The 2025 Stanley Cup Final is set! For the second year in a row, the Florida Panthers will face the Edmonton Oilers in the final round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
This rematch, will it be a success like “Rocky II” or will it disappoint like “The Godfather III”? The key question is: Will the Oilers be able to break the title drought for Canadian teams, a streak that dates back to 1993?
Key Details of the Series
Here we present the most important details of the series, from the schedule and betting information to relevant data about each team and the matchup.
Stanley Cup Final
Edmonton Oilers vs. Florida Panthers
Roads to the Final:
- Oilers: They defeated the Kings in six games, the Golden Knights in five, and the Stars in five.
- Panthers: They defeated the Lightning in five games, the Maple Leafs in seven, and the Hurricanes in five.
Calendar:
- Game 1: Panthers at Oilers, June 4, 8 p.m. ET
- Game 2: Panthers at Oilers, June 6, 8 p.m. ET
- Game 3: Oilers at Panthers, June 9, 8 p.m. ET
- Game 4: Oilers at Panthers, June 12, 8 p.m. ET
- Game 5: Panthers at Oilers, June 14, 8 p.m. ET
- Game 6: Oilers at Panthers, June 17, 8 p.m. ET
- Game 7: Panthers at Oilers, June 20, 8 p.m. ET
Betting Information
Cup Winner:
- Oilers: -115
- Panthers: -105
Conn Smythe Trophy (Playoff MVP):
- Connor McDavid (EDM): -110
- Sergei Bobrovsky (FLA): +250
- Aleksander Barkov (FLA): +425
- Leon Draisaitl (EDM): +800
- Matthew Tkachuk (FLA): +2500
- Sam Bennett (FLA): +3000
Match Notes
This is the twelfth rematch in the Stanley Cup Final in NHL history, the fifth in the expansion era (since 1967-68) and the first since 2008-09. The previous two occasions (Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Detroit Red Wings in 2008 and 2009, Edmonton Oilers vs. New York Islanders in 1983 and 1984) included Sidney Crosby and Wayne Gretzky winning their first Cup. A good sign for Connor McDavid?
The Panthers did not touch the Prince of Wales Trophy as Eastern Conference winners last year, but they did so in 1996 and 2023 when they won it on those occasions. Florida won the Cup in 2024 after not touching it, while they lost in the Cup Final the two previous times the team touched it. The Oilers decided to touch the Clarence S. Campbell Bowl this year for winning the Western Conference. They did not touch the trophy last year, nor in 2006, and yet they lost the Stanley Cup Final in seven games on both occasions.
In last year’s Cup Final, the Panthers took a 3-0 lead with an aggregate score of 11-4. The Oilers won the next three games with a combined score of 18-5. Game 7 was the closest match of the series, ending with a 2-1 victory for the Panthers; the winning goal came at 15:11 of the second period, Sam Reinhart’s tenth of the 2024 playoffs.The Panthers won their two regular season games 2024-25 against the Oilers (6-5 in Florida on December 16th and 4-3 in Edmonton on February 27th).
This series will feature the top four picks from the 2014 NHL draft: Aaron Ekblad (No. 1 to FLA), Sam Reinhart (No. 2 to BUF), Leon Draisaitl (No. 3 to EDM), and Sam Bennett (No. 4 to CGY). It is the second final in NHL history where each of the top four picks from the same NHL draft (skaters and goalies) play in at least one game for either of the two teams, joining the 2024 final, with the same players.
Team Notes
Oilers
The Oilers will play in the Stanley Cup Final for the ninth time, surpassing the Philadelphia Flyers (eight) and ranking seventh overall. Edmonton is the eighth team in the NHL expansion era (since 1967-68) to reach the Stanley Cup Final despite losing its first two games of its initial playoff series. Each of the other seven clubs that did so ended up winning the Stanley Cup: the 2018 Washington Capitals, the 2014 Los Angeles Kings, the 2011 Boston Bruins, the 2006 Carolina Hurricanes, the 2002 Detroit Red Wings, the 1993 Montreal Canadiens, and the 1992 Penguins. The 2014 Kings are the only club in NHL history to start 0-3 and win the Cup. Connor McDavid averages 1.73 points per game against the Panthers in his career, including the playoffs. That’s the highest rate against Florida of any player in franchise history (minimum 20 GP). The players just behind McDavid: Joe Sakic (1.44 points per game), Peter Forsberg (1.43), Mario Lemieux (1.32). After losing his first three starts this postseason, Stuart Skinner is 6-1 in his last seven starts, with a 1.41 goals-against average, a .944 save percentage, and three shutouts. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, the Oilers’ current longest-tenured player, can become the second player in NHL history to play his first 14 or more seasons with a franchise and then win his first Stanley Cup with them. He would join Steve Yzerman (1997 with Detroit, his 14th season)Panthers
The Panthers are the ninth franchise in NHL history with three consecutive appearances in the Stanley Cup Final, and the second in the last 40 years, joining the 2020-22 Lightning. Florida can become the tenth franchise in NHL history to repeat as Stanley Cup champions and the eighth during the expansion era. The Panthers will enter Game 1 in Edmonton having won their last five playoff games as visitors, outscoring their opponents 27-7 in those five games, while going 6-for-14 (42.9%) on the power play.In Florida’s last 10 games this postseason, Sergei Bobrovsky has a 1.57 goals-against average, a .935 save percentage, and two shutouts. He enters the 2025 Stanley Cup Final with 57 career playoff wins, the second-most among active goaltenders, trailing only Andrei Vasilevskiy (67).
Carter Verhaeghe scored his third goal to secure the series in the Eastern Conference Finals, and is now only behind Max Pacioretty and Artturi Lehkonen (both with four) for the most among all active players. Verhaeghe’s 12 game-winning goals in the playoffs are double that of the next closest player in Panthers history (Matthew Tkachuk, six).
Sam Bennett scored in Game 5 against Carolina and became the first player to reach the 10-goal mark in the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs. He also became the second-fastest player in franchise history to reach the milestone in a postseason, behind Dave Lowry (15 games played in 1996). Bennett’s 10 goals are tied for third-most in a single postseason in Panthers history, behind Carter Verhaeghe (2024) and Matthew Tkachuk (2023) with 11 each.
