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Some say the Edmonton Oilers are Canada’s team, while many others claim the Florida Panthers hold that title—particularly in BC.
The Stanley Cup Finals are slated to begin Saturday night. For the first time since 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Montreal Canadiens took on the Tampa Bay Lightning.
The Vancouver Canucks were the last team to play in a regular playoff format—more importantly, Canada has not seen one of its teams hoist the Cup in 31 years.
But enough about the past, we are now going to look into some fun facts about the upcoming series between the Oilers and Panthers.
Longest distance between teams
The final round of the NHL playoffs between the Oilers and Panthers will be the furthest distance between two cities in NHL history for the finals with 4,089 km (2,541 miles), breaking the previous record of 4,023 km (2,499 miles) by the Vancouver Canucks and Boston Bruins in 2011.
The best of 7 series will kick off in Florida at 5 p.m. PST, Saturday June 8th.
Oilers have the most Canadian players
If you’re still looking for a reason to support the Oilers, perhaps knowing their team includes 16 Canadian-born players in their 20-man roster.
This figure, especially compared to the combined 13 Canadian players of the New York Rangers and Florida Panthers in the Eastern Conference Final.
Adding to this essence are key players like Leon Draisaitl and Derek Ryan. Though Draisaitl is German, he played junior hockey in Prince Albert and Kelowna. Similarly, American-born Derek Ryan honed his skills in Canadian USports hockey with the University of Alberta Golden Bears. With 18 out of 20 athletes trained in Canada.
Daily Faceoff compiled a list of teams with the most Canadian-born players in a Conference Final since 2005. The bolded teams won the cup that year:
- 2023-24 Edmonton Oilers 16
- 2006-07 Anaheim Ducks 16
- 2018-19 St. Louis Blues 15
- 2005-06 Edmonton Oilers 15
- 2010-11 San Jose Sharks 15
- 2009-10 San Jose Sharks 15
- 2022-23 Vegas Golden Knights* 14
- 2010-11 Boston Bruins 14
- 2020-21 Montréal Canadiens 14
Potent powerplay
Yes, we’re referring to the Edmonton Oilers. Since the start of the playoffs, this team’s potent power play has won them many games, including in the Canucks and Stars series—so the Panthers are going to have to be prepared.
Heading into this series, the Oilers hold the advantage in the special teams battle. They boast the NHL’s leading power play, operating at a 37.3% success rate, facing off against the most-penalized team this postseason. Although Florida has incurred 69 penalties, they also feature the second-best penalty kill in the league at 88.2%.
Meanwhile, Edmonton has maintained a streak of not allowing a power-play goal in 10 consecutive games.
Interesting fact about Corey Perry
Awarded since 1893, the Stanley Cup has a storied history, but Corey Perry is about to add to that. When he hits the ice for Game 1 on June 8th, he’ll be the first player ever to compete for the Lord with five different teams.
Perry has previously vied for the Cup with the Anaheim Ducks (2007), Montreal Canadiens (2021), Dallas Stars (2020), Tampa Bay Lightning (2022), and now he adds the Edmonton Oilers to that list.
Battle of the coaches – Maurice vs. Knoblauch
While the players are doing the grunt of the work on the ice, it takes a good coach to guide them to victory. Does experience matter when it comes to the coaches?
If that is the case, Paul Maurice, of the Panthers, brings a wealth of experience to the table with 130 NHL playoff games under his belt, compared to Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch’s 18.
He also took the reins midway through the season when the team was languishing near the bottom of the standings, and under his guidance, they achieved a remarkable .703 points percentage in the regular season.
This equates to a pace of 115 points over a full year, surpassing the performance of the Presidents’ Trophy-winning New York Rangers by one point.
So, who are you rooting for, the Oilers or Panthers? Let us know in the comment section below!
