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The 2025 Stanley Cup Final is underway as the Edmonton Oilers host the Florida Panthers in Game 1.
The series is a rematch of last year's final, which the Panthers won in seven games.
Follow along as our reporters on the ground in Edmonton and our team of NHL experts across the continent have you covered with the latest insight and analysis.
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When Connor McDavid went out of his way to tell the media that he and his team knew how to defend, they meant it.
The Oilers are leading but their defense has been on display so far. They’re holding the Panthers to two shots on net thus far, not giving them much space on their power play. McDavid has looked great at both ends. Creating a turnover leading to a clear. McDavid even led that rush on the penalty kill, hitting the post. The hockey world was already buzzing over McDavid’s backcheck on Sam Bennett earlier.
If the Oilers go on to win this game, and the Cup, defense will be a huge reason why.
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P1 11:00 – Oilers 1, Panthers 0
McDavid is back on the ice very quickly and leads a dangerous 2-on-2 shorthanded rush, but the Panthers defense does enough to cut out his centering pass to Kapanen. The puck comes back to McDavid and he works some magic and manages to hit the post with a shot.
P1 12:00 – Oilers 1, Panthers 0
The Oilers' first penalty kill group gets off the ice minus McDavid, who stays out for an extra 15 seconds. That decision pays off as he makes a fantastic backcheck to steal the puck and clear it down the ice.
P1 13:07 – Oilers 1, Panthers 0
The Panthers get the first power play of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final as Perry is called for high-sticking. Florida is fortunate that Perry caught Forsling up high, because he was walking in on goal all alone when the whistle stopped the play.
P1 14:30 – Oilers 1, Panthers 0
A change by Ekholm allows Bennett to break free on goal down the left side, but a fantastic backcheck by McDavid closes down Bennett's angle and allows Skinner to make a simple save.
P1 15:20 – Oilers 1, Panthers 0
Kane crunches Ekblad with a huge hit into the boards behind the Panthers net. The crowd loves it. Forsling and Kapanen exchange words following Kane's hit. We're less than five minutes into the Final and the temperature's already rising!
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Leon Draisaitl was limited to just three assists in last year’s seven-game series against the Panthers as he dealt with an injury. Now? Not only does he have a goal in this year’s Final, but his points streak extends to seven games, dating back to May 14 against the Vegas Golden Knights (3 goals, 11 points).
Walman unleashed a powerful slap shot from the boards. With Ekblad partially screening Bobrovsky, the goaltender wasn't able to corral the puck. Kane crashed the crease and created enough chaos that the loose puck dribbled out to Draisaitl, who had an empty net to aim at for the opening goal.
P1 18:54 – Oilers 1, Panthers 0
What a start for the Oilers! Leon Draisaitl, who didn't score in the Final last year, opens the scoring just 1:06 in.
P1 20:00 – Panthers 0, Oilers 0
The puck has been dropped and Game 1 of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final is underway from Rogers Place in Edmonton!
It sounds pretty loud coming from my television screen back home. Imagine being at Rogers Place for the sights and sounds.
As Mike said, they’ve just finished introducing the players and Oilers fans are yelling "We Want the Cup!"
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While Enter Sandman by Metallica plays, the coaches and the starters are being announced individually over the stadium PA. Each Panthers name is met with mild jeers, and each Oilers name is met with a hearty cheer.
They Stanley Cup is on hand, looking as shiny as ever. The Edmonton fans are chanting "We want the Cup."
And now, time for the national anthems.
As the Stanley Cup gets underway, let’s take a moment and look back at the adversity Edmonton and Florida faced to get here.
This should’ve been the year the Los Angeles Kings got the one-up on Edmonton. A controversial coach’s challenge and a failed clearance ended those hopes. Vegas won their division and looked like the Cup contender we expect them to be. Edmonton made short work of them. Dallas took an early 1-0 series on Edmonton and was picked by pundits to make it to the Final. Edmonton won the next four games.
Florida’s final month of the regular season had them looking battered and tired. Paul Maurice just hoped his team would just get into the playoffs and work it out from there. Tampa Bay looked like they could throttle them. Florida beat them in five. Toronto nearly had a 3-0 series lead had it not been for Brad Marchand’s overtime winner in Game 3. The Panthers won that series after embarrassing the Leafs in their own building in Games 5 and 7. Florida nearly swept Carolina, but the Hurricanes looked to be mounting an audacious series comeback in Game 5. Only for Florida to end it. They’re inevitable.
And now, we’re at Rogers Place for Game 1 of a Cup Final rematch. It might not have been the matchup we all expected entering the playoffs. But if this series isn’t short on drama, we won’t complain.
The Panthers are sending out their top line of Rodrigues/Barkov/Reinhart and a defensive pairing of Mikkola/Jones to start the game.
The Oilers counter with their own top line of Nugent-Hopkins/McDavid/Perry and Ekholm/Bouchard on defense.
Starting in net tonight are Bobrovsky and Skinner, as expected.
It may be 8 p.m. ET but we've got another 20 minutes until Game 1 gets underway.
Some quick hitters to keep in mind as we build up to puck drop:
Brown returns after missing the last two games, taking the place of forward Jeff Skinner.
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Boqvist comes in for forward A.J. Greer, a forward, who missed the Panthers morning skate with a lower-body injury.
Connor Brown is expected to return for the Oilers tonight after the forward missed the last two games of the Western Conference final because of an injury sustained during Game 3 on May 25.
“I feel good,” Brown said after today's morning skate. “I took a little maintenance day yesterday, but I’m ready to go. I feel excited.”
If he’s in the lineup, Brown is expected to replace Jeff Skinner and play on a line with Adam Henrique and Trent Frederic. With Zach Hyman unavailable for this series after undergoing surgery last week to repair a dislocated wrist, Brown could receive more ice time to help fill the void.
Edmonton also recently received the boost of Mattias Ekholm's return from injury, as the defenseman made his 2025 postseason debut in Game 5 of the Western Conference final on May 29 after recovering from an injury.
There have been 85 editions of the Stanley Cup Final since the format switched from best-of-five to best-of-seven ahead of the 1938-39 season.
Across those 85 series, the team that won Game 1 went on to lift the Stanley Cup 65 times, good for 76 percent of the time.
The winner of Game 1 has won each of the past four Stanley Cup Finals, coming after a streak of three years in which the loser of Game 1 ultimately won the cup.
