Mark Madden: Connor McDavid can cement legacy if he completes historic Oilers comeback
It’s squeaky bum time in Sunrise, Fla. It’s not just the humidity. The Edmonton Oilers fulfilled captain Connor McDavid’s wish to “drag them back to Alberta,” “them” being the Florida Panthers. Florida led the Stanley Cup Final three games to none and appeared ready to flick the Oilers aside and...
Connor McDavid, Oilers drag Panthers back to Edmonton for a Stanley Cup Final Game 6
Connor McDavid wanted the Edmonton Oilers to drag the Florida Panthers back to Alberta, then he did everything in his power to make that happen. McDavid scored twice, including the empty-netter to seal it, and set up two goals to keep the Stanley Cup Final going with a 5-3 victory...
Hurricanes take interim tag off Tulsky as general manager after Waddell’s departure
The Carolina Hurricanes are sticking with Eric Tulsky as their general manager. The Hurricanes said Tuesday they have taken the interim tag off and officially promoted Tulsky to GM, a move that followed Don Waddell stepping down May 24 and later taking over the front office for the Columbus Blue...
Connor McDavid led the Oilers to the Stanley Cup Final. They need even more from him to stay aliveVideo
Connor McDavid led the Edmonton Oilers out of a horrendous start, all the way to the playoffs and into the Stanley Cup Final. When Darnell Nurse was being criticized in the third round for his struggles, McDavid jumped to his defense. When Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Bennett and the Florida Panthers...
Columbus Blue Jackets fire coach Pascal Vincent after one terrible, injury plagued seasonVideo
COLUMBUS — The Columbus Blue Jackets on Monday fired coach Pascal Vincent after one season in which they were one of the NHL’s worst teams. New general manager Don Waddell announced the firing and said the search for a new coach would begin immediately. The Blue Jackets finished last in...
Panthers ready for their 2nd chance at clinching Cup, while Oilers seeking to force Game 6Video
SUNRISE, Fla. — Paul Maurice made the short trip from his home to the Florida Panthers’ practice facility Monday morning in a pretty good mood and rightly so. The sunshine was bright, the temperature was warm and his team was one win away from winning the Stanley Cup. That’s the...
Panthers hope to rebound from blowout loss, returning home on the verge of winning the Stanley Cup
EDMONTON, Alberta — There was lots of chatter at the Florida Panthers’ breakfast the morning after the Edmonton Oilers blew them out 8-1 in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final to send the series back across North America. As lopsided as that loss was in their first chance to...
Tkachuk-McDavid post-whistle scrum is ‘classic playoff hockey’ in the Stanley Cup Final
EDMONTON, Alberta — Tensions between the Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers boiled over midway through Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final on Saturday night, with a post-whistle scrum featuring two of the most important players in the series. Florida’s Matthew Tkachuk put Edmonton’s Connor McDavid in a headlock and...
Oilers stave off elimination with blowout of Panthers in Game 5 of Stanley Cup Final
EDMONTON, Alberta — Connor McDavid scored, “La Bamba” played in the Edmonton Oilers locker room, and the Stanley Cup Final is heading back to Florida after a statement win. McDavid scored his first goal of the series as part of a four-point performance, Stuart Skinner was spectacular in making 32...
Former Stanley Cup champion Vladimir Tarasenko playing key role for Florida
EDMONTON, Alberta — Minutes after winning Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final to move to the verge of a second championship in six years, Vladimir Tarasenko had no interest in revisiting the events that occurred on the ice. “The game is over,” he said. “There is no need to...
Florida Panthers are calm and businesslike on the verge of winning the Stanley Cup in a sweepVideo
EDMONTON, Alberta — One win away from a championship, the Florida Panthers seem to be treating Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final like Game 44 of the regular season. “Our whole mindset right now is recovering and getting prepared for the next game,” forward Sam Bennett said after beating...
Barkov, Bobrovsky and the Panthers beat Oilers 4-3 in Game 3 to move within win of Stanley Cup titleVideo
EDMONTON, Alberta — Aleksander Barkov led the way offensively, Sergei Bobrovsky was in peak form in goal again and the Florida Panthers are on the verge of lifting the Stanley Cup. Barkov set up a goal and scored another, Bobrovsky made 32 saves to extend his run of dominance and...
Panthers downplay their travel delay and late arrival in Edmonton during the Stanley Cup FinalVideo
EDMONTON, Alberta — The Florida Panthers’ decision to spend more time at home and wait an extra day to travel from one corner of the continent to the other during the Stanley Cup Final became the talk of the series when their flight Wednesday got delayed by severe storms in...
Sharks hire Ryan Warsofsky as new head coach
SAN JOSE, Calif. — The San Jose Sharks promoted Ryan Warsofsky tohead coach after two years as an assistant under the recently fired David Quinn. General manager Mike Grier announced Thursday that Warsofsky will become the 11th head coach in franchise history. He will be formally introduced at a news...
Edmonton, roster chock full of Canadians eager to end Stanley Cup drought
EDMONTON, Alberta — Connor McDavid on the ice is an electrifying, must-watch sensation fit for the big screen. Off the ice, he does not think there is much “Hollywood” to him. “Just a Canadian kid,” McDavid said. A Canadian kid who has led the Edmonton Oilers to the Stanley Cup...
Leon Draisaitl avoids suspension, Aleksander Barkov could play in Stanley Cup Final Game 3
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Leon Draisaitl is eligible to play for Edmonton in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final on Thursday night after avoiding a possible suspension. Time will tell on two other key players in the series. Florida captain Aleksander Barkov’s status is the biggest question after leaving...
Panthers jump out to 2-0 lead on Oilers in Stanley Cup Final
SUNRISE, Fla. — Edmonton’s Leon Draisaitl knocked Florida’s Aleksander Barkov out of the game. The Panthers made sure they responded by landing the bigger blow. And the Stanley Cup Final took a heated turn Monday night. Evan Rodrigues had a pair of third-period goals, Niko Mikkola and Aaron Ekblad also...
Stanley Cup Final notes: Healthy Eetu Luostarinen is boon for Panthers
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — A year after a broken leg sidelined Eetu Luostarinen for the Stanley Cup Final, the flexible Finn is healthy this time around. That’s a big deal for the Florida Panthers in their pursuit of the first championship in franchise history. Luostarinen made several noticeable defensive plays...
McDavid, Draisaitl and the Oilers hope to avoid Stanley Cup Final frustration
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Leon Draisaitl is nothing if not self-aware. Before the Stanley Cup Final, the versatile Edmonton Oilers forward acknowledged he’s a good hockey player and has a special skillset that makes him that way. The day after he and Connor McDavid lost their first foray into the...
Panthers say they have to be better in Game 2 after beating Oilers in Game 1
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Up 1-0 in Round 1 against Tampa Bay, the Florida Panthers said they had to get better. Down 1-0 in Round 2 against Boston, they said it again. Up 1-0 in the Eastern Conference Final against the New York Rangers, same thing. And now, leading the...
Princeton’s Sarah Fillier is preparing for upcoming PWHL draft, where Canadian projected to go 1st
Sarah Fillier has a degree from Princeton, but she’s opting for a pro hockey career by entering the PWHL draft on Monday. The projected No. 1 pick from Canada took a moment to cherish her past six years in college. On the ice, Fillier capped a four-year college career —...
Florida’s Sergei Bobrovsky shuts out Edmonton in Stanley Cup Final opener
SUNRISE, Fla. — Sergei Bobrovsky put on a masterclass against Connor McDavid and every other player who dared shoot the puck at him, his teammates pounced when given the chance, and the Florida Panthers are off and rolling in the Stanley Cup Final. Bobrovsky was unbeatable in stopping all 32...
Montreal, Boston to host hockey’s 4 Nations Face-Off tournament
SUNRISE, Fla. — Montreal and Boston will be the host cities for the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament in February, the NHL announced Saturday along with releasing the schedule for the event. In Montreal, Canada plays Sweden on Feb. 12, the U.S. plays Finland on Feb. 13, then a doubleheader —...
Oilers-Panthers is Stanley Cup Final of teams far apart in every way
SUNRISE, Fla. — By the time he was old enough to watch NHL games growing up in Sweden, Oliver Ekman-Larsson began dreaming about playing in the Stanley Cup Final. Now he’s here, a member of the Florida Panthers in a series against the Edmonton Oilers that marks the furthest distance...
Panthers determined to make Paul Maurice a Stanley Cup champion
SUNRISE, Fla. — It was Dec. 17, 2021, and Paul Maurice truly believed he was done with coaching in the NHL. He was fourth all-time in games coached, sixth all-time in wins and thought he would be perfectly content with letting his career end right there. So, he resigned as...
