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CTV News
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- CTV News
Ice from Oiler hometown rinks added to Rogers Place ahead of Stanley Cup Final
Matthew Messer, the director of engineering and operations at Rogers Place in Edmonton, is seen in this handout photo, resurfacing the ice ahead of Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final on Monday, June 2, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Rogers *MANDATORY CREDIT* Home ice advantage will take on a whole new meaning for some Edmonton Oilers as they head into the Stanley Cup Final. Over the weekend, ice from the hometown rinks of six Oilers players was scraped into Thermoses, shipped to Edmonton and added to the Rogers Place ice sheet mix for Game 1 against the Florida Panthers on Wednesday. Some came from the Magna Centre in Newmarket, Ont., where Oilers superstar Connor McDavid spent a few years with the York-Simcoe Express before jumping to the Ontario Hockey League at age 15. Another donation was scraped from the Burnaby Winter Club in Burnaby, B.C., which forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins called home ice during his bantam years with the BWC Bruins. Just north of Burnaby, ice from the North Shore Winter Club and minor hockey home of Evander Kane was also shipped to Edmonton. Doing the scraping in North Shore was Kyle Turris, who spent the final two seasons of his 15-year NHL career in Edmonton before retiring in 2022. 'It's just neat to have minor hockey rinks across Canada do this,' said Turris, who now manages the winter club, which he also considers his minor hockey home. 'It really unites our country through the game that we love the most and feel like we're a part of the Stanley Cup.' Rogers organized the project. 'When the puck drops at Rogers Place for Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final, Canadians across the country can claim this is our ice,' said Terrie Tweddle, the company's chief brand and communications officer. 'Hockey's biggest stage should reflect where the game truly begins — in hometown hockey rinks across Canada.' Turris said the Panthers, who crushed a city's worth of dreams by beating Edmonton in Game 7 to win last year's Stanley Cup, may have got better. But so too have the Oilers. 'I want them to have as much success as possible, so I'm really hoping they win,' he said, adding he wants to see Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner 'silence all his critics.' Skinner will also be getting a home ice boost for the final, as ice from Edmonton's Confederation Arena, where he played bantam and midget hockey, was transported from the south side of the city to the downtown arena. Ice also came from The Rink in Winnipeg, where Edmonton goalie Calvin Pickard practices in the off-season, as well as a rink in Hamilton, Ont., to represent the hometown of defenceman Darnell Nurse. Kevin Lowe, a longtime Oilers player, coach and team executive, compared the endeavour to the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, when a Canadian ice maker hid a loonie, a nickel and a dime in the ice for good luck. The Canadians beat the Americans in the gold medal game. 'It's another spin on that for sure,' said Lowe, who was part of the management group for the men's hockey team in Salt Lake City. 'It never ceases to amaze me ... for smart people to come up with these kinds of ideas to really engage hockey fans across Canada.' Lowe, who was the Oilers' first-ever draft pick in 1979, won six Stanley Cups throughout his career. He also knows what it's like to lose in the finals only to play the same team again in a rematch the very next year. In 1983, the Oilers were swept by the New York Islanders in the Stanley Cup Final. But in a rematch the next year, the Oilers won five games and marked the beginning of what many consider the last hockey dynasty. Lowe said he sees many similarities between this year's Oilers squad and the 1984 team. 'I'm not suggesting they're going to mow Florida down,' Lowe said. 'But I'm really confident that they have all the pieces in place: the personnel, the history, the experience and probably, most importantly, the will and the want and the desire to win the Stanley Cup.' Like Turris, Lowe said he hopes the ice project at Rogers will see Canadian fans buy in and maybe see what he sees in the team. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 3, 2025. Jack Farrell, The Canadian Press
National Post
29-05-2025
- General
- National Post
Can the Edmonton Oilers lineup survive Zach Hyman's injury?
WATCH BELOW: On the latest episode of Oil Spills Postmedia's Rob Wong speaks with Edmonton Journal Oilers writer Gerry Moddejonge to talk about the Oilers losing forward Zach Hyman to injury, how much that could hurt the Oilers lineup, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins' strong play in the playoffs so far.
New York Times
28-05-2025
- Business
- New York Times
Without Zach Hyman, the Oilers must patch a major gap. One veteran already has been doing the job
EDMONTON — Ryan Nugent-Hopkins has been a force against the Dallas Stars, recording at least two points in every game of the Western Conference final. The Edmonton Oilers veteran has posted nine points in a four-game run to start a semifinal matchup that's drawing comparisons to Wayne Gretzky in 1988. He's now doubled his output since the second round ended and sits fourth in postseason scoring with 18 points. Advertisement 'Right now, everything at once is clicking,' Oilers superstar Leon Draisaitl said. 'He's been the best player in the series.' It's a good thing, too, because the Oilers are going to need even more from Nugent-Hopkins without fellow top-six forward Zach Hyman. Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch said Hyman will have surgery on Wednesday to repair an upper-body injury and is expected to miss the rest of the playoffs. Hyman left Game 4 midway through the first period — and didn't return — in obvious pain while favoring his right arm after receiving an open-ice hit from the Stars' Mason Marchment. As veteran right winger Corey Perry said after the game, Hyman's vacancy in the lineup is a 'big hole to fill.' It'll be up to players such as Nugent-Hopkins, Perry and others to try to patch that gap. Hyman was having a different, yet still effective, postseason compared to his 2024 run. At this time last year, Hyman was working toward scoring 16 goals — an NHL-best — as an encore to his 54-goal regular season. Though he was still chipping in offensively during this postseason, with five goals and 11 points through 15 games, he also became a physical force in a way he wasn't quite before. Known as a relentless forechecker, Hyman was on track to break the NHL record for most hits in a single postseason. After being credited with two hits before exiting Tuesday's game, Hyman was up to 111 – just 15 shy of then-Tampa Bay Lightning winger Blake Coleman's mark of 126 in 2020. 'He's put everything out there,' Knoblauch said. 'Now that we're going to be missing him, we're going to need other guys to step up.' The Oilers have a chance to eliminate the Stars on Thursday in Dallas and earn a trip to their second straight Stanley Cup Final. However, Hyman's absence — combined with an injury to Connor Brown, who missed Game 4 — leaves their right-wing depth depleted. Knoblauch and his coaching staff might have to get creative with the lineup. At least they have options. Advertisement Perry has followed up a 19-goal regular season by scoring six times through 15 playoff games, including once in Game 4. The 40-year-old has gotten top-line duty at times with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, and he's already been time-sharing the net-front position on the top power-play unit with Hyman. He's bound to get a bump on the 13 minutes, 54 seconds, he's averaged in the playoffs. Evander Kane, who a former NHL player referred to as 'a beast' to The Athletic through the first two rounds, could get a bump up in the lineup. He had three assists in Game 3, his only points of the West final. Though typically a left winger, Kane has experience on the right side and could fill in on the opposite side of the ice higher up. The other two prominent possibilities at that position are Kasperi Kapanen and Viktor Arvidsson. Both have received top-six work in the postseason but have been scratched, too. Kapanen was held out for the first nine games before replacing Arvidsson in Game 4 of the second-round series against the Vegas Golden Knights. He has two goals in six games. Arvidsson returned to the lineup on Tuesday following a five-game hiatus to backfill Brown's spot. He has one goal and four points in 10 games. Trent Frederic also got some shifts next to McDavid and Nugent-Hopkins after Hyman exited Game 4. It was his first chance to play in a different spot other than at bottom-six left wing. His versatility to be able to handle all three forward positions was one reason that enticed general manager Stan Bowman to acquire him from the Boston Bruins before the trade deadline. Frederic stayed low in the lineup after he returned from an ankle injury. This might be a chance to get more playing time. And then there's Jeff Skinner. He's one of the three extra forwards who've been skating with the team since the start of the playoffs, along with Max Jones and Derek Ryan. Skinner, a left winger, tracks to be the next man up. Advertisement Skinner signed a one-year, $3 million contract on July 1 to provide more scoring punch. The fit hasn't worked out, as Knoblauch has preferred other players to fill more specific roles. Still, he had 16 goals and 13 assists in 72 games and is a six-time 30-goal scorer in his 15-year NHL career. He appeared in his first playoff game in the first-round opener against the Los Angeles Kings but has been scratched for the last 14 games in favor of Kane, Kapanen and then Arvidsson. 'We're fortunate to have a lot of depth, where guys can come in and step up and give us quality minutes,' Knoblauch said. The Oilers could also use 11 forwards and seven defensemen for Game 5 against the Stars if Mattias Ekholm (lower-body injury) is deemed healthy enough to make his 2025 postseason debut. That's a scheme Knoblauch was considering for Game 4 before Ekholm was held out of the lineup. Using seven defenders would allow the Oilers to continue to use Troy Stecher, who's been excellent since coming in for Game 4 of the last round. The Oilers are 5-1 with him in the lineup. Regardless of who comes in for Hyman or how Knoblauch chooses to deploy the lineup, the Oilers are going to need the finest of everyone. That starts with the guys at the top. McDavid and Draisaitl are proven playoff performers. That leaves Nugent-Hopkins, their next-best forward, as the guy in the spotlight. Nugent-Hopkins endured a trying season in which he had only 49 points, down from the 67 he posted last season and the 104 he recorded in 2022-23. By March, he was in one of the worst offensive stretches of his career. Those days now seem to be in the rear-view mirror. 'Through the regular season, not that he was ever bad, but he didn't play up to his expectations,' Knoblauch said. 'But when we've need him most through these playoffs, he's really played well. We need him to continue that.' Advertisement Draisaitl joked last season that Nugent-Hopkins was Knoblauch's favourite player because of his well-rounded game. Knoblauch was asked about that after Tuesday's game and laughed. 'Some days he is,' Knoblauch said. 'This series? Maybe he is the way he's playing. He's really elevated his game.' Nugent-Hopkins is referred to as a Swiss Army knife by teammates for his ability to play center or wing while being used in every facet. He's been Mr. Everything to his organization, almost from the moment he was drafted No. 1 overall in 2011. Only now, as Draisaitl notes, it's all coming together to the extreme. 'Nuggy, in a way, sacrifices a lot of offense throughout the year for doing everything the right way and being in the right position and doing all the little things that a lot of guys don't want to do,' Draisaitl said. 'He prioritizes that. 'We all know that he's capable of putting up numbers and scoring and making great plays.' 'Just through the whole playoffs (this is) probably the best I've seen him play,' added defenseman Brett Kulak, who's in his fourth postseason with the Oilers. 'He always brings a consistent effort, but he's consistently at another level lately.' The Oilers can't afford for Nugent-Hopkins to drop from that level, now that Hyman probably is out for the rest of the playoffs. (Photo of Zach Hyman and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins: Stacy Revere / Getty Images)
Associated Press
28-05-2025
- General
- Associated Press
Oilers forward Zach Hyman likely to miss rest of playoffs after getting hurt in Game 4 against Stars
EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — The Edmonton Oilers will likely be without hard-hitting forward Zach Hyman for the remainder of the playoffs because of an undisclosed injury to his right arm, coach Kris Knoblauch announced Wednesday. Without providing details on the nature of the injury, Knoblauch said Hyman was scheduled to have surgery and was 'most likely done' for the remainder of the postseason. Hyman, who leads the NHL playoffs with 111 hits, was hurt midway through the first period of a 4-1 win over Dallas in Game 4 of the Western Conference final series on Tuesday night. The injury occurred at Edmonton's blue line, when he out-stretched his arms to brace for what appeared to be a glancing hit from Stars forward Mason Marchment. Hyman immediately dropped his stick, and was favoring his right arm as he left the ice and made his way up the tunnel. Edmonton leads the series 3-1 with Game 5 at Dallas on Thursday night. The 32-year-old Hyman is in his fourth season with Edmonton, and ranks sixth on the team with 11 points (five goals, including a game-winner, and six assists) in 15 playoffs games. Two of his goals came in a 6-1 win over Dallas in Game 3 on Sunday. One replacement option for the Oilers is turning to veteran forward Jeff Skinner, who has been a healthy scratch since the 15-year veteran had an assist in making his NHL playoff debut in a 6-5 loss to Los Angeles in Game 1 of Edmonton's opening-round series. 'It's a big loss,' teammate Ryan Nugent-Hopkins said of Hyman following the game. 'He's a big part of our team, on and off the ice, the way he does things. You've seen his physicality.' ___ AP NHL:
National Post
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- National Post
Edmonton Oilers veterans have been waiting long time for this as Cup final return looms
It seems like forever ago, now that the Edmonton Oilers are steamrolling their way through the playoffs, but it was just a few weeks ago that they were hanging by a thread. Article content Their playoffs were almost over before they started. Article content They were down 2-0 to the Los Angeles Kings, they'd given up 12 goals, their starting goalie lost the net, the penalty kill surrendered five goals, they didn't have Mattias Ekholm and Evan Bouchard was going from bad to worse. Article content The Oilers were fulfilling everyone's pre-playoff prophecy that predicted they'd be bowing out in the first round. Article content They've gone 11-2 since, treating the 105-point L.A. Kings, the 110-point Vegas Golden Knights and the 106-point Dallas Stars like punching bags. Article content They won four in a row to dump the Kings, four out of five to eliminate Vegas and are now 3-1 up on the Dallas Stars, one win away from their second straight Stanley cup final. Article content Article content It has been a run for the ages. And for veterans like 40-year-old Corey Perry, one of the oldest players in the league, and 32-year-old Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, the longest-serving member of the Oilers, this is as much fun as hockey gets. Article content 'It just keeps getting better and better, it's unbelievable,' said Nugent-Hopkins, who has been in Edmonton for 959 regular-season games, 90 more in the playoffs and can't imagine lacing it up anywhere else. Article content 'It's kind of hard to wrap your head around sometimes how unbelievable this fan base is. It seems like every series and every game they get louder in there. There are more people out on the streets before and after and you feel the support.' Article content Article content In his 14 years as an Oiler, Nugent-Hopkins has been though 10 head coaches, five general managers, three rebuilds, seven missed playoffs, two first-round exits and one Stanley Cup Final. Article content 'When I first came in, we were obviously a struggling team but you never really felt the negativity too much in the city,' he said. Article content 'There was still a lot of positivity and a lot of hope. Now we're one win away from going to back-to-back Stanley Cup finals and this is as exciting as it gets for us as a team and also for the fan base that stuck around for a lot of years. Article content 'It never gets old, it just keeps getting better.' Article content Perry has been to five Stanley Cup finals in his 20-year career, including last year with Edmonton and three ill-fated trips in a row with Dallas, Montreal and Tampa Bay in 2020, 2021 and 2022. Article content He won a ring in his rookie season with Anaheim and it would be a perfect bookend to his career get another one in 2025. Article content 'This is why we play the game,' said the ageless wonder, whose six post-season goals are second only to Leon Draisaitl. 'This is why you put the work in in the summer. When you're seven years old playing on the street, this is what we play. We're kids. This is fun.'
