Here We Go Again: Panthers v. Oilers in Stanley Cup Final

The Edmonton Oilers have been stewing on losing to the Florida Panthers in the 2024 Stanley Cup Final for almost a year.

Now, they will get a chance to do something about it.

On Thursday night, the Oilers joined the Panthers in the 2025 Stanley Cup Final after beating the Dallas Stars 6-3 on Thursday night.

The Panthers advanced to the Final after beating the Carolina Hurricanes 5-3 in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals on Wednesday night.

Both Florida and Edmonton won their conference finals in 5 games.

“They’re a heck of a team. A heck of a team,’’ said Connor McDavid, who won the Conn Smythe Award for playoff MVP despite being on the losing side last year. “Obviously this is their third Final. They’re a special group, we are a special group. It’s going to be fun. Couldn’t ask for a better opportunity than to go against the team that beat us last year.’’

Edmonton already won two rematches in this postseason, beating Los Angeles in the opening round, and Dallas in the conference finals.

“That Edmonton team is a lot better team than the one we played last year,’’ Dallas coach Pete DeBoer said.

This will be the first Stanley Cup rematch in successive years since 2008-09 when Detroit played Pittsburgh in back-to-back Finals.

Detroit won the Cup in 2008; Pittsburgh won in 2009.

Prior to that, the previous rematch in a Final was back in 1983-84 when the New York Islanders dynasty came to a close with their fourth straight Cup championship in 1983 — with the Oilers’ dynasty starting in 1984.

This is only the fifth Stanley Cup Final rematch since the NHL expanded in 1967.

Last year, the Panthers made it to the Stanley Cup Final for the second straight year and were laser-focused on winning after losing to the Vegas Golden Knights in 5 the year before.

Florida jumped all over the Oilers, winning the first two games in Sunrise — then winning 4-3 in Game 3 at Edmonton.

With the Stanley Cup in the building, the Panthers failed to seal the deal in a gigantic way.

Edmonton came out firing, blowing out the Panthers 8-1 in Game 4 sending the series back to Sunrise.

The Oilers ended up winning three straight games in the Cup Final forcing a Game 7 in Sunrise.

When Paul Maurice arrived at the IcePlex the morning of that game, all the TVs were tuned to ESPN — with a banner at the bottom of the screen promoting Game 7 as, potentially, one of the biggest collapses in pro sports history.

The Panthers ended up getting a second-period goal from Sam Reinhart and held on for a 2-1 win in Game 7 on June 26.

It led to a party that lasted all summer.

“It was Florida Panthers fashion,’’ Maurice said. “Nothing is easy, nothing is easy for us, and nothing was easy last year. They did everything could to win it last year. … We needed to lose three in the Final to learn how to win four.

“The fact that is was so hard to win makes it special.”

2025 STANLEY CUP FINAL

GAME 1

FLORIDA PANTHERS @ EDMONTON OILERS

Best-of-7 Series

• When: Wednesday, 8 p.m.
• Where: Rogers Place, Edmonton
• National TV: TNT/truTV 
• National Streaming: Max
• Radio: WQAM 560-AM; WPOW 96.5-FM2; WBZT 1230-AM (Palm Beach); WCTH 100.3-FM (Florida Keys), SiriusXM
• Radio Streaming: SiriusXM, NHL App
• Series Schedule (all games at 8 p.m., TNT) — Game 1: @Edmonton Wednesday; Game 2: @Edmonton, Friday June 6; Game 3: @Florida, Monday June 9; Game 4: @Florida, Thursday June 12; Game 5*: @Edmonton, Saturday June 14; Game 6*: @Florida, Tuesday June 17; Game 7*: @Edmonton, Friday June 20.
• Regular Season (Panthers won 2-0) — At Florida: Panthers 4, Oilers 3 (Feb. 27). At Edmonton:  Panthers 6, Oilers 5 (Dec. 16).
• How They Got Here: Edmonton d. Los Angeles (6), Vegas (5), Dallas (5); Florida d. Tampa Bay (5), Toronto (7), Carolina (5)
• Postseason History: Florida Won 2024 Stanley Cup Final 4-3
• All-time Regular Season Series: Oilers lead 23-18-0, 3 ties