+ What?
Stanley Cup, the final series.
+ When?
The first match is played on Thursday, Swedish time.
+ The final schedule
Final 1, Thursday: Edmonton–Florida (02.00).
Final 2, Saturday: Edmonton–Florida (02.00).
Final 3, Tuesday: Florida–Edmonton (02.00).
Final 4, Friday: Florida–Edmonton (02.00).
Possible final 5, Sunday: Edmonton–Florida (02.00).
Possible final 6, Wednesday: Florida–Edmonton (02.00).
Possible final 7, Saturday: Edmonton–Florida (02.00).
All matches are broadcast on Viaplay/TV10.
+ The road to the final
Edmonton: Los Angeles (eighth-final) 4–2 in matches, Vegas (quarter) 4–1, Dallas (semi) 4–1.
Florida: Tampa Bay (eighth-final) 4–1, Toronto (quarter) 4–3, Carolina (semi) 4–1.
+ Favorite in replay
For the first time since 2008 and 2009, the same teams are making it to the Stanley Cup final in a row. Then Detroit won over Pittsburgh the first year, while Pittsburgh got its revenge the year after.
Last year, Florida won with 4–3 in matches after great drama – which no one foresaw since the Panthers had gone up to a 3–0 lead in matches. Then Edmonton won three straight before Florida finally won the seventh and decisive match.
+ Herring, strawberries, little frogs – and final drama?
If the final series goes to seven matches this year, it will be Midsummer hockey since the seventh match is played on Midsummer's Eve.
+ Can Edmonton break Canada's drought?
Unbelievable 32 years have passed since a Canadian team last won the Stanley Cup. Can superstar Connor McDavid make sure the long drought is broken? Since Montreal Canadiens won over Los Angeles Kings in 1993, Canadian teams have been in the final seven times without winning.
McDavid has never won the Stanley Cup, but scored the decisive goal when Canada won the star tournament Four Nations in February.
+ Six Swedes chasing the title
Ten years in a row, there has been Swedish representation in the team that has drawn the longest straw and won the Stanley Cup. The streak will be eleven years long this year since there are Swedes in both teams. In Edmonton, there are four Swedes in the defensive duo Mattias Ekholm (back after a long-term injury) and John Klingberg, as well as the forward duo Viktor Arvidsson and Mattias Janmark. In Florida, there are the defensive star Gustav Forsling and forward Jesper Boqvist.
Forsling was part of Florida's winning team last year.
+ The strongest players
Points:
Connor McDavid, Edmonton, 16 matches–6 goals–20 assists–26 points.
Aleksander Barkov, Florida, 17–6–11–17.
The Swedes:
Viktor Arvidsson, Edmonton, 11–1–4–5.
Jesper Boqvist, Florida, 11–2–3–5.
Goals:
Sam Bennett, Florida, 10 goals.
Leon Draisaitl and Corey Perry, Edmonton, 7.
The Swede:
Mattias Janmark, Edmonton, 3.
Goalkeepers:
Sergej Bobrovskij, Florida, 12–5 in match record, 91.2 in save percentage.
Stuart Skinner, Edmonton, 6–4, 90.4.
Calvin Pickard, Edmonton, 6–0, 88.8.
+ The last five years' final series
2024: Florida–Edmonton 4–3 in matches.
2023: Vegas–Florida 4–1.
2022: Colorado–Tampa Bay 4–2.
2021: Tampa Bay–Montreal 4–1.
2020: Tampa Bay–Dallas 4–2.
