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SIMMONS SAYS: At last, a Stanley Cup final that is truly worth watching

SIMMONS SAYS: At last, a Stanley Cup final that is truly worth watching

Ottawa Citizen2 days ago

The truth about most Stanley Cup finals: They are easily forgettable.
One series drifts into the next championship round, one year into the next, huge for the franchise that wins them, but too often the best-of-seven gets lost over time.
The Edmonton Oilers and the Florida Panthers are changing all of that in back-to-back Stanley Cup seasons. They are writing a history all their own. They are taking excitement to a new level — with two overtime games to begin this Cup final after a seven-game series a year ago that was decided by just one goal.
To watch the brilliance of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl now is reminiscent of personal hockey genius of years gone by. This is Mark Messier of 1994. This is Mario Lemieux of 1991 and '92. This is Mike Bossy and Bryan Trottier combining over five years as no one had before them. This is Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin with three different Pittsburgh teams.
This is magnificent individual hockey theatre.
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The Panthers are the ultimate in team champions. They don't have an all-time great in their lineup. They don't have a superstar for the ages. They have a style they play. They're deep down the middle, resolute and committed, mean, rough and ready.
It is nine Stanley Cup games now between Florida and Edmonton, the most recent two being as sensational as any before them. This is hockey at its absolute best. This is hockey to remember forever. You don't even need a rooting interest of any kind to be captivated by this spectacle. All you have to do is watch.
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THIS AND THAT
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McDavid is putting up numbers that are close to the greatest we've ever seen. He has 73 points in the past two playoff seasons. With a whole lot of series still to go. The most Wayne Gretzky ever scored in back-to-back playoff seasons was 82. The most Lemieux managed was 78. The highest number for Messier and Bossy was 62. It's entirely possible that McDavid can score nine more points — if this series goes seven games — which would tie Gretzky's numbers. All of this happening at a time when scoring is far more difficult than it was when Gretzky and Lemieux were putting up the largest numbers ever seen … Sometimes it's easy to forget how special Doug Gilmour was during his two brilliant playoff seasons with the Maple Leafs in 1993 and '94 — really, the two greatest individual post-seasons in franchise history. Gilmour never made it past the third round in either year but still scored 63 points over those two post-seasons. In the two seasons that Gretzky combined to score 82 playoff points, he had 64 before the final began, just one more in total than Gilmour managed in his greatest days … Not that I should be asking, but isn't it kind of odd that Draisaitl's wife would have her bachelorette party in Greece while the Stanley Cup final was going on in Edmonton and Sunrise, Fla.? She couldn't have waited two more weeks? … Time heals most wounds. A year ago or so, Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch was asking for management to trade Evander Kane. He didn't care for him as a person or player. Now Kane has become one of his most defendable playoff performers on Edmonton's team … Is it just me or is Sam Reinhart at all visible for the Panthers? On a team where you can't help but notice Carter Verhaeghe, Sam Bennett or Brad Marchand, you can't seem to find Reinhart in prominent circumstances.
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HEAR AND THERE
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The difficulty with firing a coach such as Peter DeBoer in Dallas is finding someone better than him. Truth is, there just aren't many … Just when you thought it was time to hand Evan Bouchard a place on Canada's Olympic team, an earned spot, along comes Marchand's overtime goal in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup final. Bouchard is a miraculous offensive defenceman. But he is capable of winning or losing an Olympic medal — and that's why general manager Doug Armstrong and coach Jon Cooper kept him off the Team Canada 4 Nations roster … Among those who have played themselves into Olympic contention of some kind: Goaltender Stuart Skinner, possibly ahead of Adin Hill, Samuel Montembeault or Logan Thompson; forwards Tom Wilson, Nick Suzuki and Mark Scheifele, who should be among the 14 Team Canada forwards in Milano. Question is, if there are places for Wilson, Suzuki and Scheifele, who aren't there places for from the 4 Nations roster, where the roster size grows from 22 to 25 for the Olympics? … One Atlantic Division coach was not happy that Sasha Barkov won the Selke Trophy yet again as the NHL's best defensive forward. The vote was too convenient, he said. His view: This was one of Barkov's weakest defensive seasons. In the playoffs, Barkov has been scored on 14 times at even-strength in 19 games. His fellow Florida centre, Anton Lundell, has been scored on only five times … That coach's pick for the Selke: Adam Lowry of Winnipeg, who wasn't a finalist. Soon to be ex-Leaf Mitch Marner got three first-place Selke votes. We'd like to know why … Teams that could use Brendan Shanahan in a senior management capacity: Chicago, San Jose, Carolina, Detroit, Anaheim, Nashville, Calgary. Teams willing to pay Shanahan anything close to what the Leafs did: Probably none … Wouldn't be the least bit surprised to see Shanahan wind up working for the NHL out of New York in some capacity. Commissioner Gary Bettman played a role in Shanahan being hired in Toronto … When Corey Perry wanted to play for the Leafs, then general manager Kyle Dubas had other ideas: He signed Joe Thornton and Wayne Simmonds for apparent veteran leadership. The 40-year-old Perry has eight goals with the Oilers this playoff season after being picked up following a troublesome ending in Chicago. It also helps a little when your centre is McDavid.

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Healthier Panthers are nearing full strength in the Stanley Cup Final against the Oilers
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Winnipeg Free Press

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Healthier Panthers are nearing full strength in the Stanley Cup Final against the Oilers

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — The bumps and bruises and worse started to pile up midway through the Florida Panthers' third consecutive trip to the Stanley Cup Final. Matthew Tkachuk only returned for the playoff opener after sitting out the final two months of the regular season with the injury he suffered at the 4 Nations Face-Off in February and seems to still be gutting through it. Sam Reinhart and Niko Mikkola each missed time during the Eastern Conference final, and A.J. Greer's injury he tried playing through eventually sidelined him. 'It's very hard to win a Cup with unhealthy bodies,' Greer said. The Panthers found that out the hard way two years ago when they were the skating wounded. Tkachuk had a broken sternum, Aaron Ekblad had a broken foot, two shoulder dislocations and a torn oblique muscle, Radko Gudas had a high ankle sprain and they lost to Vegas in five games in the final. While the Edmonton Oilers looked to be in better shape going into this series with the notable exception of injured forward Zach Hyman, Florida has gotten healthier. Coach Paul Maurice said Reinhart is 'back to full health,' Tkachuk, Mikkola and Greer are making a difference and the defending champions are two wins away from hoisting the Cup for a second year in a row. 'It's always good to have a full team that's healthy,' fourth-liner Tomas Nosek said after practice Wednesday. 'It's been good so far, and hopefully it stays that way.' The Panthers will have their ideal lineup for Game 4 on Thursday night in Sunrise after that same group waxed Edmonton 6-1 earlier this week to take a 2-1 lead in the final. Other than do-it-all defenseman Seth Jones, no one played more than 23 minutes in Game 3. That balance, after so much overtime hockey early in what looked to be an evenly matched series, combined with an extra day between games, makes them rested and ready. 'We've been, I think, great the whole playoffs,' center Anton Lundell said. 'It doesn't really matter when we play. It's always fun to play, so we don't really care. But obviously now we have had a couple days off, so it's fun to get the energy back and prepare.' Reinhart scoring Monday night was his first goal since being out for two games in the Eastern Conference final, ending a drought that dated to the second round against Toronto. He had six shots in Game 2 and has been steadily progressing. 'I'm not worried about him,' Maurice said. 'I think his game is getting stronger — quite a bit stronger.' So is Tkachuk's, even if it's clear the tough winger is not moving as well as he does when 100%. But he had an assist and was noticeably better in Game 3, which Maurice called Tkachuk's best of the playoffs. 'It took him a while to build out,' Maurice said. 'The speed of the Carolina series was probably a really, really good thing. Some of these injuries I'm sure they're dealing with it, you can't condition them and rehab them at the same time. They need some time. And he was out for such a very long time that I would say the last month, but certainly the last three weeks, he's back to form now.' That spells trouble for the Oilers, playing without Hyman and with top-line forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins dealing with an undisclosed injury that has him relegated him to game-time-decision uncertainty. Their longest-tenured player not being 100% is a major blow after Nugent-Hopkins, Connor McDavid and Hyman were such an effective trio getting to this point. Thursdays Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter. Coach Kris Knoblauch foreshadowed a lineup change that may or may not be injury related. Either way, his team's depth is being tested. The same has been the case for the Panthers, who have used 22 skaters in the playoffs following 30 during the season. They've grown accustomed to shuffling players in and out and chugging along like some of the NHL's best teams have to do. 'With our depth this year, even when guys are injured or guys are out of the lineup, there's just so much depth on our team that guys can fill in seamlessly and it doesn't change our lineup that much,' Bennett said. 'That's definitely a huge factor for us.' ___ AP NHL playoffs: and

What you need to know about the Abbotsford Canucks' Calder Cup chase
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Here's your Calder Cup cheat sheet. Article content The Abbotsford Canucks and the Charlotte Checkers square off in the AHL's version of the Stanley Cup Finals starting Friday at Bojangles Coliseum in Charlotte, N.C. The best-of-seven set shifts to the Abbotsford Centre on Tuesday, starting with Game 3. Article content Article content Here's all you need to know about the match-up between the top farm teams of the Vancouver Canucks and Florida Panthers. Article content WHAT'S THE SCHEDULE? Article content Game 1 goes Friday at Bojangles (affectionately known as The BOplex) with a 4 p.m. Pacific time start. Game 2 is there Sunday (1 p.m.), before the series moves to Abbotsford for Game 3 on Tuesday (7 p.m.), Game 4 on Thursday (7 p.m.), and then, if necessary, Game 5 on Saturday (6 p.m.). If required, Games 6 and 7 would be June 23 (4 p.m.) and June 25 (4 p.m.) back in North Carolina. Article content The Checkers' announced attendance average in the regular season was 6,964. Abbotsford was 4,152. The Canucks had an announced crowd of 6,983 for the 4-2 win over the visiting Texas Stars on Sunday that advanced Abbotsford to the final. Article content How we're stacking up against the Checkers in the Finals ⬇️ — X - Abbotsford Canucks (@abbycanucks) June 11, 2025 Article content Article content Article content The trophy was first handed out at the end of the AHL's inaugural season in 1936-37, and went to the Syracuse Stars after they beat the Philadelphia Ramblers in four games in a best-of-five finals. The league was eight teams back then. It's 32 now. Article content The trophy is named after Frank Calder. He's best known as the first president of the NHL — the league's Calder Memorial Trophy for top rookie is named in his honour — but he was also instrumental in the formation of the AHL. Article content The Hershey Bears have won 13 Calder Cups, including claiming top spot the past two seasons prior to this one. They've been to 25 finals, with the first coming in 1941. The Bears are in the midst of their second stint as a Washington Capitals' affiliate. It began in 2005-06. Article content Article content Florida and Charlotte advancing to their respective league championship series marks the first time since 2008 that a single organization played it out for both trophies. That year, the Pittsburgh Penguins lost in six games to the Detroit Red Wings for the Stanley Cup and the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins fell in six games to the Chicago Wolves in for the Calder Cup.

What you need to know about the Abbotsford Canucks' Calder Cup chase
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Here's your Calder Cup cheat sheet. The Abbotsford Canucks and the Charlotte Checkers square off in the AHL's version of the Stanley Cup Finals starting Friday at Bojangles Coliseum in Charlotte, N.C. The best-of-seven set shifts to the Abbotsford Centre on Tuesday, starting with Game 3. Here's all you need to know about the match-up between the top farm teams of the Vancouver Canucks and Florida Panthers. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Game 1 goes Friday at Bojangles (affectionately known as The BOplex) with a 4 p.m. Pacific time start. Game 2 is there Sunday (1 p.m.), before the series moves to Abbotsford for Game 3 on Tuesday (7 p.m.), Game 4 on Thursday (7 p.m.), and then, if necessary, Game 5 on Saturday (6 p.m.). If required, Games 6 and 7 would be June 23 (4 p.m.) and June 25 (4 p.m.) back in North Carolina. The Checkers' announced attendance average in the regular season was 6,964. Abbotsford was 4,152. The Canucks had an announced crowd of 6,983 for the 4-2 win over the visiting Texas Stars on Sunday that advanced Abbotsford to the final. How we're stacking up against the Checkers in the Finals ⬇️ The trophy was first handed out at the end of the AHL's inaugural season in 1936-37, and went to the Syracuse Stars after they beat the Philadelphia Ramblers in four games in a best-of-five finals. The league was eight teams back then. It's 32 now. The trophy is named after Frank Calder. He's best known as the first president of the NHL — the league's Calder Memorial Trophy for top rookie is named in his honour — but he was also instrumental in the formation of the AHL. The Hershey Bears have won 13 Calder Cups, including claiming top spot the past two seasons prior to this one. They've been to 25 finals, with the first coming in 1941. The Bears are in the midst of their second stint as a Washington Capitals' affiliate. It began in 2005-06. For those scoring at home, the Stanley Cup was first presented in 1893. Florida and Charlotte advancing to their respective league championship series marks the first time since 2008 that a single organization played it out for both trophies. That year, the Pittsburgh Penguins lost in six games to the Detroit Red Wings for the Stanley Cup and the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins fell in six games to the Chicago Wolves in for the Calder Cup. Fun fact? Canucks skills coach Jason Krog led the way for those Wolves, and was voted the playoff's most valuable player. He had 12 goals and 38 points in just 24 postseason games. The Panthers and Checkers are trying to make Florida the first franchise to be double champions since 1995, when the New Jersey Devils and Albany River Rats were both successful. Another fun fact? Charlotte coach Geordie Kinnear was a defenceman on that Albany team. Calder Cup Finals Game 1 Friday 7 PM ET @CheckersHockey vs @abbycanucks Watch for FREE on Facebook, X and YouTube! DETAILS: @FlaPanthers | @Canucks #AHL #CalderCup #TimeToHunt #ProudlyAbbotsford #Canucks The Checkers feature one-time Edmonton Oilers top prospect Jesse Puljujärvi, former Canuck Will Lockwood and Vancouver Giants alum Justin Sourdif. Charlotte (44-22-3-3) finished second in the Atlantic Division and fourth in the league overall in the regular season. Abbotsford (44-24-2-2) was second in the Pacific Division and fifth in the league overall, two points behind Charlotte. Charlotte and Abbotsford never met in the regular season. Charlotte had a bye in the opening round and they have had back-to-back sweeps. With that, Charlotte has played 12 games (10-2) in these playoffs while Abbotsford is at 18 (12-6). CHECK OUT THIS SCHEDULE ⬇️ The Abbotsford Canucks will host the Charlotte Checkers at home on June 17, 19 and 21 if necessary in their battle for the Calder Cup! LIMITED TICKETS AVAILABLE | On Wednesday morning, Ticketmaster had a handful of seats available for Game 3. It had Game 4 as sold out, and the if-necessary Game 5 with just two single seats available. StubHub had a handful of tickets for Game 3 available, with $123 per ticket as the lowest price. If you can't get there live, games are streamed on FloHockey. FloHockey announced Wednesday morning that they are streaming Game 1 on Friday for free on YouTube, as well as Facebook and X. You'll need to subscribe to FloHockey to stream the reminder of the series . They list a monthly subscription for $39.99. Check out their website for more details, though. Sportsnet 650 has also been carrying the series on the radio. The Canadian Brewhouse in Abbotsford (3122 Mount Lehman ) hosted watch parties in the last round for the away games and plans to do the same again. There is bound to be other spots willing to put the game on the big screen. Check with your favourite establishment. The AHL Store online has a full selection of Western Conference and Calder Cup. There's also a team store at the Abbotsford Centre . @SteveEwen sewen@

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