Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports
The Stanley Cup final between the Florida Panthers and the Edmonton Oilers kicks off tonight, pitting the two titans of the league against each other to decide whether the cup will head north or south of the border. Within this matchup though, there are three interesting storylines to be found ranging from a past coaching connection to foreign support for one of the squads. Let’s break them down:
Maurice and Knoblauch Coaching Connection
Florida Panthers coach Paul Maurice and Edmonton Oilers’ coach Kris Knoblauch crossed paths years ago in Winnipeg. It may have been Maurice’s parting advice — and later ignoring it — which led to meeting again in Florida.
While coaching the Jets, Maurice sought a new assistant coach in 2016. Of the 17 individuals he interviewed, one was a junior coach out of Erie, Penn. — Knoblauch.
On Tuesday, Knoblauch told his side of the story.
Friday, Maurice shared his.
“I remember that,” Maurice said. “He was a young guy at the time. You sit down, and 10 minutes in and you’re going, ‘this guy is a head coach.’ He’s just wired for it — very clear, very concise. He was very open with what he did and what he wanted to do. I didn’t hire him because I didn’t want that for him.”
Maurice said he saw himself in the then-38-year-old, a young coach who did not play in the NHL and was an outsider. The Panthers coach remembered feeling “unprepared” as a 28-year-old NHL coach and wishing having more experience in the top role before taking it on.
“I went through what he was going through,” Maurice said.
He felt Knoblauch’s trajectory would be better served by remaining a head coach. Being an assistant in Winnipeg would not have even afforded the now-Oilers bench boss an opportunity to succeed the veteran Maurice.
Paul Maurice explains that he didn’t hire Kris Knoblauch as an assistant because he believed Knoblauch was better suited to stay as a head coach. pic.twitter.com/gOAm4T5Zqj
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) June 7, 2024
Even when Knoblauch called for advice about another NHL opportunity with the Philadelphia Flyers, Maurice doubled down: “I told him, ‘If I’m you, ply your craft. You’re a head coach. You’re not an assistant… You will get your chance.'”
Knoblauch spent two seasons with the Flyers, eventually moving into a head coaching role with the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack before finally landing in Edmonton.
“He’s smarter than me,” Maurice added. “He took the job, and now he’s here.”
After 1,979 combined regular season and playoff games, Maurice is vying for his first Stanley Cup. Knoblauch is just 87 into his career with Edmonton. So, for now, the mentorship and advice is on hold.
“I’m 30 years into this thing,” Maurice said. “I wouldn’t mind winning one.”
Let’s Go Pantterit
In the past, the nation of Finland leaned toward cheering for the Oilers with former stars Jari Kurri and Esa Tikkanen on the ice. Not these days.
The Panthers roster sports four Finns — superstar captain Aleksander Barkov, forwards Anton Lundell and Eetu Luostarinen, and defenseman Niko Mikkola. The Oilers have none.
“It’s huge,” Lundell said. “I think the whole country is behind our side, and they’re cheering for us. There are no Finns in Edmonton, so I think that’s one more reason why they want to cheer us on.”
With all Stanley Cup final games taking place at 8 p.m. ET — seven hours behind Helsinki — fans will be tuning in at 3 a.m. to watch the “Pantterit” battle for their first Stanley Cup.
“A lot of friends are watching the games and coming up with this journey with us,” Luostarinen said. “They’re really excited and can’t wait to get this thing started here.”
Both Lundell and Luostarinen say their phones have been flooded with messages from home.
“I like good luck texts,” Lundell said. “It’s been awesome so far.”
Win or lose, the Panthers are sure to receive a hero’s welcome when the team plays the Dallas Stars at Nokia Arena in Tampere in November 2024.
Forsling Rising
In January 2021, the Florida Panthers took a chance on Gustav Forsling. Now he’ll be deployed in the key role of shutting down the likes of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl in a Stanley Cup final.
Dropped on the waiver wire by the Carolina Hurricanes, Forsling had made an impression on coach Joel Quenneville during their time in Chicago. Then-GM Dale Tallon picked up the swift-staking defenseman in arguably one of the team’s best pickups.
And it’s been quite the stretch for Forsling since landing in Florida, especially in the past year. In addition to rising to the role of a top-pairing defender, he signed an eight-year, $46-million deal in March. The contract includes a six-year no-movement clause.
Get to know Gustav Forsling, whose NHL journey took him to three clubs before he joined the @FlaPanthers where he now embarks on a second straight #StanleyCup Final appearance. The 27-year-old defenseman is the focus of our latest #NHLStats Player Spotlight. pic.twitter.com/xzNfpvlaJs
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) June 6, 2024
Forsling says the success or attention hasn’t distracted him.
“I try to just stay out of Twitter — or X, as it’s called now,” Forsling joked. “I try to stay out of that. I don’t feel any different to be honest.
“It’s so hard to get here,” Forsling added. “We know that, and we don’t take this for granted, and we’re going to take your chance and do the best out of it.”
Related: An Up-to-Par Evander Kane Should Play Crucial Role for Oilers in the Stanley Cup Final
Related: Beat the Traffic: Edmonton Oilers Have an Extra Challenge in Florida
Related: Corey Perry Keeps Getting to the Stanley Cup Final – What’s the Secret?
News Summary:
- Panthers' Maurice Sees Himself in Oilers' Knoblauch, Finland Stands With Florida and Forsling Aims to Shine
- Check all news and articles from the latest NHL updates.