By Basil Stroh

NHL Public Relations

ROGERS PLACE HOSTS MEDIA DAY AHEAD OF GAME 1 OF THE STANLEY CUP FINAL

It was nearly a year ago when the Oilers seized the attention of the hockey world and became the third team in NHL history to rally from a 3-0 series deficit to force a Game 7 in the Stanley Cup Final, but now Edmonton and Florida will set the stage for the sequel with Media Day at Rogers Place.

* The Stanley Cup Final will return to TNT for U.S. viewers this year and lead analyst Eddie Olczyk will play a part in narrating the best-of-seven showdown – his 20th Final as a member of the media. The Stanley Cup champion and veteran of more than 1,000 NHL games connected with NHL.com’s Shawn Roarke ahead of Media Day to discuss his excitement of watching “the stars and game-breakers” in the Oilers–Panthers rematch.

STANLEY CUP FINAL QUICK CLICKS

* 7 storylines heading into 2025 Stanley Cup Final rematch between Panthers, Oilers

* EDGE stats leaders in 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs

* Mattias Ekholm grateful to be healthy for Oilers in time for Stanley Cup Final

* Jeff Skinner relishing run to Stanley Cup Final with Oilers

* Aleksander Barkov‘s understated leadership shapes Panthers from within

* Panthers ‘super-confident team’ hitting road for Game 1 of Final at Oilers

ROSTERS FOR OILERS, PANTHERS POPULATED BY MIX OF DRAFT PICKS, ADDITIONS

Connor McDavid (No. 1 in 2015) and Aleksander Barkov (No. 2 in 2013) are two of the several players set to appear in the Stanley Cup Final that were selected by the Oilers or Panthers in the NHL Draft. Edmonton’s own picks have combined for a League-leading 91 points in these playoffs (FLA: 45) after accumulating 149 last year, which trailed only five teams for the highest single-postseason total in NHL history (1983 NYI: 176; 1981 NYI: 176; 1980 NYI: 171; 1982 NYI: 168; 1985 CHI: 166).

* Most players set to appear in the Final were signed as free agents, acquired via trades or claimed off waivers, including Trent Frederic (acquired March 4, 2025) and Kasperi Kapanen (claimed Nov. 19, 2024) for Edmonton as well as Sam Bennett (acquired April 12, 2021) and Carter Verhaeghe (signed Oct. 9, 2020) for Florida. Frederic (Game 6 of R1), Kapanen (Game 5 of R2), Bennett (Game 5 of R1) and Verhaeghe (Game 5 of CF) account for four series-clinching goals this postseason.

* Most current Panthers players were added since Bill Zito was named general manager Sept. 2, 2020 (including Matthew Tkachuk via a blockbuster trade less than two years later), with the only exceptions being Sergei Bobrovsky (signed July 1, 2019), Aaron Ekblad (drafted 2014) and Barkov (drafted 2013). Zito is looking to achieve a rare feat already accomplished by Stan Bowman and Ken Holland, who are responsible for securing the lion’s share of current Oilers players.

More notable connections on eve of Stanley Cup Final starting
Selected first overall one year apart, Aaron Ekblad (No. 1 in 2014) and Connor McDavid (No. 1 in 2015) are set to go head-to-head in the Final for a second straight year, with McDavid aiming to accomplish the same feat Ekblad did in 2024: win his first Stanley Cup a decade into his career.

* McDavid was selected by the Oilers at BB&T Center (now Amerant Bank Arena). McDavid had the series-clinching goal during Game 5 of the Western Conference Final and can become the fourth player in League history with a Stanley Cup clincher at the venue where he was drafted, following Brendan Shanahan (Game 5 of 2002 SCF) at Joe Louis Arena as well as Kirk Muller (Game 5 of 1993 SCF) and Doug Gilmour (Game 6 of 1989 SCF) at Montreal Forum. Shanahan scored the winner to eliminate Paul Maurice and Kasperi Kapanen’s father, Sami.

* Ekblad (No. 1), Sam Reinhart (No. 2), Leon Draisaitl (No. 3), Sam Bennett (No. 4) and Kapanen (No. 22) all were selected in Round 1 of the 2014 NHL Draft. The Final is set to mark the third in NHL history to feature five first-round picks from the same NHL Draft, following championship series in 2012 (5 from 2003: Steve Bernier, Dustin Brown, Jeff Carter, Zach Parise & Mike Richards) and 1979 (5 from 1973: Rick Chartraw, Pierre Larouche, Dave Maloney, Doug Risebrough & Mario Tremblay).

* Bennett and McDavid played together with the Toronto Marlboros minor hockey program and connected on a goal during the 2012 OHL Cup final, when they fell in overtime to the Mississauga Rebels. Bennett and McDavid teamed up again nearly 13 years later for Canada at the 4 Nations Face-Off and each had a goal during the championship game, with McDavid scoring the overtime winner this time.

* Jonah Gadjovich is set to make his Final debut. His uncle, Blair MacDonald, was the Oilers’ second captain since the franchise joined the NHL and another uncle, Tony MacDonald, has his named engraved on the Cup as an amateur scout with the 2006 Hurricanes. Carolina ousted Edmonton in seven games during that Final.

BARKOV WINS KING CLANCY MEMORIAL TROPHY and FRANK J. SELKE TROPHY

Aleksander Barkov was named winner of the King Clancy Memorial Trophy and Frank J. Selke Trophy as the League began unveiling recipients for NHL Awards on Monday. The Panthers’ captain was in a team meeting when he received both trophies during a special surprise presentation from several girls and boys from Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital.

* The Stanley Cup Final is set to feature the Selke Trophy recipient as well as this season’s Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy winner, Leon Draisaitl. The championship series will mark the second in NHL history to pit the Selke winner against the player with the most regular season goals that year, following the 1987 Final between Flyers captain Dave Poulin and Oilers captain Wayne Gretzky.

QUICK CLICKS

* The Arkells headline Rogers Festival at the Final
* “NHL in ASL”, Sports Emmy-nominated alternate telecast, returns for 2025 Stanley Cup Final
* ‘The Rematch’ | 2025 Stanley Cup Final Official Trailer
* Jean Beliveau‘s footprint on playoff hockey still strong ahead of Cup Final between Oilers, Panthers
* NHL Network to televise extensive coverage of 2025 Stanley Cup Final
* NHL’s ‘Stanley Pup’ to Air on truTV, Sportsnet and NHL Network during 2025 Stanley Cup Final

COURTESY NHL PUBLIC RELATIONS