Latest news with #ChrisSeward
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Oilers gladly touched West trophy ahead of Cup rematch. It was hands off for Panthers in the East
The Florida Panthers pose with the Prince of Wales trophy after defeating the Carolina Hurricanes to advance to the finals at the end of Game 5 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Eastern Conference finals Wednesday, May 28, 2025, in Raleigh, N.C. (AP Photo/Chris Seward) Edmonton Oilers pose for photos after winning Game 5 of the Western Conference finals against the Dallas Stars in the NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoffs, Thursday, May 29, 2025, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) Florida Panthers center Aleksander Barkov (C) and NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly, right, pose with the Prince of Wales trophy at the end of Game 5 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Eastern Conference finals Wednesday, May 28, 2025, in Raleigh, N.C. They advance to the Stanley Cup finals. (AP Photo/Chris Seward) Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid (97) is presented with the championship trophy after winning Game 5 of the Western Conference finals in the NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoffs against the Dallas Stars, Thursday, May 29, 2025, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Gareth Patterson) Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid (97) is presented with the championship trophy after winning Game 5 of the Western Conference finals in the NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoffs against the Dallas Stars, Thursday, May 29, 2025, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Gareth Patterson) The Florida Panthers pose with the Prince of Wales trophy after defeating the Carolina Hurricanes to advance to the finals at the end of Game 5 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Eastern Conference finals Wednesday, May 28, 2025, in Raleigh, N.C. (AP Photo/Chris Seward) Edmonton Oilers pose for photos after winning Game 5 of the Western Conference finals against the Dallas Stars in the NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoffs, Thursday, May 29, 2025, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) Florida Panthers center Aleksander Barkov (C) and NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly, right, pose with the Prince of Wales trophy at the end of Game 5 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Eastern Conference finals Wednesday, May 28, 2025, in Raleigh, N.C. They advance to the Stanley Cup finals. (AP Photo/Chris Seward) Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid (97) is presented with the championship trophy after winning Game 5 of the Western Conference finals in the NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoffs against the Dallas Stars, Thursday, May 29, 2025, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Gareth Patterson) DALLAS (AP) — Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid wasn't keeping his hands off the Western Conference championship trophy this time. McDavid gladly touched the Clarence S. Campbell Bowl when accepting it after the Oilers' 6-3 win over the Dallas Stars in Game 5 on Thursday night that sent the Oilers to a Stanley Cup Final rematch against the Florida Panthers. Advertisement 'It's pretty obvious I think,' McDavid said about what was different from the end of last year's West final. 'Don't touch it last year, you don't win. Touch it this year, hopefully we win.' Most NHL teams avoid touching the conference championship trophy, with their goal instead to hoist the Stanley Cup. And Florida didn't touch the Prince of Wales Trophy after wrapping up the East final with a Game 5 win at Carolina on Wednesday night. The Panthers are going to their third Stanley Cup Final in a row. The Panthers touched the Prince of Wales Trophy after winning the East in 2023, and lost the final. They didn't last year and then won the Stanley Cup in a seven-game series over McDavid and the Oilers. Advertisement Edmonton hasn't won a Stanley Cup since all five of the Oilers' titles came during a seven-season span from 1984-90. They also made it back to the Cup Final in 2006. ___ AP NHL playoffs: and
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
For Panthers, clinching a 3rd consecutive trip to the Stanley Cup Final didn't lead to celebrating
The Florida Panthers pose with the Prince of Wales trophy after defeating the Carolina Hurricanes to advance to the finals at the end of Game 5 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Eastern Conference finals Wednesday, May 28, 2025, in Raleigh, N.C. (AP Photo/Chris Seward) Florida Panthers fans cheer after the team defeated the Carolina Hurricanes at the end of Game 5 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Eastern Conference finals Wednesday, May 28, 2025, in Raleigh, N.C. The Panthers advance to the Stanley Cup finals. (AP Photo/Chris Seward) Florida Panthers center Anton Lundell (15) celebrates his goal with center Brad Marchand, top right, and left wing Jonah Gadjovich (12) while Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen (31) and center Sebastian Aho (20) react during the second period in Game 5 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Eastern Conference finals Wednesday, May 28, 2025, in Raleigh, N.C. (AP Photo/Chris Seward) Florida Panthers center Anton Lundell (15) celebrates his goal with center Brad Marchand, top right, and left wing Jonah Gadjovich (12) while Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen (31) and center Sebastian Aho (20) react during the second period in Game 5 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Eastern Conference finals Wednesday, May 28, 2025, in Raleigh, N.C. (AP Photo/Chris Seward) The Florida Panthers pose with the Prince of Wales trophy after defeating the Carolina Hurricanes to advance to the finals at the end of Game 5 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Eastern Conference finals Wednesday, May 28, 2025, in Raleigh, N.C. (AP Photo/Chris Seward) Florida Panthers fans cheer after the team defeated the Carolina Hurricanes at the end of Game 5 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Eastern Conference finals Wednesday, May 28, 2025, in Raleigh, N.C. The Panthers advance to the Stanley Cup finals. (AP Photo/Chris Seward) Florida Panthers center Anton Lundell (15) celebrates his goal with center Brad Marchand, top right, and left wing Jonah Gadjovich (12) while Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen (31) and center Sebastian Aho (20) react during the second period in Game 5 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Eastern Conference finals Wednesday, May 28, 2025, in Raleigh, N.C. (AP Photo/Chris Seward) SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — Bill Zito didn't do any significant celebrating after the Florida Panthers clinched their third straight trip to the Stanley Cup Final. He got some food and went back to work. At this point, no one around the team would expect anything different. Advertisement The franchise that could not win a playoff series for a quarter-century now is in the midst of a back-to-back-to-back run to the NHL's championship round. Florida won 25 playoff games in its first 28 seasons combined; the Panthers have won 41 playoff games — and counting — in their most recent three seasons. The novelty of winning at this time of year hasn't worn off, but the Panthers have simply become used to it now. The main thing — the Cup — is the main thing. That's why after the most recent win, beating Carolina on Wednesday night to finish off the Eastern Conference title in five games, there were no helmets being thrown in the air, no raucous beer-spraying locker room scene, no thick wafts of cigar smoke. A few handshakes, something to eat, and that was it. 'I think everybody likes it right when people are kind to you and say things that are nice," Zito, the team's hockey operations president and general manager, said before the Panthers flew home from Carolina on Thursday. "But we learned. The journey isn't over and there's work to do and we have to be focused on that and keep your eye on the goal. Don't let success get in your way.' To be fair, for the Panthers, this is unprecedented levels of success. Advertisement They have now played 11 playoff series since the start of the 2023 postseason — their first one with Matthew Tkachuk in a Florida sweater. They have won 10 of those series, only falling in the 2023 final to Vegas. They're 41-21 in playoff games under coach Paul Maurice and actually have a better road record in those games (23-10) than they do at home (18-11). 'I didn't even think about it," Tkachuk said after the Carolina series ended. "Just reacted how I reacted. I mean, I think it was different a few years ago. I remember a few years ago it felt like such an accomplishment from where we were at one point. I know we talked about it last year. It's part of the journey. And same way with this year. It's all business, and we've got a bigger goal in mind.' When the East title series ended, Carolina coach Rod Brind'Amour paid the Panthers — who won their first Cup last season — the ultimate compliment. "They're the standard now," Brind'Amour said. Advertisement It has been a long time since the league has seen a run like this. Tampa Bay made three straight finals from 2020 through 2022 (with two of those seasons shortened by COVID), but no team — until now — has navigated three consecutive full regular seasons and gotten to the Stanley Cup Final in each of those years since Edmonton from 1983 through 1985. By the time this year's title series is over, the Panthers will have played more games in a three-year span than any team in NHL history. It's an accomplishment, for certain. Zito wasn't thinking about any of that after the Carolina series. There were travel plans to put together, reports to look at, somewhere between four and seven more games left in this season to think about. 'I don't think that the elation or the appreciation for the moment diminishes," Zito said. "I think perhaps the way it manifests itself, it's just channeled differently. ... That level of respect and appreciation for where you are, in tandem with the hunger, you want to do it again. You want to do it again. What can we start doing now? Don't stop. Don't get content. And those guys, they woke up with 100 texts each from everyone telling them how great they are. Everyone did. And it's not over.' ___ AP NHL playoffs: and
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Paul Maurice, Rod Brind'Amour skipped player handshakes after East final. It was for a good reason
The Florida Panthers shake hands with the Carolina Hurricanes following Florida's win in Game 5 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Eastern Conference finals in Raleigh, N.C., Wednesday, May 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Karl DeBlaker) Florida Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad (A) shakes hands with Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen (31) and Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Jaccob Slavin (74) at the end of Game 5 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Eastern Conference finals Wednesday, May 28, 2025, in Raleigh, N.C. (AP Photo/Chris Seward) Florida Panthers head coach Paul Maurice watches as the players celebrate at the conclusion of Game 5 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Eastern Conference finals Wednesday, May 28, 2025, in Raleigh, N.C. The Panthers team defeated the Carolina Hurricanes to advance to the Stanley Cup finals. (AP Photo/Chris Seward) Florida Panthers head coach Paul Maurice watches as the players celebrate at the conclusion of Game 5 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Eastern Conference finals Wednesday, May 28, 2025, in Raleigh, N.C. The Panthers team defeated the Carolina Hurricanes to advance to the Stanley Cup finals. (AP Photo/Chris Seward) The Florida Panthers shake hands with the Carolina Hurricanes following Florida's win in Game 5 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Eastern Conference finals in Raleigh, N.C., Wednesday, May 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Karl DeBlaker) Florida Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad (A) shakes hands with Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen (31) and Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Jaccob Slavin (74) at the end of Game 5 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Eastern Conference finals Wednesday, May 28, 2025, in Raleigh, N.C. (AP Photo/Chris Seward) Florida Panthers head coach Paul Maurice watches as the players celebrate at the conclusion of Game 5 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Eastern Conference finals Wednesday, May 28, 2025, in Raleigh, N.C. The Panthers team defeated the Carolina Hurricanes to advance to the Stanley Cup finals. (AP Photo/Chris Seward) Florida coach Paul Maurice did not shake hands with the Carolina Hurricanes when the Eastern Conference final ended. And he asked Carolina coach Rod Brind'Amour not to shake hands with the Panthers, either. It wasn't out of disrespect. Advertisement Quite the contrary, really. The handshake line at the end of a playoff series is one of hockey's sacred traditions, no matter how physical the series was before one team eventually prevailed. And Maurice thinks the handshakes are part of what makes the game great to hockey fans, and he's all for it happening. He has just said repeatedly throughout this postseason that he thinks the coaches shouldn't be part of it — reiterating that after the Panthers eliminated the Hurricanes on Wednesday night, even going as far as convincing Brind'Amour to sit it out himself. In that moment, Maurice said, nothing should take the attention off the players on the two teams that just played a series. 'I don't believe that the coaches should shake players' hands at the end,' Maurice said. 'There's this long list of people in suits and track suits. We had like 400 people on the ice. They're all really important to our group. But not one of them was in the game.' Advertisement So, just as he did after the Round 2 win over Toronto, Maurice and his staff shook hands with Brind'Amour and other members of the Carolina staff. That happened near the benches, while the players partook in the traditional handshake line down the center of the ice. Maurice said several weeks ago that he isn't sure when the post-round handshake expanded to include coaches, and figures someone years ago did it just to either be seen or grab some television time. He said when he started coaching, people in the suits weren't in those handshake moments. This season, he's been trying to amend the tradition. And he thanked Brind'Amour for taking a risk, as Maurice said, in agreeing with him. 'There's something for me visually, with the camera on just the men who played, blocked shots, fought for each other, it's end of one's season, it's excitement for the other,' Maurice said. 'The last thing that a player on the Carolina Hurricanes deserves is 50 more guys in suits, they have no idea who they are and that's not a negative. There's something really kind of beautiful about just the camera on those men who played shaking hands. And we should respect that.' ___ AP NHL playoffs: and
