Leon Draisaitl and Aleksander Barkov lead a bunch of European stars into the 2025 Stanley Cup Remaining with Germany, Finland and Sweden set to be well-represented through the championship collection. Recreation 1 goes in Edmonton on Wednesday (8 p.m. ET on TNT, truTV, Max, SN, TVAS, CBC).* Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Jeff Skinner are among the many a number of skaters looking for their first Cup after enjoying over 900 profession video games, whereas Corey Perry and Brad Marchand can get their second after successful championships 18 and 14 years in the past, respectively.
* The 2025 NHL Scouting Mix offered by Fanatics begins at the moment at Buffalo’s KeyBank Heart and LECOM HarborCenter, with top-ranked prospect Matthew Schaefer amongst considered one of 90 prospects invited to take part. Schaefer is a member of the Ontario Hockey League’s Erie Otters, who Connor McDavid performed three seasons with earlier than reaching the NHL.
European stars search Stanley Cup in Remaining rematch between Oilers, PanthersLeon Draisaitl and Aleksander Barkov lead a bunch of European stars into “The Rematch” who all share the identical purpose of capturing the most-coveted prize in hockey.
* Draisaitl ranks second within the NHL with 25 factors this postseason and appears so as to add a Stanley Cup to his adorned profession resume which already features a Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy (2024-25), Artwork Ross Trophy (2019-20), Hart Memorial Trophy (2019-20) and Ted Lindsay Award (2019-20). He’s additionally a finalist for the Hart Trophy this season.
* Draisaitl has performed a major function in the expansion of hockey in Germany and tops the entire League’s scoring leaderboards amongst gamers born throughout the nation (common season or playoffs). He can be part of a uncommon listing of German-born Cup winners in NHL historical past which incorporates present Panthers ahead Nico Sturm in addition to Uwe Krupp, the latter of whom tallied the triple-overtime clincher towards Florida in Recreation 4 of the 1996 Remaining.
* Barkov continues to encourage his youthful countrymen Anton Lundell, Eetu Luostarinen and Niko Mikkola because the quartet seems to change into the second set of Finnish-born teammates in NHL historical past to repeat as champions, following Jari Kurri and Esa Tikkanen with the 1987 and 1988 Oilers. Lundell (3-2—5 in 3 GP) and Luostarinen (2-5—7 in 3 GP) shone in series-clinching wins this postseason, whereas Mikkola tallied twice in Recreation 3 of the Japanese Convention Remaining and has been nicknamed “The Condor” as a consequence of his imposing peak.
* Florida’s 4 Finns are set to face countryman Kasperi Kapanen, who enters the Remaining with a two-game purpose streak and tallied the additional time clincher in Recreation 5 of the Second Spherical. Kapanen’s father, Sami, skated 554 video games (common season & playoffs) beneath Panthers head coach Paul Maurice with the Hartford Whalers and Hurricanes, together with 5 through the 2002 Remaining.
* Viktor Arvidsson, Mattias Ekholm, Mattias Janmark and John Klingberg of the Oilers in addition to Jesper Boqvist and Gustav Forsling of the Panthers are set to signify Sweden within the Remaining. Ekholm returned to Edmonton’s lineup and supplied the first help on the series-clinching purpose in Recreation 5 of the Western Convention Remaining.
* Every of the final 10 Cup-winning rosters have featured at the very least one Swedish-born participant relationship to 2015, which marks the longest streak in NHL historical past (earlier: 8 from 1980 to 1987). The Oilers can change into the sixth Cup-winning group with 4 Swedish-born gamers on their roster, following the 2008 Crimson Wings (7), 2015 Blackhawks (5), 1983 Islanders (5), 2013 Blackhawks (4) and 1982 Islanders (4).
A number of different stars set sights on redemption, repeat in championship seriesEvan Bouchard, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Stuart Skinner try to flip the script from final yr and win their first Stanley Cup, whereas Sam Bennett, Sam Reinhart, Matthew Tkachuk and Carter Verhaeghe vie for a second straight championship.
* Bouchard has constantly elevated his play this time of yr and has profession averages of 1.09 factors per sport within the playoffs in comparison with 0.69 through the common season. The distinction of 0.40 is by far the best in NHL historical past (min. 50 GP in each playoffs & common season), forward of teammate Leon Draisaitl (1.48 in playoffs; 1.21 in common season), former ahead Jude Drouin (0.94 in playoffs; 0.68 in common season) and Remaining opponent Evan Rodrigues (0.67 in playoffs; 0.44 in common season) who spherical out the highest 4.
* Nugent-Hopkins, who shone through the Western Convention Remaining, can seize a championship after being chosen with the No. 1 decide within the 2011 NHL Draft and skating every of his first 14 seasons for Edmonton. Nugent-Hopkins is the longest-tenured member of the Oilers’ roster.
* Skinner enters a second straight Remaining together with his hometown group proudly owning a four-game successful streak and a 6-1 report by means of his final seven appearances (1.41 GAA, .944 SV%, 3 SO). There have been six situations in NHL historical past of an Alberta-based membership successful the Cup and every roster featured an Alberta-born goaltender (Grant Fuhr; 1990 EDM, 1988 EDM, 1987 EDM, 1985 EDM & 1984 EDM; Mike Vernon; 1989 CGY).
* Bennett leads the NHL with 10 objectives this postseason and wishes one to tie the franchise report for many in a playoff yr. Reinhart, who made historical past alongside Bennett and Aaron Ekblad final yr when the Panthers grew to become the primary Cup-winning roster with three of the highest 4 picks from the identical NHL Draft, has adopted up his historic 67-goal marketing campaign (common season & playoffs, together with the Cup clincher) with 43 this season.
* Tkachuk was acquired by the Panthers by way of the second commerce in NHL historical past that includes 100-point scorers being swapped and has helped Florida forge League-leading totals for playoff wins (41), collection victories (10) and Remaining berths (3) over that span. He’s set to change into the second participant for the reason that finish of the Eighties Oilers and Islanders dynasties to look within the Remaining throughout every of his first three seasons with a franchise (additionally Patrick Maroon: 2020 to 2022 w/ TBL).
* Verhaeghe has continued his clutch scoring this postseason, which incorporates tallying the series-clinching purpose with 7:39 remaining in regulation throughout Recreation 5 of the Japanese Convention Remaining. Verhaeghe can seize the third Cup of his profession following championships with the 2024 Panthers and 2020 Lightning.
MORE VETERANS ENDEAVOR TO END LONG WAITS FOR FIRST, SECOND STANLEY CUPJeff Skinner (1,080 GP), Adam Henrique (1,054 GP), Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (1,049 GP), Evander Kane (1,021 GP), Mattias Ekholm (997 GP) and Seth Jones (914 GP) are the six gamers with at the very least 900 profession video games (common season & playoffs) looking for their first Stanley Cup. Skinner, who scored a purpose throughout his return to the lineup in Recreation 5 of the Western Convention Remaining, would have the second-most video games amongst energetic gamers earlier than their first Cup behind Alex Ovechkin with the 2018 Capitals (1,124 GP).
* Jones accounts for 3 of the League-leading 15 mixed objectives scored by the Panthers’ protection corps this postseason. Jones can seize his household’s second championship from one of many main North American skilled sports activities leagues after his father, Popeye, gained the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy as an assistant coach with the 2023 Denver Nuggets.
* Corey Perry (2007 ANA) and Brad Marchand (2011 BOS) are the opposite earlier Cup winners set to skate within the Remaining. Perry can change into the primary participant in NHL historical past to go 18-plus years between Cups and finest the present mark held by Chris Chelios (16 from 1986 MTL to 2002 DET), whereas Marchand could be the fifth with 14 years from one championship to the following.
McDavid, Ekblad SET TO SQUARE OFF at similar time as 2025 NHL SCOUTING COMBINE
Connor McDavid and Aaron Ekblad are set to open their second straight Stanley Cup Remaining whereas the 2025 NHL Scouting Mix offered by Fanatics is in full swing at Buffalo’s KeyBank Heart and LECOM HarborCenter. The latter occasion begins at the moment and runs by means of June 7.
* McDavid (No. 1 in 2015) and Ekblad (No. 1 in 2014) had been the most-recent No. 1 picks chosen from the OHL, however top-ranked North American skater Matthew Schaefer can snap the nine-year drought if his title is known as first general. Schaefer is a defenseman with the OHL’s Erie Otters, who McDavid and Connor Brown performed for with Kris Knoblauch as their head coach.
QUICK CLICKS
* Matthew Tkachuk, Panthers brace for Stanley Cup Remaining rematch towards ‘very hungry’ Oilers* Connor Brown to return for Oilers in Recreation 1 of Stanley Cup Remaining towards Panthers* Brad Marchand lucky for ‘nice match,’ Stanley Cup pursuit with Panthers* Matt Duchene would ‘love to remain’ with Stars, seeks longer contract* Oilers having enjoyable, staying unfastened on method to Stanley Cup Remaining
