The stage is set for the 2025 Stanley Cup Final. For the second consecutive year, the Florida Panthers will face the Edmonton Oilers in the championship series.
Not all sequels live up to the original. Will this rematch be a classic like Rocky II, or a disappointment like The Godfather III? More importantly, can the Oilers finally win the Cup this time, ending Canada`s long drought dating back to 1993?
Here are the key details regarding the series, including the schedule, betting information, and notes on both teams and the overall matchup.
Stanley Cup Final
Edmonton Oilers vs. Florida Panthers
Paths to the Final:
Oilers: Defeated Kings in six games, Golden Knights in five, Stars in five.
Panthers: Defeated Lightning in five games, Maple Leafs in seven, Hurricanes in five.
Schedule:
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 Intel
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
Matchup Notes
This is the 12th rematch in Stanley Cup Final history, the fifth in the expansion era (since 1967-68), and the first since 2008-09. The previous two rematches in 2008-09 (Penguins vs. Red Wings) and 1983-84 (Oilers vs. Islanders) saw Sidney Crosby and Wayne Gretzky win their first Stanley Cups, respectively. This could be a positive sign for Connor McDavid.
Interestingly, both teams have had contrasting approaches to touching their conference championship trophies. The Panthers won the Cup in 2024 after not touching the Prince of Wales Trophy, unlike in their previous Final appearances in 1996 and 2023 when they did touch it and lost. The Oilers did touch the Clarence S. Campbell Bowl this year, after not touching it in 2006 and 2024, both years they lost the Final in seven games. It remains to be seen if touching the trophy is lucky or unlucky for either team.
In the 2024 Final, the Panthers quickly took a 3-0 series lead with a dominant 11-4 aggregate score. However, the Oilers stormed back, winning the next three games by a combined 18-5. Game 7 was the closest, with the Panthers securing a 2-1 victory thanks to Sam Reinhart`s goal at 15:11 of the second period, his 10th of the 2024 playoffs.
The Panthers won both regular-season meetings against the Oilers in 2024-25 (6-5 in Florida on Dec. 16 and 4-3 in Edmonton on Feb. 27).
This series features the top four selections from the 2014 NHL draft: Aaron Ekblad (1st overall, FLA), Sam Reinhart (2nd, BUF, now FLA), Leon Draisaitl (3rd, EDM), and Sam Bennett (4th, CGY, now FLA). This is the second consecutive Final to feature these specific players.
Oilers
The Oilers are making their ninth appearance in the Stanley Cup Final, surpassing the Philadelphia Flyers (eight) for the most among non-Original Six franchises and ranking seventh overall.
Edmonton is the eighth team in the expansion era (since 1967-68) to reach the Final after losing their first two games of their opening series. All seven previous teams to do so went on to win the Stanley Cup (2018 Capitals, 2014 Kings, 2011 Bruins, 2006 Hurricanes, 2002 Red Wings, 1993 Canadiens, 1992 Penguins). The 2014 Kings are the only team to start 0-3 and win the Cup.
Connor McDavid boasts a career average of 1.73 points per game against the Panthers (minimum 20 games played, including playoffs), the highest rate by any player in Florida`s franchise history. He is followed by Joe Sakic (1.44), Peter Forsberg (1.43), and Mario Lemieux (1.32).
After losing his first three starts this postseason, Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner has turned his performance around, going 6-1 in his last seven starts with a 1.41 goals-against average, .944 save percentage, and three shutouts.
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, the longest-tenured Oilers player, could become the second player in NHL history to win his first Stanley Cup with the franchise after playing his first 14 or more seasons there. He would join Steve Yzerman, who achieved this with Detroit in 1997 during his 14th season.
Panthers
The Panthers are the ninth franchise in NHL history to reach the Stanley Cup Final in three consecutive years, and the second in the last 40 years, matching the Tampa Bay Lightning (2020-22).
Florida has the opportunity to become the 10th franchise in NHL history to win back-to-back Stanley Cups, and the eighth during the expansion era.
The Panthers enter Game 1 in Edmonton having won their last five road playoff games, outscoring opponents 27-7 and operating at a 42.9% power-play efficiency (6-for-14) over those contests.
Over their last 10 playoff games, Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky has posted a 1.57 goals-against average, a .935 save percentage, and two shutouts. He enters the 2025 Final with 57 career playoff victories, second among active goalies only to Andrei Vasilevskiy (67).
Carter Verhaeghe scored his third career series-clinching goal in the Eastern Conference Final. Among active players, only Max Pacioretty and Artturi Lehkonen have more (both with four). Verhaeghe`s 12 career playoff game-winning goals are double that of the next closest player in Panthers history (Matthew Tkachuk, six).
Sam Bennett`s goal in Game 5 against Carolina made him the first player to reach 10 goals in the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs. He is also the second-fastest player in franchise history to reach this benchmark in a single postseason, trailing only Dave Lowry (15 games played in 1996). Bennett`s 10 goals tie him for third-most in a single Panthers postseason, behind Carter Verhaeghe (2024) and Matthew Tkachuk (2023), who both had 11.
