Leon Draisaitl and Aleksander Barkov lead a bunch of European stars into the 2025 Stanley Cup Closing with Germany, Finland and Sweden set to be well-represented in the course of the championship collection. Sport 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 in search of their first Cup after taking part in 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 introduced by Fanatics begins right this moment at Buffalo’s KeyBank Heart and LECOM HarborCenter, with top-ranked prospect Matthew Schaefer amongst certainly 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 Closing rematch between Oilers, Panthers
Leon Draisaitl and Aleksander Barkov lead a bunch of European stars into “The Rematch” who all share the identical aim 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 embellished profession resume which already features a Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy (2024-25), Art 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 all the League’s scoring leaderboards amongst gamers born throughout the nation (common season or playoffs). He can be a 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 in opposition to Florida in Game 4 of the 1996 Final.
* Barkov continues to encourage his youthful countrymen Anton Lundell, Eetu Luostarinen and Niko Mikkola because the quartet appears to be like to grow to be 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 Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Final and has been nicknamed “The Condor” attributable to his imposing top.
* Florida’s 4 Finns are set to face countryman Kasperi Kapanen, who enters the Closing with a two-game aim streak and tallied the time beyond regulation clincher in Game 5 of the Second Round. 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 in the course of the 2002 Final.
* 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 Closing. Ekholm returned to Edmonton’s lineup and offered the first help on the series-clinching aim in Game 5 of the Western Conference Final.
* Every of the final 10 Cup-winning rosters have featured a minimum of one Swedish-born participant courting to 2015, which marks the longest streak in NHL historical past (earlier: 8 from 1980 to 1987). The Oilers can grow to be the sixth Cup-winning crew with 4 Swedish-born gamers on their roster, following the 2008 Red 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 collection
Evan Bouchard, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Stuart Skinner attempt to flip the script from final 12 months 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 12 months and has profession averages of 1.09 factors per recreation within the playoffs in comparison with 0.69 in the course of the regular 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 regular season), former ahead Jude Drouin (0.94 in playoffs; 0.68 in regular season) and Closing opponent Evan Rodrigues (0.67 in playoffs; 0.44 in regular season) who spherical out the highest 4.
* Nugent-Hopkins, who shone during the Western Conference Final, 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 Closing along with his hometown crew proudly owning a four-game successful streak and a 6-1 report via 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 record for most in a playoff year. Reinhart, who made historical past alongside Bennett and Aaron Ekblad final 12 months when the Panthers grew to become the primary Cup-winning roster with three of the highest 4 picks from the same 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 trade in NHL history featuring 100-point scorers being swapped and has helped Florida forge League-leading totals for playoff wins (41), collection victories (10) and Closing berths (3) over that span. He’s set to grow to be the second participant because the finish of the Eighties Oilers and Islanders dynasties to appear in the Final during each 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 aim with 7:39 remaining in regulation throughout Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Final. 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 CUP
Jeff 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 a minimum of 900 profession video games (common season & playoffs) in search of their first Stanley Cup. Skinner, who scored a aim throughout his return to the lineup in Game 5 of the Western Conference Final, 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 combined goals 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 Closing. Perry can grow to be 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 next.
McDavid, Ekblad SET TO SQUARE OFF at identical time as 2025 NHL SCOUTING COMBINE
Connor McDavid and Aaron Ekblad are set to open their second straight Stanley Cup Closing whereas the 2025 NHL Scouting Mix introduced by Fanatics is in full swing at Buffalo’s KeyBank Heart and LECOM HarborCenter. The latter occasion begins today and runs through June 7.
* McDavid (No. 1 in 2015) and Ekblad (No. 1 in 2014) have 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 identify is named 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 Final rematch against ‘very hungry’ Oilers
* Connor Brown to return for Oilers in Game 1 of Stanley Cup Final against Panthers
* Brad Marchand fortunate for ‘great fit,’ Stanley Cup pursuit with Panthers
* Matt Duchene would ‘love to stay’ with Stars, seeks longer contract
* Oilers having fun, staying loose on way to Stanley Cup Final
