Tag: nhl

Were Future Stars Being Drafted in Los Angeles in the 2025 NHL Draft? Key Points from this year’s NHL Draft

Los Angeles – This past week was the anticipated 2025 NHL Draft. Sports fans, of all different sports, are nothing short of excited when draft season rolls around. The murmurs and rumblings of who will be picked first is a huge topic. 

If you follow along with the NHL, you know that the New York Islanders had the first pick in this year’s draft. The last time the Islanders had the first pick of the draft was in 2009, and they selected John Tavares who went on to become a huge franchise player for 9 years. It was no shock when the Islanders selected Matthew Schaefer to be their first pick this year. Schaefer is a phenomenal player, and at such a young age of 17, shows that skills do not need to come with age. A heart warming moment during this selection was when Schaefer put on the jersey to his new team, revealing he already had a ribbon embroidered onto the jersey for his late mother who pasted due to her battle with cancer.

Speaking of heart warming moments, there were no dry eyes in the audience when the Columbus Blue Jackets first round picks were selected. The team had Meredith Gaudreau, the widow of one of the late Gaudreau brothers Johnny, announce the picks. 10 months ago, the lives of Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau were ripped away from them, leaving holes in the teams they played for and their families’ lives. The brothers were murdered by a drunk driver while out for a bike ride the morning of their sister’s wedding. Meredith was overwhelmed by the love and support shown to her, not only by the Blue Jackets organization, but from the audience who chanted “Johnny” when she stepped onto the stage.

It was a big night for goaltenders as 2 were picked in the first round of this year’s draft. One being the 20th pick from the Columbus Blue Jackets with Pyotr Andreyanov. The other was the 30th pick from the San Jose Sharks with Joshua Ravensbergen. Goalies being chosen within the first round has been a little controversial for whatever reason, but it was the first time in 4 years that a goaltender was selected in the first round, let alone two of them. 

The rest of the draft went well with each team adding new assets to their teams to hopefully make them Stanley Cup contenders for this year’s upcoming 2025-26 season. Fans are excited to see what the offseason brings in contracts and free agencies being prominent and right around the corner. As always though, the big thought after the 2025 draft that is on each fans mind currently is if their team will be in the Stanley Cup Finals next year or not.

Who Will Win the 2025 Stanley Cup? Will There be a Repeat, or Will We See a New Winner?

Edmonton, CA – The 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs are continuing at full speed tonight with Game 5 between the Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers taking place at Rogers Place in Edmonton. With a home ice advantage, the Oilers will have to hope the cheers from their fans can keep them ahead of Florida. The series is currently tied at two games a piece, meaning fans will earn some extra hockey with at least needing a Game 6 after tonight’s matchup. 

Examining the teams in this series, you see veterans and newcomers among both teams. You see strong defense, strong goaltending, and an even stronger passion for the game. Beginning with the coaches, they each have their comparative advantages and disadvantages. Paul Maurice, the Panthers head coach, has 25 seasons of experience under his belt, working behind the bench with numerous teams. He is a well known record setter having set numerous records for number of wins and records. As for the Oilers head coach, Kris Knoblauch, he has a little less experience, but still found success. He has coached numerous teams as well, also leading them to championship victories including recently in 2023 leading the Hartford Wolf Pack to a Calder Cup win. 

Next we examine the immense talent each team has on the ice. Edmonton’s most known player, Connor “McJesus” McDavid has been with the team since he was drafted in 2015. He has contributed so much to them and has led them close to victory in recent years. He has had multiple triple digit point seasons, showing off his personal skill and how he also thrives as a team player. Of course, there are lots of opinions of him, but you cannot deny the pure talent he bleeds. Another notable Oilers player is Leon Draisaitl. He has been with the team since being drafted in 2014. Again, this player shows his talent in every game he plays, and he is a key to success for them during this series. As for the Panthers two very notable players are Sam Bennet and Matthew Tkachuk. Only being with the team for a handful of seasons each, they have proven their worth and shown they are huge assets to the team. They are not just skilled, but they have the reputation of being hard hitters and taking care of business physically. Another player to note is someone who was acquired in a trade in early March of 2025, Brad Marchand. The trade was so out of the blue as Marchand has spent his entire career, which began in 2009, with the Boston Bruins. He was a huge player for them as he had good stick handles and knows how to get the puck into the net. This trade was, however, a great win for the Panthers as so far Marchand has scored many goals and set up many great plays in his short time with the team. He has been an extremely huge key to success during this Panthers playoff run.

Finally, the goaltending, which has been nothing short of crazy for these two teams in their playoff runs. Beginning with Edmonton, they have been using Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard. Skinner has only been in the NHL for five seasons, but he has shown his talent. While he is young and still has much to learn, he has stepped his game up for the Oilers during this playoff run securing numerous shutouts and clutching up games for them. Pickard has been in the NHL much longer, but has had significantly less playing time during this playoff run for the Oilers. He has a wide variety of talent as well and that is seen when he is on the ice in the crease. As for the Panthers, they have been mainly using Sergei Bobrovsky. Bobrovsky has been in the league since 2010, and has been noticeably amazing. While he has not had the best luck winning championships until last season, that has never stopped him from playing some of the best games you can watch. When he is not making unreal saves, he is watching the game unfold in front of him.

Coming into this series you were either someone who dreaded it, or was excited for the rematch to occur. With having the reputations of two of the most disliked teams in the NHL, there was no in between for fans. Last year’s Stanley Cup Playoffs went to 7 games with the Florida Panthers taking it all for the first time in the franchise’s history. It was a historical win for the team and many of its players with it being their first Stanley Cup, such as veteran goaltender, Sergei Bobrovsky. This off season, the Edmonton Oilers look to gain their franchises’ 6th Stanley cup, while the Florida Panthers hope to gain their second, back-to-back.