appear in three straight Conference Finals, alongside the Lightning (3 from 2020-22), Blackhawks (3 from 2013-15), Kings (3 from 2012-14) and Red Wings (3 from 2007-09). With a victory against Carolina, Florida can also become the ninth different franchise in NHL history to appear in at least three straight Stanley Cup Finals – Tampa Bay (3 from 2020-22) and Edmonton (3 from 1983-85) are the only clubs to do so in the past 40 years.

* Florida and Carolina are meeting in the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the second time after the two clubs clashed for a berth in the Final in 2023. The Panthers and Hurricanes are the third set of teams in the past 25 years to record each of their first two or more playoff meetings in the penultimate round of the postseason, following the Stars and Golden Knights (2023 & 2020) as well as the Lightning and Rangers (2022 & 2015).

SUN BELT TEAMS WELL-REPRESENTED IN 2025 CONFERENCE FINALS
The Sun Belt of the United States will be well-represented in this year’s final four as the Panthers, Stars and Hurricanes are set to compete for a spot in the Stanley Cup Final. There have been at least two Sun Belt teams in six of the past seven Conference Finals/Semifinals since 2018, with nine of the last 12 spots in the final four taken by clubs from that region (CAR, DAL & FLA in 2025; DAL & FLA in 2024; CAR, DAL, FLA & VGK in 2023).

* Three of the four remaining franchises have played in their current location since the 1990s and were either part of expansion or relocation to the southern States. This includes the Stars (from Minnesota) and Hurricanes (from Hartford) relocating to Dallas and Carolina in 1993-94 and 1997-98, respectively, and the Panthers joining the NHL in 1993-94.

PANTHERS, HURRICANES SET FOR ANOTHER CONFERENCE FINALS CLASH
The Panthers and Hurricanes are set for a rematch of the 2023 Eastern Conference Final – a series which Florida won in four games to reach its first championship series since 1996. Carolina, which enters the series with five straight home wins to start the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs, has won six of its past seven Game 1s on home ice since the 2022 First Round (only loss: Game 1 of 2023 CF vs. FLA).

* After all four games of the 2023 Conference Finals were decided by one goal, the Panthers and Hurricanes can become the seventh pair of opponents in NHL history to have each of their first five contests in the Stanley Cup Playoffs decided by a one-goal margin. They would join the Maple Leafs and Capitals (6 GP in 2017), Bruins and Senators (6 GP in 2017), Blackhawks and Lightning (5 GP in 2015), Blackhawks and Coyotes (5 GP in 2012), New York Americans and Rangers (5 GP from 1929 – 1938) as well as the Canadiens and Blackhawks (5 GP from 1930 – 1931).

* Brad Marchand (3-9—12 in 12 GP), who is fresh off a three-point performance in Florida’s Game 7 win against Toronto and paces the Panthers in scoring this postseason, sits one assist shy of a double-digit total for just the third time in his storied career (14 in 2019 & 13 in 2018). The 37-year-old can become the oldest player with 10 or more helpers in a single playoff year (age at end of postseason) since Jaromir Jagr (10 in 2013). The most in that scenario is held by Steve Yzerman (17 in 2002).

* Andrei Svechnikov (8-1—9 in 10 GP), who enters the Conference Finals on a three-game goal streak and one tally shy of Mikko Rantanen for the postseason lead in goals, sits within striking distance of current head coach Rod Brind’Amour (12 in 2006) for the franchise record for most goals in a single playoff year. Svechnikov’s three game-winning goals are also one shy of tying Brind’Amour’s single-postseason franchise record (4 in 2006)

OILERS AND STARS READY TO RUN IT BACK IN THE WESTERN CONFERENCE FINAL

The Oilers, the last remaining Canadian team in the playoffs for the fourth straight year, are ready to clash with the Stars in the Western Conference Final for the second consecutive postseason following Edmonton’s six-game triumph in the 2024 Conference Finals. Dallas and Edmonton joined a collection of franchises in recent memory to meet in the final four in consecutive postseasons (TBL & NYI in 2020 CF and 2021 SCSF; CHI & LAK in 2013 and 2014 CF; COL & DAL in 1999 and 2000 CF.)

* Connor McDavid and his Oilers sit eight wins shy of avenging their Game 7 loss in the 2024 Stanley Cup Final, while the captain is within striking distance of 100 career playoff assists thanks to an eight-game assist streak that spanned into the Second Round. Six or more helpers in the Conference Finals would help McDavid (40-94—134 in 85 GP) become the second player in NHL history to record 100 career playoff assists in 100 games or fewer alongside Wayne Gretzky (70 GP).

* The Stars boast the leading scorer during the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs in Mikko Rantanen (9-10—19 in 13 GP) as the Finnish star is one shy of hitting a double-digit goal total for the first time in his postseason career and becoming the third to hit the mark in their first playoff year with the franchise (Dino Ciccarelli: 14 in 1981 & Joe Pavelski: 13 in 2020). Each Finnish-born player in NHL history to register 10 or more goals in a single playoff year accomplished the feat for either the Stars or Oilers (last: Roope Hintz w/ 10 in 2023).

Did you know? The Western Conference Final between the Oilers and Stars features three players among the top 10 in Stanley Cup Playoffs history in career points per game.

SECOND ROUND RECAP: 2025 STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS
After two thrilling rounds of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the quest for the most storied trophy in sports is down to four of the most formidable, battle-tested, relentlessly successful clubs in the League. The Stars, Oilers, Hurricanes and Panthers all are appearing in the Conference Finals for at least the second time in the past three postseasons – Dallas and defending champion Florida are participating for the third straight year. And all four had to eliminate their respective regular-season division champs to get here

* Click here for everything you need to know.

QUICK CLICKS

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* Stanley Cup Playoffs conference finals predictions by NHL.com
* Hurricanes focusing on details heading into Eastern Conference Final
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