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2024 Stanley Cup Final
2024 ice hockey championship series From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The 2024 Stanley Cup Final was the championship series of the National Hockey League's (NHL) 2023–24 season and the culmination of the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs. The Eastern Conference champion Florida Panthers defeated the Western Conference champion Edmonton Oilers four games to three in the best-of-seven series, earning their first championship in their thirty year history.
The series began on June 8 and ended on June 24.[1] The Panthers had home-ice advantage in the series as the team with the better regular season record, and this was the fifth consecutive Stanley Cup Final with a team from the state of Florida.[2]
This was the furthest distance between two cities in an NHL Finals at 4,089 kilometres (2,541 miles), breaking the previous record of 4,023 km (2,500 mi), set in 2011 by the Vancouver Canucks and Boston Bruins.[3] This was the first Finals since 1945 to see a team force a seventh game after being down 3–0,[4][5] with Florida becoming the first team since that occurrence to win the title in seven games after nearly surrendering a 3–0 series lead.[6] This was also the first Finals since 2018 without any overtime.[7]
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Paths to the Finals
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Edmonton Oilers
This was Edmonton's eighth Finals appearance. They had won the Stanley Cup five times, all of which came between 1984 and 1990 during their dynasty years.[8] They lost their most recent Finals appearance in 2006, against the Carolina Hurricanes in seven games.[9]
During the offseason, the Oilers acquired forward Connor Brown and defenceman Ben Gleason via free agency.[10][11] They also re-signed forward Mattias Janmark.[12] The team started the season poorly, going 3–9–1 before firing head coach Jay Woodcroft and replacing him with Kris Knoblauch,[13] under whom the team would rebound to make the playoffs. Edmonton signed free agent Corey Perry during the season, after Perry's contract with the Chicago Blackhawks was terminated for misconduct.[14][15] Nearing the trade deadline, the team acquired centres Sam Carrick and Adam Henrique via a three-way trade;[16] they also acquired defenceman Troy Stecher.[17]
Captain Connor McDavid led the team in scoring with 132 points, and was third overall in the league.[18] 100 of those points were assists, making him the fourth NHL player to record at least 100 assists in a season, and the first since Wayne Gretzky in 1990–91.[19] Perry made his fifth Finals appearance, previously winning with the Anaheim Ducks in 2007 and losing with the Dallas Stars in 2020, Montreal Canadiens in 2021, and Tampa Bay Lightning in 2022, respectively; this made him the first player to play in the Stanley Cup Final for five different teams.[20]
The Oilers finished the regular season with 104 points via a 49–27–6 record, which gave them second place in the Pacific Division. In the first round of the playoffs, the Oilers defeated one of their rivals, the Los Angeles Kings, in five games.[21] Edmonton then prevailed against the Vancouver Canucks in a seven-game victory in the second round.[22] They then defeated the Dallas Stars in six games in the Western Conference final.[23]
Florida Panthers
This was the second consecutive and third overall Finals appearance for the Panthers. They lost both previous Finals appearances, being swept in 1996 by the Colorado Avalanche and losing in five games to the Vegas Golden Knights in 2023.[24]
During the offseason, the Panthers signed defencemen Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Dmitry Kulikov, forward Evan Rodrigues, and goaltender Anthony Stolarz in free agency.[25][26][27] They also re-signed Eetu Luostarinen and traded for Steven Lorentz.[28][29] At the trade deadline, the team acquired Vladimir Tarasenko, Magnus Hellberg, and Kyle Okposo.[30][31][32] They also acquired Tobias Bjornfot via waivers[33] and also re-signed Gustav Forsling shortly before the trade deadline.[34]
Sam Reinhart led the team in scoring with 57 goals and 94 points.[35]
The Panthers finished first in the Atlantic Division with 110 points via a 52–24–6 record. In the first round, they defeated their intra-state rival, the Tampa Bay Lightning, in five games.[36] In the second round, they won in six games against the Boston Bruins in a rematch from the previous season's first round.[37] In the Eastern Conference final, they faced the New York Rangers, who had won the Presidents' Trophy by having the best regular season record, and defeated them in six games.[38]
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Game summaries
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- Numbers in parentheses indicate the player's total goals or assists in the 2024 playoffs up to that point.
Game one
| June 8 | Edmonton Oilers | 0–3 | Florida Panthers | Amerant Bank Arena | Recap |
In game one, Florida took a 1–0 lead four minutes into the first period when Carter Verhaeghe received a pass from Aleksander Barkov, beating Edmonton goaltender Stuart Skinner with a wrist shot.[39] Two minutes into the second period, Evan Rodrigues scored to make it 2–0 after receiving a centering pass from Sam Bennett.[40] Late in the third period, Edmonton pulled their goaltender for an extra attacker, but with five seconds remaining, Eetu Luostarinen scored an empty net goal to make the final score 3–0.[41] Edmonton recorded 32 shots on goal in the game against Florida goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, who saved them all in a shutout.[42]
Game two
| June 10 | Edmonton Oilers | 1–4 | Florida Panthers | Amerant Bank Arena | Recap |
During the first period of game two, Edmonton forward Warren Foegele kneed Panthers forward Eetu Luostarinen, resulting in a match penalty as well as a game misconduct for Foegele.[43] Luostarinen continued to play in the game.[43] Whilst on the subsequent five-minute power play, defenceman Oliver Ekman-Larsson was penalized for tripping, resulting in a four-on-four, during which an Oilers rush resulted in their first shot from Mattias Ekholm going past goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky for a 1–0 lead.[44][45] In the second period, Niko Mikkola tied the game for the Panthers, taking a drop-pass from Anton Lundell and snapping a shot past Edmonton goaltender Stuart Skinner.[46] In third period, Panthers forward Evan Rodrigues broke the tie, picking off a clearing attempt by Oilers defenceman Evan Bouchard to put the puck past Skinner for a 2–1 lead.[47] With less than ten minutes in the game, Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl was called for roughing and on the ensuing power play, Lundell passed to Rodrigues, who scored again to give the Panthers a 3–1 lead and end Edmonton's streak of 34 consecutive penalty kills.[48] The Oilers then brought on an extra attacker, but Aaron Ekblad scored into the empty net for the Panthers, sealing a 4–1 victory for Florida.[49][50]
Game three
| June 13 | Florida Panthers | 4–3 | Edmonton Oilers | Rogers Place | Recap |
In game three, the Panthers opened the scoring in the first period when captain Aleksander Barkov picked the puck off Oilers defenceman Evan Bouchard, leading to a 3-on-2 rush in which Gustav Forsling shot toward the net and Sam Reinhart tipped the puck past Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner.[51] In the second period, Oilers forward Adam Henrique passed to Warren Foegele, who scored on a breakaway to tie the game 1–1.[52] The Panthers regained the lead after Anton Lundell shot the puck around the boards and Skinner attempted to play the puck, but Eetu Luostarinen sent the puck to an open Vladimir Tarasenko who wristed the puck into the net.[53] Florida then made it 3–1, after Sam Bennett and Matthew Tkachuk forced a turnover in the offensive zone, leading to a Tkachuk-assisted Bennett goal.[54] Barkov shortly made it 4–1, snapping a shot past Skinner after receiving a pass from Evan Rodrigues.[55] In the third period, Philip Broberg brought the deficit for the Oilers down to two when his snap shot went past Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky.[56] The Oilers then lowered the deficit to one goal when Brett Kulak's shot was deflected in by centre Ryan McLeod.[57] The Panthers ultimately defended their one-goal lead en route to a 4–3 victory, taking a 3–0 series lead.[58]
Game four
| June 15 | Florida Panthers | 1–8 | Edmonton Oilers | Rogers Place | Recap |
The Oilers began the scoring in the first period of game four while on the penalty kill, with forward Connor Brown passing to Mattias Janmark on a shorthanded rush for a goal.[60] Edmonton then gained a two-goal lead when an offensive zone rush allowed Janmark to send the puck toward the net, with Adam Henrique tipping it in to make it 2–0.[61] The Panthers got on the board with a goal from forward Vladimir Tarasenko, tipping in a shot from defenceman Gustav Forsling.[62] With 5:12 left in the first period, the Oilers regained a two-goal lead when Leon Draisaitl passed to Dylan Holloway, who shot backhand on Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky for a 3–1 lead.[63] In the second period, Oilers captain Connor McDavid made it 4–1, snapping a shot past Bobrovsky.[64] The Oilers then made it 5–1 when McDavid dropped a pass to defenceman Darnell Nurse, who shot it past Bobrovsky, leading to Panthers backup goaltender Anthony Stolarz entering the game.[65] The Oilers were then given a 5-on-3 power play, during which Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored to make the score 6–1.[66] In the third period, the Oilers continued their rout, with both Holloway and Ryan McLeod scoring to push the score to 8–1, forcing a fifth game and avoiding becoming the first team since 1998 to be swept in the Stanley Cup Final.[67] With an assist on the Holloway goal, Connor McDavid set the single season playoff record for most assists in one playoff year, breaking the record previously held by Wayne Gretzky in 1988.[59]
Game five
| June 18 | Edmonton Oilers | 5–3 | Florida Panthers | Amerant Bank Arena | Recap |
In game five, Connor Brown scored the initial goal for the Oilers in the first period, with his backhand shot beating goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky for a shorthanded goal.[68] In the second period, the Oilers gained a two-goal lead when Zach Hyman scored on the power play. Three minutes later, Oilers forward Warren Foegele passed to captain Connor McDavid, whose wrist shot beat Bobrovsky for a 3–0 lead.[69] The Panthers got on the board less than two minutes later when forward Evan Rodrigues passed to Matthew Tkachuk, who scored to cut the deficit to two goals.[70] Following a slashing penalty by Rodrigues, the Oilers regained a three-goal lead when McDavid passed to Corey Perry, who scored his first goal of the playoffs.[71] Fourteen seconds later, the Panthers brought the deficit back to two goals when Brandon Montour passed to Rodrigues, who scored to make it 4–2.[72] In the third period, Florida defenceman Oliver Ekman-Larsson brought the score to 4–3, snapping the puck past Edmonton goalie Stuart Skinner.[73] In the final 30 seconds, and with an extra attacker out for Florida, the Oilers cleared the puck toward the empty net, but Tkachuk dove to sweep the puck away.[74] McDavid recovered the puck and scored into the empty net to give Edmonton a 5–3 victory, forcing a sixth game.[74][75] Edmonton became the first team since the 2011–12 New Jersey Devils and the fourth overall to force a sixth game after being down 3–0 in the Finals.[76]
Game six
| June 21 | Florida Panthers | 1–5 | Edmonton Oilers | Rogers Place | Recap |
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The Oilers began the scoring in the first period of game six, with centre Leon Draisaitl passing to right wing Warren Foegele who snapped the puck past Florida goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky.[77] Florida was limited to only two shots in the first period. In the second period, Mattias Ekholm sent a stretch pass to Mattias Janmark, who then passed to Adam Henrique; Henrique subsequently beat Bobrovsky with a wrist shot for a 2–0 Oilers lead.[78] Ten seconds later, the Panthers had a goal by Aleksander Barkov disallowed when replay showed Sam Reinhart was offside on the play.[79] Zach Hyman then made it 3–0 for Edmonton when he scored backhand on a breakaway chance.[80] The Panthers were able to get on the board in the third period when Barkov dangled the puck around goaltender Stuart Skinner.[81] The Oilers held off the Panthers for the remainder of the game, with Ryan McLeod and Darnell Nurse each scoring an empty net goal for a 5–1 victory. Edmonton became the tenth NHL team to force a seventh game after trailing 3–0 in the series,[82] the third team to do so in the Finals, and the first in the Finals since the Detroit Red Wings did so in 1945.[4]
Game seven
| June 24 | Edmonton Oilers | 1–2 | Florida Panthers | Amerant Bank Arena | Recap |
In game seven, the Panthers began the scoring when forward Evan Rodrigues shot toward the goal, with Carter Verhaeghe deflecting the puck past Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner.[83] Oilers forward Mattias Janmark then tied the game, scoring on the breakaway after receiving a stretch pass from defenceman Cody Ceci.[84] In the second period, after a narrow save by Bobrovsky, Dmitry Kulikov got the puck to Florida in the corner, Verhaeghe passed the puck to forward Sam Reinhart, who fired a wrist a shot past Skinner for a 2–1 lead.[85] The Panthers defended their lead into the third period, with goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky stopping the remaining nine shots to win their first Stanley Cup.[6]
Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov became the first Finnish-born captain to win the Cup,[86] while the Panthers became the first team to win game seven of the Finals at home since the Carolina Hurricanes did so in 2006, also against the Oilers.
Oilers captain Connor McDavid was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player of the playoffs, becoming the first player since Jean-Sebastien Giguere in 2003 and the sixth overall to be awarded the Conn Smythe despite losing the Finals. McDavid also joined Reggie Leach in 1976 as the only skaters to achieve this feat.[6][87]
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Team rosters
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Years indicated in boldface under the "Finals appearance" column signify that the player won the Stanley Cup in the given year.
Edmonton Oilers
Florida Panthers
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Stanley Cup engraving
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The Stanley Cup was presented to Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov by NHL commissioner Gary Bettman following the Panthers' 2–1 win in game seven.
The following Panthers players and staff had their names engraved on the Stanley Cup:[97][98]
2023–24 Florida Panthers
Players
- 9 Sam Bennett*
- 13 Sam Reinhart*
- 15 Anton Lundell
- 16 Aleksander Barkov (Captain)
- 17 Evan Rodrigues*
- 18 Steven Lorentz*
- 21 Nick Cousins*
- 23 Carter Verhaeghe*
- 27 Eetu Luostarinen*
- 82 Kevin Stenlund
- 8 Kyle Okposo
- 10 Vladimir Tarasenko
- 12 Jonah Gadjovich †
- 19 Matthew Tkachuk (A)
- 94 Ryan Lomberg
- 5 Aaron Ekblad (A)
- 7 Dmitry Kulikov
- 28 Josh Mahura †
- 42 Gustav Forsling
- 62 Brandon Montour
- 77 Niko Mikkola
- 91 Oliver Ekman-Larsson
* Played both centre and wing.
† Did not automatically qualify,[a] but an exemption was granted to engrave the player's name.
Coaching and administrative staff
- Vincent Viola (Owner/Chairman/Governor), Teresa Viola (Alternate Governor), John Viola (Alternate Governor), Michael Viola (Alternate Governor)
- Travis Viola (Alternate Governor), Doug Cifu (Vice Chairman/Alternate Governor), Bill Zito (President of Hockey Operations/General Manager/Alternate Governor), Paul Maurice (Head Coach)
- John Congemi (Asst. Video Coach), Myles Fee (Asst. Coach), Jamie Kompon (Asst. Coach), Sylvain Lefebvre (Asst. Coach)
- Teddy Richards (Head Equipment Manager), Tuomo Ruutu (Asst. Coach), Robb Tallas (Goaltending Coach), Rick Dudley (Senior Advisor to the General Manager)
- Paul Fenton (Senior Advisor to the General Manager), Patric Hornqvist (Scouting and Development Consultant), Les Jackson (Senior Advisor to the General Manager), Gregory Campbell (Asst. General Manager)
- Roberto Luongo (Special Advisor to the General Manager), Paul Krepelka (Senior Vice President, Hockey Operations), Sunny Mehta (Asst. General Manager/Head of Analytics), Brett Peterson (Asst. General Manager)
- Dave DiNapoli (Head Athletic Trainer), Chris McLellan (Vice President of Sports Performance/Strength and Conditioning Coach), Braden Birch (Director of Hockey Operations & Salary Cap Management), Bryan McCabe (Director of Player Personnel)
- Matt Caldwell (President/CEO/Alternate Governor)
Engraving notes
- #12 Jonah Gadjovich (LW) played in 39 regular season games for Florida. He was a healthy scratch for the entire playoffs. #28 Josh Mahura (D) played in 30 regular season games for Florida. He missed the entire playoffs due to injury. As they did not automatically qualify,[a] Florida successfully requested an exemption to engrave their names.[99]
- Sam Reinhart was engraved as his full first name of Samson, while Nick Cousins was engraved as his full first name of Nicholas.
- Carter Verhaeghe became the first player to have his name engraved on the Stanley Cup with both teams from the State of Florida. His name is also on the Stanley Cup with Tampa Bay in 2020.
- Due to the high number of non-playing members, six training/equipment personnel had to be left off the Stanley Cup. They were included on the team picture and got Stanley Cup Rings: Brian Riedel (Asst. Athletic Trainer), Anthony Moore (Asst. Strength & Conditioning Coach), Thomas Anderson (Asst. Equipment Manager), Dakota King (Asst. Equipment Manager), Mike Valcy (Massage Therapist). Also left off were Shane Churla (Director, Amateur Scouting) and Tim Wittenauer (Director of Sports Performance and Rehabilitation). When Florida the Stanley Cup for the second straight year in 2025, winning its second title; Riedel, Anderson, King, Valcy, Churla, and Wittenauer were included on the 2025 title engraving. Moore was not part of the 2025 team.[100]
- Roberto Luongo's name engraved on the Stanley Cup for the first time. As a player, he was on the losing team in the Final in 2011. He was also on the losing team in the Final as an executive in 2023.[101]
- Patric Hornqvist had his name engraved on the Stanley Cup in 2016 and 2017 with Pittsburgh as a player. As a scouting and development consultant, his name was engraved with Florida in 2024.[101]
- 53 total names were engraved on the Cup, rather than the standard 52. For unknown reasons, team president and CEO Matt Caldwell was engraved below the players, rather than with the executives and coaches.
Player notes
Eleven players on the roster during the Final were left off the Stanley Cup engraving due to not qualifying.[a][102] None played in or dressed for any playoff games. They received championship rings.
- Included in team picture
- #26 Uvis Balinskis (D) – 26 regular season games
- #2 Tobias Bjornfot (D) – 1 regular season game with Florida, 2 with Vegas, and 1 with Los Angeles
- #30 Spencer Knight (G) – 0 regular season games, 45 with Charlotte of the AHL
- Not in team picture
- #67 Will Lockwood (RW) – 26 regular season games
- #25 Mackie Samoskevich (RW) – 7 regular season games
- #24 Justin Sourdif (RW) – 3 regular season games
- #35 Magnus Hellberg (G) – 0 regular season games with Florida, 3 with Pittsburgh
- #44 Mike Benning (D) – 0 regular season games, 72 with Charlotte of the AHL
- #74 Rasmus Asplund (C) – 0 regular season games, 67 with Charlotte of the AHL
- #36 Patrick Giles (RW) – 0 regular season games, 66 with Charlotte of the AHL
- #3 Matt Kiersted (D) – 0 regular season games, 57 with Charlotte of the AHL
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Media rights
In Canada, this was the tenth consecutive Stanley Cup Final broadcast by Sportsnet and CBC Television in English, and TVA Sports in French.[1] The series was also streamed on Sportsnet+, but was not available on CBC Gem like in previous years.[103]
In the United States, the series was being televised on ABC and streamed on ESPN+.[1] This was the third year of a seven-year deal in which ABC has the Finals in even years and TNT has the series in odd years.[104][105]
For the first time, the Finals were broadcast with commentary and analysis in American Sign Language for the benefit of the Deaf community on both ESPN+ and Sportsnet+.[106][107]
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