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The Province
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Province
Edmonton Oilers' Skinner relishes rematch against Florida Panthers' Bobrovsky
Stuart Skinner #74 of the Edmonton Oilers speaks with the media prior to the start of the 2025 NHL Stanley Cup Final against the Florida Panthers at Rogers Place on June 03, 2025 in Edmonton, Alberta. Photo by Bruce Bennett / Getty Images So it's Bob vs. Stu once again. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Florida's Sergei Bobrovsky, 36, with his two Vezina trophies, his Stanley Cup ring and his 429 career regular-season wins, 10th most all-time. And at the other end of the ice we bring you Edmonton's decade-younger Stuart Skinner, 26, with his 104 wins and craving a manhole-sized championship ring on his big hands. Last June it was a mixed bag for both goalies in the Stanley Cup Final matchup. Bobrovsky, the fastest goalie in history to reach 400 total wins, in just 707 games, beating Henrik Lundqvist's 727, stopped 50 of the first 51 Oiler shots in Games 1-2 of the 2024 playoff in Florida and only gave up four goals in the first three Panthers wins. He looked unflappable, certainly on shots along the ice, and then he crashed and almost burned, giving up 15 in three straight losses to the Oilers before reverting to form in Game 7 in Florida and giving up just Mattias Janmark's breakaway in the first period. Skinner was beaten nine times in the first three games, all losses, but just five times in games 4-6, all Oilers routs, before only Carter Verhaeghe and Sam Reinhart scored in the Game 7, 2-1 Panthers' win. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. In the series, Skinner actually had better numbers. He lost the game that counted most but he had a .909 save percentage through seven games, so certainly gave his Oiler team a chance at the big prize. Bobrovsky, more up and down, was .899. But Bobrovsky won the last game and was smiling in the handshake line while Skinner was trying to mask his disappointment and not doing too well at it. 'In the lineup I remember how kind he was to somebody who had just lost,' said Skinner, who also had some nice words for Bob, lodge brother to lodge brother. 'You just congratulate the guy. It's goalie to goalie. I thought he stole a couple of games for them. That was my main message to him, telling him he was a huge part of them winning the Cup. And that he had made it really hard on us,' he said. Essential reading for hockey fans who eat, sleep, Canucks, repeat. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. '(Saying congratulations) is hard to do in the midst of feeling crushed, in the midst of crying, though. But you have to be a man about it in a moment like that. It's one of the best days of their lives. I'm not going to have a little pity party,' he said. 'I hope it's different in the handshake line this time around. I mean that's the dream right? But we've got a lot of work to do,' said Skinner. Did he replay Game 7 in his mind? Yes. But he also watched it again. 'Yeah, great game. I watched it again to get the emotions out of it,' he said. 'As a goalie my perspective is to give your team a chance to win. We kept it at one. That's just not me, it's our D, our forwards tracking back. But again, it's hockey. You need a bit of luck to win it,' said Skinner, who will try to change the script this time around. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'It was amazing playing against Bobrovsky last year. How old is he again? I mean, he's one of the best goalies in the world, he's been in the Stanley Cup Final now, three years in a row. Impressive goalie, skates well, technically I don't think there's much wrong with him, or anything wrong from my perspective. Nothing but love for him and excited to play him again,' he said. How tough was it for Skinner to put the Game 7 loss aside, because that's his personality, never letting things eat at him, at least in regular-season? 'To be completely honest, I thought I put it away quickly because that's the easy way to do it, but internally there is something buried,' said Skinner, who had never been on that stage before while Bobrovsky had lost in the finals in 2023 before getting his first Cup celebration. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'It bit me in the butt halfway through my summer, but then I was able to look back and process it so it didn't carry over into regular season. Still, human nature,' said the Edmonton-born Skinner of the loss festering for a while. 'I wasn't looking at it so much as the hometown kid, more as a something you work at and want your whole life, though. Maybe it was a little tougher because it's a Canadian market and all Canada is watching and they're disappointed in you. But that's the nature of the game.' What did Skinner learn about himself going through last year's run against Bobrovsky, one of the NHL's best goalies? 'Probably all the emotions, you get so caught up in it. There's some sleepless nights, it's hard to nap, hard to eat sometimes,' he said. 'I learned a lot about myself in that scenario and I'm grateful for that experience. I feel pretty much the opposite this year.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Hall of Famer Grant Fuhr, who won five Cups here with some ups and downs, knows the roller-coaster ride goalies get on. At one point, stopping everything, at others pucks finding the back of the net. 'Funny thing with goalies, though, if you win, nobody remembers the middle. Everybody has short memories. Florida went up 3-0 and Stu didn't play that bad. Then everybody on the Oilers played better the next three and they forgot about Bobrovsky. Until when Bob had to be good and he was good,,' said Fuhr, who loves Skinner's fight. 'There's this bounce-back with Stu, though. He has to have a tough stretch before he finds his playoff gear. I don't think it's his age. It might just be his makeup. Last year, he had a tough stretch against Vancouver and played great the rest of the way. This year he had a tough time against L.A. and once again, Stu's come back and been great,' said Fuhr. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'Bob's pretty much a one-man show in the playoffs and for that you need a good mental makeup to every day. Stu seems to need somebody to push him. He needs competition. It makes him better.' Bobrovsky, who is compiling a possible Hall of Fame resume, has won 132 league games over the past four regular seasons and he's 57-48 career in the playoffs. Skinner has won 62 Oiler league games the past two seasons. He's 25-19 career in playoffs. But, while Skinner's career is just teeing off, Bob is on the back nine. 'Bobrovsky may be a better goalie today at 36, though, than he was at 30 or 31. He hasn't fallen off at all. And if Stu plays to his capability, the way he played last year in the finals, then it's definitely a fair fight. Stu's young but with goalies, they all find their stride at different times,' said Fuhr, anxious to see what goalie's makeup works best. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'Most definitely they are two different styles of goalie. One is really athletic and the other is more of a technical version,' said Fuhr, conceding that both are very calm goalies in the crease, two guys who don't get upset easily, unlike Darcy Kuemper who got angered in the Oilers-L.A. series by all the commotion around him. 'Bobrovsky doesn't seem to get rattled. The more teams see a goalie getting mad, then you get more of it. Guys falling on you, they're talking to them. Goals go in and Bobrovsky just turns and fishes the puck out the net which gives his players a lot of confidence. Stu is the same in the net,' said Fuhr Skinner has heard the cacophony of critics for the last two years because of his up and down playoffs, but he's not all ears. He's not a social media or podcast kind of guy. 'I know one thing,' said Fuhr. 'There's less noise when you win a championship.' Vancouver Canucks Sports Vancouver Canucks Vancouver Canucks News
Edmonton Journal
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Edmonton Journal
Edmonton Oilers' Skinner relishes rematch against Florida Panthers' Bobrovsky
Article content So it's Bob vs. Stu once again. Florida's Sergei Bobrovsky, 36, with his two Vezina trophies, his Stanley Cup ring and his 429 career regular-season wins, 10th most all-time. And at the other end of the ice we bring you Edmonton's decade-younger Stuart Skinner, 26, with his 104 wins and craving a manhole-sized championship ring on his big hands.
Time of India
16-05-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
The Crucible on the Road for Connor Hellebuyck to Keep Winnipeg Alive
Image Via Twitter The Winnipeg Jets are preparing for a do-or-die Game 6 against the Dallas Stars . The whole world's attention is on star goaltender Connor Hellebuyck . The issue remains that the spectacular home showings are now shadowed by poor performances on the road that threaten to crush Winnipeg's budding playoff dreams. Elimination is just moments away from happening. Hellebuyck sees himself under tremendous pressure to scrap the road shame he brings upon himself and drive the team back home to a Game 7. The challenge is huge, yet not the first one faced by the Jets' backbone in the net. Must Win on the Road if Hellebuyck Wishes to Keep the Jets' Stanley Cup Dreams Alive Connor Hellebuyck has upheld that the NHL's biggest presence is in the goaltender's world. He capped it as a two-time winner of the Vezina Trophy , also a finalist for both the Vezina and Hart Trophies this season. And his resume tells volumes. During the regular season, Hellebuyck finished first in goalies' ranking in wins, goals-against average, and save percentage. Despite all these accolades, Hellebuyck's road-away-from-home stent during the post-season seems to have developed into a different picture. Hellebuyck has suffered through some bad stretches outside of Canada Life Centre. His current nine-test streak of playoff road losses sees a save percentage far below what one would normally expect. Presently, he holds a 0-5 record in road playoff games with his goals-against average above five. These numbers are very different from his dominant presence at home, where he earned two shutouts and was almost impenetrable on the wall versus Dallas. The Game 5 shutout was a showcase for extraordinary goaltending, especially with the timely glove save early in the second period. That save gave the Jets' lineup a boost of confidence, setting the stage for a big 4-0 victory. The real challenge, however, lies in duplicating that performance in Dallas. Undaunted by his grim statistics, teammates such as captain Adam Lowry and forward Kyle Connor continue vocalizing their support. His trademark calm and no distractions approach translates to him blocking out any outside criticism and concentrating solely on his process. Also Read: New York Rangers secure future with Igor Shesterkin's deal, Callum Tung's potential signing and Gabe Perreault's arrival If one views Game 6 as just another playoff game, then one has gotten Connor Hellebuyck all wrong. Above all, if he can come through for this team and force a Game 7, that will not only rejuvenate the Winnipeg playoff run but also reestablish his legacy as a tough guy to rely on when it counts. The key for the Jets to survive now lies in their star goaltender proving he can shine under pressure, no matter what arena he finds himself in. Get IPL 2025 match schedules , squads , points table , and live scores for CSK , MI , RCB , KKR , SRH , LSG , DC , GT , PBKS , and RR . Check the latest IPL Orange Cap and Purple Cap standings.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
NHL Hart Trophy finalists: 2025 MVP contenders include goalie Connor Hellebuyck
The finalists for the Hart Trophy as the NHL's MVP to this team feature two former winners and the rare inclusion of a goaltender. Goalies usually don't win the Hart Trophy because they have their own award, the Vezina Trophy. Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck is a finalist for both awards this season after recording 47 wins, tied for second most in league history. Advertisement Edmonton Oilers center Leon Draisaitl, the league's leading goal scorer, and Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov, who led the league in points for a second consecutive season, are the other finalists. The NHL already announced finalists for the Vezina, Norris Trophy (defenseman) and Ted Lindsay Award (outstanding player in a vote by fellow players). Friday, finalists will be announced for the Masterton Trophy (perseverance), Selke Trophy (defensive forward), Jack Adams Award (coach) and Lady Byng Trophy (sportsmanship). The Hart Trophy is voted on by the Professional Hockey Writers Association. Here's a look at the three finalists (listed alphabetically): Leon Draisaitl, Edmonton Oilers Draisaitl, despite missing 11 games, led the league with 52 goals. He set a single-season NHL record with six overtime goals, shared first place in game-winning goals (11) and multi-goal performances (10), ranked second in even-strength goals (36), and tied for second in power-play goals (16). He won the award in 2020. Connor Hellebuyck, Winnipeg Jets Hellebuyck led the NHL with 47 victories, one behind the league record. His nine-win edge over No. 2 Andrei Vasilevskiy was the largest gap since 1990-91. Hellebuyck gave up two or fewer goals in 40 of 63 appearances. He led the league (minimum 25 games played) in goals-against average (2.00) and shutouts (eight), was second in save percentage (.925) and starts (62) and ranked fourth in saves (1,539) and high-danger save percentage ( .845). He's the first goaltender finalist since Igor Shesterkin in 2021-22 and is looking to become the fourth netminder in the expansion era to win, following Dominik Hasek (twice), Jose Theodore and Carey Price. Nikita Kucherov, RW, Tampa Bay Lightning Kucherov second 121 points, 31 more than closest teammate Brandon Hagel, to capture his second consecutive and third overall Art Ross Trophy as points leader. He finished first in points per game (1.55), power-play assists (38) and power-play points (46) and third in even-strength points (75). He won the award in 2019 and is the only Hart finalist who's also a finalist for this season's Ted Lindsay Award. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Hart Trophy finalists: NHL MVP contenders include goalie Hellebuyck
Forbes
14-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Los Angeles Kings Add Cup-Winning Experience With New GM Ken Holland
From foe to friend: the Los Angeles Kings have hired Ken Holland as their new general manager. Holland spent five seasons at the helm of the Edmonton Oilers from 2019-24, as the team's president and general manager. He oversaw the construction of the roster that ended the Kings' playoff hopes in the first round in 2022, 2023 and 2024 before ceding the reins to Stan Bowman. This year, Holland served as a consultant for the NHL's hockey operations department and despite a strong regular season and securing home-ice advantage for Round 1, the Kings fell to the Oilers for a fourth-straight year. Los Angeles hasn't won a playoff series since winning the Stanley Cup in 2014. So when the dust settled, the team and general manager Rob Blake agreed to part ways on May 6. A Hockey Hall of Fame member and former Kings captain, Blake joined the Los Angeles management team in 2013. In 2017, he added the general manager title to his role as vice president of hockey operations. When Holland signed on with the Oilers in 2019, it was widely assumed that his five-year contract would take him to retirement. He was 68 when the deal concluded, and had a long resume that also included 36 years in the Detroit Red Wings organization, where he won four Stanley Cups. But perhaps the way he left the Red Wings should have been a hint that he still isn't quite ready to sit on the sidelines. When Steve Yzerman signed on as Detroit's general manager and bumped Holland up to a senior VP role in the summer of 2019, it took him just 18 days to secure the GM position in Edmonton. By comparison, this latest hiring was leisurely. But Holland sent up a signal that he might be looking to get back into the game when he spoke to Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff at the NHL's board of governors' meetings in December, while working with NHL hockey operations. 'I'm not sure if I enjoy a stress-free existence,' he confessed. The stress should be available in abundance in Los Angeles, where the Kings have a talented roster that hasn't been able to re-capture the magic of its two Cup runs in 2012 and 2014. As the lone holdovers from those Cup years, captain Anze Kopitar remains a two-way force at age 37 and is under contract for one more year, while defenseman Drew Doughty came back strong from a pre-season ankle injury at age 35. He's signed for two more seasons. Behind them, Phillip Danault provides reliable center depth and 22-year-old Quinton Byfield is establishing himself as a star at the position. On the wings, the Kings get scoring from Adrian Kempe, Kevin Fiala, Warren Foegele and Alex Laferriere while Mikey Anderson and Brandt Clarke lead the next wave of defensemen. In net, Darcy Kuemper was named a Vezina trophy finalist in his first year back with Los Angeles following an off-season trade. PuckPedia shows the team with 19 of 23 roster spots filled for the 2025-26 season, and more than $23 million in cap space. Laferriere is a restricted free agent without arbitration rights, and a handful of players are approaching unrestricted free agency: forwards Andrei Kuzmenko and Tanner Jeannot, defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov and goalie David Rittich. In January, Scott Wheeler of The Athletic ranked the Kings' prospect pool 26th out of 32 NHL teams. Their most intriguing prospects are a pair of teenage goaltenders who are currently understudying with their national teams at the 2025 IIHF world championship: Frozen Four winner Hampton Slukynsky of Western Michigan university with Team USA and Carter George with Team Canada. At 24, Erik Portillo earned a win in his first NHL start last November. He should get the opportunity to compete for a roster spot with the big club this fall. In hockey circles, Holland's reputation is somewhat mixed. In Detroit, he was renowned for finding value in the late rounds of the draft, most notably Pavel Datsyuk (sixth round, 171st overall, 1998), Vladimir Konstantinov (11th round, 221st overall, 1989) and Henrik Zetterberg (11th round, 220th overall, 1999). Along with guiding the Red Wings to championships in 1997 as an assistant general manager) and then in 1998, 2002 and 2008 as GM, he also oversaw the team's streak of 25 consecutive playoff appearances from 1991 to 2016. But he left the cupboards quite bare upon his departure, and the Wings have now gone nine years without any post-season action. When Holland joined the Oilers, the team boasted two of the top talents in the league in Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, but had missed the playoffs in 12 of the previous 13 seasons. They made the playoffs in all five years under his watch and made steady progress, eventually reaching Game 7 of the 2024 Stanley Cup final before falling to the Florida Panthers. Inevitably, there were some blunders along the way. The Oilers bought out the final three seasons of the five-year $25-million contract that Holland bequeathed on goaltender Jack Campbell in 2022. Also, his win-now focus on acquiring veterans for Edmonton's Cup push left the team tight to the salary cap and vulnerable when St. Louis Blues GM Doug Armstrong signed promising young players Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway to dual offer sheets last August. Holland was also believed to be in consideration for the New York Islanders' vacant GM position, after the team announced last month that Lou Lamoriello would not be back in that position. Ken Holland will meet the media in Los Angeles for the first time on Thursday at 11:30 a.m. PT.
