Tag: Stanley Cup

Videos of the Panthers’ Stanley Cup parade getting rained on show the party didn’t stop

The party must go on.

Mother natured rained on the Florida Panthers’ Stanley Cup parade Sunday, but the team and its fans didn’t let a little precipitation ruin their celebration.

Videos of fans gathering for the parade along Fort Lauderdale Beach surfaced on social media, and the rain appeared to be coming down pretty hard. But it wasn’t enough to dampen a special moment after the first championship in franchise history.

If anything, it was a perfect way to cap the Florida festivities after the Cup already took a swim in the Atlantic Ocean.

What’s a little rain after you stave off a 3-0 comeback from the great Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers to clinch your first title in 30 years.

Every Stanley Cup winner in the NHL since 2000

The Stanley Cup is a prize coveted by all, but only won by a few.

Editor’s note: This story was originally published in 2022 and has been updated.

The Stanley Cup has quite the storied history over 125-plus years of hockey excellence. Not only that, it’s one of the coolest trophies in all of sports too!

That being said, it is hard to win the Stanley Cup. Even more so now in the modern NHL era with 32 teams competing every year and the salary cap limiting teams’ ability to grow.

Over the years, we’ve seen some true Cinderella runs to the Stanley Cup Final alongside some incredible hockey dynasties unfold before our very eyes. With that being said, let’s take a look back at all the NHL champions in the modern era of hockey.

The Oilers forced Game 7 in the Stanley Cup Final thanks to the undeniable energy of Shania Twain

Put Shania’s name on the Stanley Cup if Edmonton wins

Near the end of Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final, as the Oilers continued to pile up empty net goals in their 5-1 victory, the in-house DJ at Rogers Place queued up Shania Twain’s “Man! I Feel Like a Woman!” and 18,000 fans rose to their feet to sing along.

It was the second time in as many games in Edmonton that Twain’s voice helped close out an emphatic victory. Now, as the Oilers prepare for Game 7 against a Florida Panthers team that watched a 3-0 series lead combust, it’s hard to argue anyone has been as important to Edmonton’s comeback as the Canadian country star.

If La Bamba is the Oilers’ victory song, then Shania’s 1997 smash hit is their warning siren and it all started ahead of Game 4 at Rogers Place.

With Edmonton one loss away from watching the Panthers lift the Cup on their home ice, Twain showed up for a packed pregame concert that the NHL said was the largest it’s ever hosted. It sure seemed to be the perfect release for a fanbase that hadn’t exhaled in two months.

The Oilers went on to throttle Florida in Game 4 and avoid an embarrassing sweep with an 8-1 victory. Rogers Place celebrated accordingly — with more Shania.

Twain even visited the locker room after Game 4 and celebrated with the team.

That sustained the Oilers on their trip back to South Beach, where they successfully dragged the Panthers back to Edmonton with a thrilling 5-3 victory in Game 5.

Which brings us back to Friday night at Rogers Place for Game 6.

Shania didn’t perform, but her presence was in the arena as the Oilers again played the start to “Man! I Feel Like a Woman!” only for the crowd to finish off the chorus.

Her impact on the series at this point is undeniable.

Sure, the Oilers could say the reason they bounced back in the series is because Stuart Skinner turned into a brick wall while Connor McDavid went full McJesus in Games 4 and 5, but we all know the truth.

Shania saved the Oilers from a sweep. She just might be strong enough to finally bring the Cup back to Canada, too.

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Why the Oilers play ‘La Bamba’ after wins in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, explained

Play La Bamba, baby!

The Edmonton Oilers have made it to their first Stanley Cup Final since 2006 and things look — and sound — a bit different.

For some time now, the Oilers have used Ritchie Valens’ 1958 hit song “La Bamba” as their victory song. So, how did it come about? Well, it all started with Joey Moss, an Oilers superfan and long-time locker room attendant for the team who passed away in 2020. Moss, who had Down syndrome, passed away at age 57 and made a lasting impact on the Oilers franchise. According to Wayne Gretzky — yes, that Wayne Gretzky — Moss loved singing and dancing to “La Bamba” at the team’s Christmas party.

And from there, the rest is history. The Oilers adapted “La Bamba” as their win song in honor of Moss and “play La Bamba, baby!” has become a rallying cry for the Edmonton faithful these last few years. A non-traditional victory song but an epic one nonetheless!

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Panthers and Oilers announcers: Who’s calling the 2024 Stanley Cup Final on ABC?

Who’s announcing the Panthers – Oilers Stanley Cup Final on ABC?

The quest for the Stanley Cup is officially down to two teams: the Florida Panthers and the Edmonton Oilers.

It’s been a long road to get here to the Stanley Cup Final, but the series between the high-flying Panthers and Connor McDavid’s Oilers should be a treat for us all. Not only that, if the Panthers win the Stanley Cup, the title will be their first in franchise history. And if the Oilers win, it will be their first championship since 1990. Quite a lot on the line for these two teams!

But if you’re here reading this, you might be wondering whose voices you’re hearing through your TV while watching these games?

Well, you’ve come to the right place! Play-by-play for the Panthers and Oilers Stanley Cup Final will be done by Sean McDonough, with Ray Ferraro as an analyst and Emily Kaplan reporting.

That’s it! Enjoy the series!

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All-time great Wisconsin hockey player announces retirement from NHL

All-time great Wisconsin hockey player announces retirement from NHL

Former Wisconsin Badgers men’s hockey player Joe Pavelski announced that he is retiring from hockey on Tuesday after 18 seasons in the NHL. The 39-year-old and the Dallas Stars were just eliminated in the league’s West Final against the Oilers, dropping the series 4-2.

Out of high school, the Plover, Wisconsin, native was selected in the seventh round of the 2003 NHL Draft by the San Jose Sharks before he ever ended up being a Badger.

Pavelski spent three seasons in Madison as a member of Wisconsin’s men’s hockey program from 2004-2006, leading the team in overall points in their 2006 National Championship winning season.

He spent the first 13 years of his professional career with San Jose, appearing in many playoff games, including the team’s run to the Stanley Cup Final in 2016, ultimately losing to the Penguins.

Pavelski went on to join the Dallas Stars, his final team, in 2019. While with the Stars, he was able to make his back to the Stanley Cup Final in 2020, falling to the Tampa Bay Lightning.

In total, the center recorded many impressive stats over his career, most notably his 475 goals and 1,068 career points over 1,332 career NHL contests. His 74 postseason goals are the most all-time by an American-born player.

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The last time every NHL team played in the Stanley Cup Final

It’s a hard road to make it to the Stanley Cup Final.

Editor’s note: This story was originally published in 2022 and has been updated.

Only a handful of NHL teams have climbed the summit and become Stanley Cup champions. Others, meanwhile, have yet to grace a Stanley Cup Final in their lifetimes.

Getting to the Stanley Cup Final is a tough road, only getting tougher by the year now that the NHL has expanded to 32 franchises. So you might be wondering, when was the last time each of the NHL’s 32 teams played in the Stanley Cup Final?

Well, you’ve come to the right place! After taking a look at the 11 NHL franchises that have yet to win the Stanley Cup, here’s the last time every team made it to the final round of the playoffs.

Brett Howden of Vegas Golden Knights takes Stanley Cup to golf course in Canada

Hockey players seem to love golf. Stanley Cup champions love to show off the hardware.

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Hockey players do love them some golf.

Stanley Cup champions love to show off the hardware.

Brett Howden of the Vegas Golden Knights did ’em both Sunday in his hometown of Oakbank, Manitoba, about 30 minutes east of Winnipeg.

Vegas beat the Florida Panthers on June 13 to win the Cup for the first time. As is tradition, each player on the winning team gets a turn to take the Cup home, and Howden brought the Cup to his local golf course.

He had someone in his group take a picture of him teeing off with the Cup behind him on the tee box.

The best picture he took, though, was with his young son, Charlie, sitting in the bowl of the Cup.

Notre Dame players to have name on Stanley Cup

All but one played the same position…

The Tampa Bay Lightning won their second-straight Stanley Cup after shutting out Montreal 1-0 on Wednesday night.  The Lightning didn’t have any former Notre Dame players on their squad each of the last two seasons but six different former Fighting Irish players have had their names etched on the Stanley Cup over the years.

Who are they and who did they win the greatest trophy in sports with?

Here they are: