Stanley Cup Final 101: All you need to know (and some you should have known)
Pssst … the Edmonton Oilers are playing in the Stanley Cup Final.
Article content
Article content
No, no. It's cool, it's cool. They haven't started yet, so there's still time to figure out exactly what that means so you won't be completely broadsided when people start talking to you about it over the next couple weeks.
Article content
I mean, the last thing we want is for them to find out you don't have a clue about hockey, other than you have a niece or nephew who plays on some sort of team. Somewhere. At least, you think so anyway.
Article content
Article content
Check that. The last thing you want is for people to find out you don't really care, or understand what all the fuss is about. Then, all of a sudden you're the only one at work not getting invited out to the watch party. Your co-workers are avoiding eye contact with you, and everyone clams up around the water cooler in order to avoid the awkward silence the last time they were all talking about a big game and you asked who's playing.
Article content
So, you don't dare ask questions anymore. Not without sitting down and streaming all 82 games of the regular season, plus the previous three rounds of playoffs to get up to speed.
Article content
But have no fear. We've got you covered. Here is an easy-to-digest refresher on all you need to know to help you fit into the conversation. Because, hey, it is supposed to be our national winter sport after all.
Article content
So, go grab a snack and let's sit down for a quick Hockey 101 on what's going on with the Oilers right now:
Article content
What you absolutely need to know is the Edmonton Oilers aren't just playing for the Stanley Cup. They are back in the final for the second year in a row. Not only that, they're playing against the same Florida Panthers who beat them in last year's championship.
Article content
First off, the Stanley Cup Final (yes, they capitalize it) is a best-of-7 series between the last two teams standing in the NHL playoffs. The Oilers represent the Western Conference, and the Panthers the Eastern Conference in the competition over what might as well be hockey's Holy Grail, which you also might hear called Lord Stanley (after the 16th Earl of Derby who commissioned the original trophy in 1892). While we don't need to go delving into the history of the whole thing, it's worth looking at some more recent past.
Article content
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Winnipeg Free Press
31 minutes ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Oilers host the Panthers to start the Stanley Cup Final
Florida Panthers (47-31-4, in the Atlantic Division) vs. Edmonton Oilers (48-29-5, in the Pacific Division) Edmonton, Alberta; Wednesday, 8 p.m. EDT BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Oilers -131, Panthers +111; over/under is 6 STANLEY CUP FINAL: Oilers host series opener BOTTOM LINE: The Edmonton Oilers host the Florida Panthers to begin the Stanley Cup Final. The teams meet Thursday for the third time this season. The Panthers went 2-0 against the Oilers in the regular season. In their last regular season matchup on Feb. 27, the Panthers won 4-3. Edmonton is 48-29-5 overall and 31-14-3 in home games. The Oilers have a +24 scoring differential, with 259 total goals scored and 235 conceded. Florida has a 28-21-2 record on the road and a 47-31-4 record overall. The Panthers have allowed 223 goals while scoring 246 for a +23 scoring differential. TOP PERFORMERS: Connor McDavid has 26 goals and 74 assists for the Oilers. Corey Perry has five goals and two assists over the last 10 games. Sam Reinhart has 39 goals and 42 assists for the Panthers. Sam Bennett has scored six goals and added four assists over the last 10 games. LAST 10 GAMES: Oilers: 8-2-0, averaging 3.8 goals, 6.8 assists, 3.4 penalties and 7.3 penalty minutes while giving up two goals per game. Panthers: 8-2-0, averaging four goals, 7.2 assists, 5.6 penalties and 18.7 penalty minutes while giving up 1.6 goals per game. INJURIES: Oilers: None listed. Panthers: None listed. ___ The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
CBC
39 minutes ago
- CBC
'At the brink of falling apart': Sport organizations hope new government heeds urgent call for funding
At the end of a successful Summer Olympics in Paris last year, David Shoemaker issued a stark warning. Canadians took home 27 medals from France after standout performances in swimming, beach volleyball and track and field, to name a few. The Canadian Olympic Committee CEO said he believed Canada has the potential to do more, but that he worried the athletes' full potential won't be unlocked without more resources from the federal government. "I worry about performance in Milano Cortina and certainly for LA [in 2028]," Shoemaker said that day. "There hasn't been an increase in the core funding of the national sports organizations, the 62 federally-funded national sports organizations, in 19 years. They are having to do so much more with so much less, including the demands upon them to create a safe and barrier-free healthy sports system that we all want so badly." WATCH | Canada's new secretary of state for sport talks transforming Canada's sport landscape: Canada's new secretary for sport talks about transforming Canada's sports landscape 12 hours ago Duration 1:29 Fast forward almost 10 months and Canadians have a new government, led by a new Prime Minister, Mark Carney. The new person in charge of the sports portfolio is a familiar face in the Canadian sports world: Adam van Koeverden, the retired kayaker who owns four Olympic medals, including gold in the K-1 500-metre from the 2004 Summer Games in Athens. There's no minister of sport in this government. Koeverden is the secretary of state for sport, part of a two-tiered cabinet created by Carney. But much will still be expected from the former athlete. He's tasked with addressing funding demands from sport organizations. The magic number Shoemaker has cited is a $144 million increase to make up for two decades without a significant boost to core funding, now appearing as millions of dollars worth of deficits on sports organizations' books. He'll also have to navigate what's been described as a safe-sport crisis across the country. The Future of Sport in Canada Commission will report back in March, and van Koeverden, who gave his own recommendations to the panel earlier this year, will guide how the government will respond to its findings. Perhaps even bigger than all of that is preserving what sport means to Canadians at a time when that identity is under threat like never before. It's a tone both the Canadian Olympic Committee and Canadian Paralympic Committee struck in a joint statement released after the new cabinet was named in May. "As we face an unprecedented crisis of national identity, this portfolio will be critical in achieving this government's urgent nation building priorities," the statement said. "Sport unites Canadians like nothing else can – bridging geography, language, and politics." Fundraising for training When it comes to nation building, Nathan Bombrys sees a role for rugby. The Canadian women's rugby union team is ranked second in the world heading into the sport's World Cup in England, which begins in August. Bombrys, who is Rugby Canada's CEO, believes the Canadian women have a shot at winning the tournament. "If you follow the sport of rugby, it's literally planting a flag where it doesn't belong, and we have a team capable of doing that," he said. But the women's team has been fundraising just to pay for proper training. It would go toward things like holding training camps and accessing mental performance coaching. Even if they're successful in reaching the $1-million fundraising goal, Bombrys expects Canada will have one of the lowest budgets in the entire tournament. Performing well at that tournament, which is one of the biggest in the sporting world, would certainly fall under the nation-building category. "I'd like to see this government really appreciate the value that sport brings to the nation, to Canada, and really understand that," he said. Rugby Canada is also looking to see more corporate sponsors involved in the sport. Without more money, the future looks different. Bombrys said he's already having to make difficult decisions that affect athletes and programming. "Will we still play on the global stage? Probably," he said. "But wouldn't we like to be competitive and represent Canada well? Without that support, it's going to be harder and harder to do that." Staying afloat For Olympic athletes across Canada, funding is the number one issue, according to Philippe Marquis, a two-time Olympian in freestyle skiing who serves as the chair of the Canadian Olympic Committee's Athletes' Commission. Marquis was happy to see van Koeverden receive the sports file, and like Shoemaker, he feels a sense of urgency. "Sport organizations are at the brink of falling apart with the lack of funding and the resources," he said. "Everyone is tight." The way he sees it, national sport organizations and athletes are both trying to survive. For sport organizations, like Rugby Canada, it's having the resources to properly structure and deliver sport to athletes. For athletes, it's trying to attend camps and access proper training, all while buying food and paying rent. Having or not having that money could determine whether an athlete stays in sport or walks away. The 2024 federal budget increased the monthly living and training allowances under the Athlete Assistance Program, commonly known as carding, by about 23 per cent, retroactive to April 2024. "Was it sufficient? Not necessarily, and it has to be indexed with inflation and obviously what's going on around the world with cost of living," Marquis said. A familiar face The sports portfolio is nothing new to van Koeverden. Beyond his own career as an athlete, van Koeverden was Parliamentary secretary to ministers responsible for sport over two Parliaments. "It's been a joy and a huge privilege, but it's also been tough," van Koeverden said a few days into his new job. "It's a lot of work and I'm embracing all of it. But sometimes it's hard when you achieve a goal because you recognize that there's just so many expectations and work that you've got to do in order to achieve the good outcomes, the reason that you get involved." Exactly what Carney would like his government to accomplish when it comes to sport isn't yet clear. The topic didn't appear in the Liberal platform, nor has there been a mandate letter released for the sport portfolio. Van Koeverden said he's encouraged by how frequently Carney, who was a hockey goaltender in college, talks about sport. "I'm really, really excited because Mark Carney has clearly articulated his love and his passion for sport, physical activity and recreation in Canada," van Koeverden said. Whether Carney's government will increase funding of national sport organizations and multisport service organizations — such as the Canadian Olympic Committee, Canadian Paralympic Committee and U Sports — to the level that leaders like Shoemaker are calling for remains to be seen. But van Koeverden agreed he would advocate for an increase in core funding for national sport organizations, describing it as "critical." He also agreed that carding funding should be indexed with inflation, even though budgeting for that could be "a bit ambiguous." But just as important is funding the bottom of the pyramid, van Koeverden said, which helps get more people, including kids, playing sport. In his mind, funding sport at a grassroot level will help foster more Sidney Crosbys and Christine Sinclairs at the top of the pyramid. But keeping the most talented athletes on the ice, field or court, and helping them achieve their potential, is also part of the puzzle. "We continue to advocate to the federal government for an increase in funding [for national sport organizations]," Shoemaker told CBC Sports during the election campaign this past spring. "We think we're making a strong case. We think we're getting through. But only time will tell."
CBC
39 minutes ago
- CBC
Fleeing wildfires, hundreds from Manitoba First Nations settle into Niagara Falls hotels
As wildfires burn out of control near their communities, hundreds of Manitoba First Nations residents have been put up in hotels in Niagara Falls, Ont. — for some around 1,800 kilometres away from their homes. For Pimicikamak Cree Nation resident Stevie Muskego, who "never really left the reserve" before, travelling so far away has been "kind of strange" and "very stressful." Speaking in Niagara Falls Monday, Muskego told Radio-Canada he's unsure how long he'll have to stay in Ontario and is taking things day by day. "What can you do?" he said, adding he's grateful for the support he's received thus far. "I'm very scared for my community," Muskego said, also mentioning the three dogs and two cats he had to leave behind. But staying home wasn't safe. He arrived in Niagara on Sunday, a journey that involved several days of travelling to a few communities along the way. More than 17,000 people are being forced from their homes in parts of Manitoba due to the fires, with mandatory evacuations in place for communities including Flin Flon, Cranberry Portage and Pukatawagan. The Manitoba government declared a provincial state of emergency last week. Kurtis Ferland, an evacuee from Pukatawagan, told CBC News he could only bring one bag of his belongings as he left home with thick smoke in the air. "Everything else can be replaced," he said. "Just lives. That's the only thing. Family can't be replaced. So hopefully everyone gets out of there. There's still lots of people out there." Sheena Garrick, a volunteer supporting Pimicikamak evacuees, told Radio-Canada that due to the number of people displaced, there's no more room in Manitoba, hence the need to go to Ontario for shelter. Garrick is from Pimicikamak herself. She said many evacuees were skeptical about coming to Niagara Falls because things were chaotic in Winnipeg, but she thinks they'll be better served in Ontario. About 90 people from Pimicikamak, also called Cross Lake, travelled to Niagara Falls Sunday, Garrick said. Overall 250 evacuees were set to be settled in the Niagara Falls area Sunday, with several hundred more expected to have flown in Monday, Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak (MKO) — which represents northern Manitoba First Nations — said on its Facebook page Sunday. Niagara Falls, which has a population of about 94,000 per the 2021 census, is a popular tourist destination. Its tourism website says the city has 12,000 guest rooms. In recent years its hotels were home to another group of displaced people. In 2023, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada housed thousands of asylum seekers in Niagara Falls, using 1,500 to 2,000 rooms in March 2023 out of over 3,500 across Canada. On Monday, Niagara Falls Mayor Jim Diodati told CBC News helping evacuees is "the Canadian thing to do." "Because of our big inventory of hotel rooms, you know, we're happy that we can do our part and play Team Canada," he said, adding the city is preparing to possibly house thousands of people. Diodati said the evacuation is federally funded but the municipality will do its best to make evacuees feel welcome. "We'll do our part making sure they've got some great attractions, passes and access to whatever amenities that they need." In a statement, MKO Grand Chief Garrison Settee praised evacuation efforts in Ontario, saying "this is the level of coordination we strive for in Manitoba," and "the level of respect our members deserve while they are dealing with a very traumatic experience." First Nations and provincial governments working with risk management company Indigenous leaders in Manitoba have accused the federal and provincial governments of poor communication and slow responses to resource requests. MKO is partnering with risk management company Xpera, which specializes in evacuations. Xpera vice president Robert Garland told CBC News his company has contracts with Ontario and Manitoba. He said they came to Niagara because it has the capacity to handle an influx of people, and "a strong history of Indigenous support." Evacuee Danner Francois told Radio-Canada having to evacuate quickly was scary and he worries about his house burning down. But now that he's in Niagara Falls, he said he feels better. "It's peaceful now. I feel a lot safer — no fire, no smoke." WATCH | Manitoba can use 'every water bomber we can get our hands on,' Premier Wab Kinew says: Manitoba can use 'every water bomber we can get our hands on,' Kinew says 15 hours ago Duration 1:09 Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew says the province has received 'amazing' assistance in its fight against wildfires, adding Canada will have to contend with future fire seasons being more like this, 'which means scaling up our firefighting capability.' Speaking to reporters Monday, Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew said about 1,000 hotel rooms will open in Winnipeg to house evacuees. The province had 25 active wildfires as of Sunday, including eight considered out of control. Kinew said fighting multiple wildfires in the western provinces is a strain on shared resources, so Canada will need to "contend with future fire seasons being more and more like this, which means scaling up our firefighting capability." "We could use every water bomber we can get our hands on," he said, noting Manitoba ordered some, but will have to wait five years to get them.
