Here’s your answer: so bad that even Edmonton air traffic controllers are out here joking with the pilots of the Florida Panthers’ charter flight, with audio that was captured and shared on social media.
The jokes: “I’ve got about a two-hour hold for you, or whatever it would take for you to be low enough on fuel that you’ll have to divert from Edmonton.”
The back-and-forth between pilots and the ATC members is kind of amusing, and there’s a Gary Bettman joke at the end there. Sit back and enjoy:
NEW: Florida Panthers pilots were jokingly told by a Canadian air traffic controller to run low on fuel so the team wouldn’t be able land in Edmonton.
Pilots from other flights join in on the conversation.
Leon Draisaitl nailed Aleksander Barkov with an elbow to the jaw in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final, and clearly, Florida Panthers coach Paul Maurice was NOT happy.
Why would he be? Even with the Panthers up 2-0 on the Edmonton Oilers, losing Barkov — who didn’t return in the contest — for any period of time would be alarming given his prowess on both ends of the ice.
So when Maurice was asked how he felt about the very questionable hit, the notoriously funny Maurice was dead serious with his answer that was … actually kind of funny: “This isn’t the Oprah Winfrey Show. My feelings don’t matter.”
Here’s that moment and the hit:
Q: "How do you feel about the hit on Barkov?" Paul Maurice:" This isn't the Oprah Winfrey show. My feelings don't matter" pic.twitter.com/mv3JGULmdl
— CJ Fogler account may or may not be notable (@cjzero) June 11, 2024
Even at 2-0… if Barkov is out for any amount of time, the Draisaitl elbow can absolutely change the complexion of this series. pic.twitter.com/iT0bFXmhEJ
— Bring Hockey Back (@BringHockeyBack) June 11, 2024
NHL fans were fuming after this knee-on-knee hit in Game 2.
The Edmonton Oilers might be without Warren Foegele for a few Stanley Cup Final games after this nasty hit.
On Monday, the Oilers took on the Florida Panthers in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final, with Edmonton looking to tie the series up before it heads back to Canada. Things were sloppy and uneven in the first period, but chaos broke out at about the midway point of the frame after Foegele landed a big hit on Panthers’ forward Eetu Luostarinen.
With the Panthers just having crossed into Oilers territory, Foegele collided with Luostarinen in the middle of the ice, causing an instant scrum. Luostarinen was down on the ice for awhile but was thankfully able to get off with some help, with Foegele delivering a clearly dangerous knee-on-knee hit.
Foegele received a five-minute major and a game misconduct for the ugly hit, earning him an ejection from the game as well. A deserved punishment, but one has to wonder if NHL Player Safety will step in to deliver a suspension on top, as knee-on-knee hits are incredibly dangerous in hockey.
NHL fans, at the very least, are clamoring for Foegele to get suspended after this really bad hit on Luostarinen.
NHL fans were calling for a suspension after Warren Foegele’s knee-on-knee hit against Eetu Luostarinen
Bad hit by Foegele. Earned the 5 and a game. Don't like the way Luostarinen's knee buckled.
These 5 celebrities all love the 2024 Stanley Cup Final-bound Florida Panthers.
With the Florida Panthers set to play once again in the 2024 Stanley Cup Final, it’s worth taking a look at the famous fans who cheer on the Panthers in their quest for Lord Stanley’s cup.
From a global pop star to a beloved comedic actor, these five Panthers supporters help represent the fandom in Hollywood and professional athletics.
As we did last year, let’s take a look at who they are and how they’re linked to the team.
There’s going to be SO much jet lag during this year’s Stanley Cup Final.
Whoever charters the planes for the Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers during this year’s Stanley Cup Final better ensure the seating is extra comfortable.
And that’s putting it lightly.
As Connor McDavid’s Oilers get set to square off against Matthew Tkachuk’s Panthers during Game 1 of the NHL’s championship round later this week, both teams will have much more to contend with than just the on-ice battle.
According to ESPN’s Ryan S. Clark, the travel distance between the city of Edmonton and the town of Sunrise, Florida (which is just north of Miami) is 2,541 miles. That is officially the longest travel distance in Stanley Cup Final history, surpassing the trek the Vancouver Canucks and Boston Bruins had to make all the back in 2011.
This year’s Stanley Cup final between the Oilers and Panthers will be the furthest between two cities in NHL history, per ESPN Stats and Information.
It’s a distance of 2,541 miles. Here’s a chart previous long-distance Cup finals: pic.twitter.com/vvilygdn60
The NHL appears to have accounted for this distance by giving the Oilers and Panthers at least three segments of three-day rest between games if the Stanley Cup Final goes seven games. Even still, traveling that far multiple times in a 2-2-1-1-1 series format is just wild to consider.
Whoever can beat jet lag best will probably hoist the Stanley Cup.
He’s basically been an All-Star since he’s come into the league, making the game for seven out of the nine years he’s played. He’s a three-time Hart Trophy winner already at just 27 years old. He’s led the league in total points and assists multiple times. There’s not much more you can say about his time in Edmonton.
Well, actually, there is one thing. He’s never won The Cup.
That’s the only thing missing — that elusive Stanley Cup. The Oilers have never even made the Finals until now during McDavid’s reign. This is the first time Edmonton has been back since 2006.
If McDavid wins this? He’ll solidify himself at 27 years old as one of the greats in the game and he’ll do it with the same franchise Gretzky put on the map.
But standing in his way are the Florida Panthers. And — let me tell you — that is not a team that budges easily. Just ask the New York Rangers.
This is a chance at redemption for Florida. Last season, after making it to the Finals, the Panthers lost 4-1 to the Golden Knights. You can’t blame them — that team was decimated by injury by the time the Finals rolled around. This year, it’s a different story. Florida is healthy and hungry.
Nobody on that side cares about McDavid’s place in NHL history. The Panthers only care about making up for lost time. And, let me tell you, they’ve been playing like the NHL owes them one all postseason long. The Panthers have been beating up opponents and fighting to get back. There was no way Florida was going to miss these Finals.
This is going to be an excellent series. Lock in. It all starts on Saturday.
Caitlin Clark has more to worry about than being bullied
Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) reacts to a call during a game between the Indiana Fever and the Chicago Sky on Saturday, June 1, 2024, at Grainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
Once again, this weekend, we got a bunch of whining from the outside about somebody being a little too physical with Caitlin Clark.
Give me a break with the copious amounts of hand-wringing here. You’d think none of these folks have watched — let alone played! — professional sports before. Rookies struggle. Sometimes, things get physical. Sometimes, players don’t like each other! It is what it is.
Clark and the Fever have much bigger problems. Both Clark and Aliyah Boston suffered minor injuries against the Liberty on Sunday. They’ll both recover. But, more importantly, Clark can’t seem to figure out how to beat WNBA defenders and the team’s offense runs through her right now.
That’s the bottom line when it comes to their problems. Figure that out and, I guarantee you, the extra stuff won’t feel half as important as everyone is making it out to be.
Straight cash, homie
(Photo by Nic Antaya/Getty Images)
Justin Jefferson is laughing straight to the bank, folks. The Minnesota Vikings wideout just signed a deal making low-level quarterback money.
Jefferson inked a four-year, $140 million deal with the Vikings that includes a $110 million guarantee. That includes $88.7 million due at the deal’s signing, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports.
This is the biggest non-QB deal in NFL history, according to Schefter, just eking out Nick Bosa’s deal with the 49ers by $1 million. He’ll be making $35 million annually.
Welp. I guess folks can cancel all of those trade talks surrounding Jefferson. He just cashed out, folks. Good on the Vikings for finally getting this done. It’s about time.
Quick hits: The greatest NBA Finals ever … An incredible baseball trick … and more
The New York Rangers and Florida Panthers Eastern Conference playoff series has gotten chippy, and now that’s included a … thrown mouthguard?
Yes, that’s right. As Rangers vet Chris Kreider had a little face-to-face with his counterpart Matthew Tkachuk, it looks like he grabbed the mouthguard out of the Panthers star’s mouth and tossed it into the crowd.
LOL! I assume Florida’s equipment manager has spares for each player, but still!
When asked about the incident after the game, Kreider said he didn’t remember that. Seems like something you’d definitely remember, but with the Rangers losing Game 4, maybe he didn’t want to talk about it.
Here’s that moment:
Chris Kreider throwing Tkachuk's mouth guard into some nachos in the lower bowl is the greatest moment of the playoffs pic.twitter.com/QmcFFeDK3z
Everyone’s buzzing about the play from Game 4 of the Florida Panthers’ playoff series against the Boston Bruins in which Sam Bennett pushed Charlie Coyle into Jeremy Swayman and somehow wasn’t called for goalie interference on a goal.
But it’s a play from Game 3 that has NHL fans buzzing about another dirty play from Bennett — it was the hit on Brad Marchand that led to the Bruins star missing Game 4. But a new angle showed that Bennett might have sucker punched him while colliding with Marchand, and Bennett had to address it after Sunday’s game.
I see a punch in the head there. Yes, it’s “playoff hockey,” but it’s not “a hockey play.” I’m shocked the NHL’s department of player safety hasn’t gotten involved … but given what we’ve seen in this series, maybe they’ll put a magnifying glass on him going forward.
David Pastrnak isn’t known as one to drop the gloves as the biggest star and goal-scorer on the Boston Bruins. But in the Game 2 loss to the Florida Panthers, he decided it was time to go after the physical forward. And in a video from the game, it looks like Pastrnak asked Bruins coach Jim Montgomery for permission to do it, and he appeared to get the nod.
At that point, the game was over, so it was largely symbolic. But still, that’s a noteworthy moment and maybe it turns things around after a 6-1 loss. Pastrnak later said he wasn’t afraid of Tkachuk.
“I’m not afraid of him. I can take a punch and I’d do anything for these guys here.” – David Pastrnak on his bout with Matthew Tkachuk. pic.twitter.com/oEjLfTTevc
The Tkachuks’ grandmother was going through it while her grandkids chirped at each other.
Matthew Tkachuk and Brady Tkachuk caused all kinds of chaos on Monday night, in a Florida Panthers and Ottawa Senators contest that included a referee handing out a 10-minute misconduct penalty to every player involved in a brawl on the ice.
That also included cameras capturing the Tkachuks jawing at each other, which is just delightful.
You know what else is delightful? Their grandmother was in the stands to watch this all go down, and cameras also captured her reactions, which are exactly how I would have reacted if I was her.
