* The culmination of the 2022-23 season will start in just two days with Game 1 of the 2023 Stanley Cup Final. The Golden Knights, who finished with the fifth-best record during the regular season, will welcome the Panthers, the postseason’s lowest-seeded team, to T-Mobile Arena as both franchises continue their chase for their first-ever championship.
* Matthew Tkachuk and Mark Stone are two of a few star players ready to participate in a Stanley Cup Final for the first time in their careers when the puck drops on the NHL’s championship series on TNT, TBS, truTV, Sportsnet, CBC and TVAS Sports.
* Alex Pietrangelo and Carter Verhaeghe are two of several players set to make their return to the Stanley Cup Final after having won the championship previously.
STAR PLAYERS READY FOR FIRST TRIP TO THE FINAL
Two days remain until the 2023 Stanley Cup Final, which pits Mark Stone and Jack Eichel against Matthew Tkachuk, Sergei Bobrovsky and Aleksander Barkov as a collection of NHL stars continue their championship chase and embark on their first-ever Final appearance.
* Stone, who recovered from a back injury to help the Golden Knights during their run to the 2023 Stanley Cup Final, has also helped the franchise bounce back from a 2021-22 campaign that saw the club miss the postseason for the first time in its six-year history. Vegas now has its sights set on becoming the sixth team in the NHL’s expansion era to win the Cup after failing to make the postseason the previous year – St. Louis (2019), Carolina (2006), NY Rangers (1994), Pittsburgh (1991) and Montreal (1971) all did so.
* Stone (6-9—15 in 17 GP) leads the Golden Knights, who own the highest winning percentage in the postseason in NHL history, into the Stanley Cup Final after missing each of the club’s final 39 regular-season games of 2022-23. His postseason production with Vegas includes a 24-28—52 (0.83 P/GP in 63 GP) total, a points-per-game average that paces all skaters in franchise history (min. 40 GP) and is ahead of the original “Golden Misfits” Jonathan Marchessault (30-33—63 in 83 GP; 0.76 P/GP) and Reilly Smith (16-47—63 in 83 GP; 0.76 P/GP).
* The Golden Knights captain is set to appear in the Stanley Cup Final for the first time after three failed attempts in the penultimate round of the postseason (4-3 L vs. PIT in 2017, 4-1 L vs. DAL in 2020 & 4-2 L vs. MTL in 2021). Stone, with 3-4—7 in 24 career games in the round before the Final, will become the fifth player in the past 42 years to appear in his first championship series after competing in at least 24 career contests in the penultimate round of the playoffs. The others: Denis Savard (30 GP; first Final: 1993), Dave Andreychuk (26 GP; first Final: 2004), Steve Thomas (25 GP; first Final: 2003) and Steve Larmer (25 GP; first Final: 1992).
* Eichel (6-12—18 in 17 GP) leads his team in scoring during his debut postseason and has factored on 29% of all Golden Knights goals during the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs; only Tkachuk (42%) and Carter Verhaeghe (30%) have a higher contribution among all Vegas and Florida skaters. After entering the 2023 postseason as one of eight players in NHL history to make their Stanley Cup Playoffs debut after collecting 400+ career regular-season points (also Marcel Dionne, Mario Lemieux, Dennis Maruk, Joe Sakic, Marc Savard, Olli Jokinen & Taylor Hall), Eichel is the first of the group to compete in the Final during that same postseason.
* Tkachuk has scored four game-winning goals in the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs, three of which came during the Eastern Conference Final alone. Should he net another, Tkachuk can become the 13th player in NHL history to record five or more game-winning tallies in a single postseason – Nazem Kadri (5 in 2020 w/ COL) and Jake Guentzel (5 in 2017 w/ PIT) are the only active players to do so.
* In addition to his game-winning goals, Tkachuk has played a critical role in Florida’s five-game winning streak – factoring on the decisive tally in each of its past four contests dating to Game 1 against Carolina (3-1—4). He can become the 15th different player in NHL history to factor on a game-winning goal in five or more consecutive team wins in a single postseason – Max Pacioretty (5 GP in 2021 w/ VGK), Logan Couture (5 GP in 2016 w/ SJS), Brad Richards (5 GP in 2004 w/ TBL) and Mike Leclerc (5 GP in 2003 w/ ANA) are the only players to do so in the past 20 years.
* Bobrovsky enters the Stanley Cup Final with an 11-2 record this postseason (2.21 GAA, .935 SV%, 1 SO), including seven straight road victories. He can become the 10th goaltender in the expansion era (since 1967-68) to win at least two Vezina trophies and one Stanley Cup, following Tim Thomas, Dominik Hasek, Ed Belfour, Martin Brodeur, Patrick Roy, Michel Larocque, Bernie Parent, Ken Dryden and Tony Esposito.
* Barkov, who owns the Panthers record for most playoff assists and points, holds the third-most points on the team in the 2023 postseason. Barkov (Tampere, Finland) can become the first Finnish-born player in League history to captain a Stanley Cup winner and just the fifth skater born and trained outside of North America to do so, following Gabriel Landeskog (Stockholm, Sweden; 2022 COL), Alex Ovechkin (Moscow, Russia; 2018 WSH), Zdeno Chara (Trencin, Slovakia; 2011 BOS) and Nicklas Lidstrom (Vasteras, Sweden; 2008 DET).
THEY’RE BACK AGAIN: FAMILIAR FACES EMBRACE ANOTHER FINAL APPEARANCE
Plenty of players set to compete in the 2023 Stanley Cup Final will make their return to the NHL’s championship series after coming out victorious on previous occasions:
* Alec Martinez (2OT of Game 5 in 2014) and Alex Pietrangelo (Game 7 in 2019) each have a Stanley Cup-clinching goal, with Pietrangelo’s coming against current Vegas head coach Bruce Cassidy (then w/ BOS). Vegas is one of four clubs with multiple players with a Cup-clinching goal (also COL, PIT & TBL).
* Among players to appear in at least one game during the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Pietrangelo (2019 STL), Ivan Barbashev (2019 STL), Chandler Stephenson (2018 WSH), Martinez (2012 LAK) and Eric Staal (2006 CAR) can help a second franchise win its first Stanley Cup. The last players to achieve that feat were Dustin Penner (2007 ANA & 2012 LAK) and Justin Williams (2006 CAR & 2012 LAK), teammates of Jonathan Quick – yet to play in 2023 with Vegas – and Martinez at the time.
* Carter Verhaeghe (2020 TBL) can become the eighth player in NHL history to win the Stanley Cup with multiple teams based in the same state or province. Only two players have done so in the NHL’s expansion era (since 1967-68): Greg Gilbert (1982 NYI, 1983 NYI & 1994 NYR) and Dustin Penner (2007 ANA & 2012 LAK).
* In addition to Verhaeghe, Staal (9‑19—28 in 2006 w/ CAR) has also won a Stanley Cup. At 21 years old, Staal became the second-youngest leading playoff scorer in the League’s modern era (since 1943‑44), behind only Gordie Howe in 1949 (w/ DET). He can become the first player in NHL history to go 17 or more years between Stanley Cup wins (currently 16 years by Chris Chelios: 1986 w/ MTL to 2002 w/ DET).
QUICK CLICKS
* Jack Eichel has Stanley Cup on mind in 1st playoff run with Golden Knights
* Brad Treliving hired as general manager of Maple Leafs
* Ron Francis signs to remain Kraken GM through 2026-27
*Andrew Brunette hired as coach of Predators, replaces John Hynes
* Panthers center Eric Staal talks Stanley Cup Final on ‘NHL @TheRink’ podcast
