When does the 2024 Stanley Cup Final start? How to watch Panthers, Oilers battle for NHL title



It’s down to two.

What started as a field of 16 is survived by the Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers, who will battle it out in the Stanley Cup Final for one of sports’ most prestigious trophies.

The Oilers clinched their spot in the final round with a 2-1 victory over the Dallas Stars in Game 6 on Sunday, the latest step in a thrilling postseason run. Edmonton entered the playoffs as the No. 5 seed in the Western Conference following a 49-27-6 regular season.

The Panthers reach the finals as a battle-tested team who posted a 52-24-6 record in the regular season and defeated the Presidents’ Trophy-winning New York Rangers in six games in the Eastern Conference final.

When does the Stanley Cup Final start?

  • Game 1: June 8 at 8 p.m. ET
  • Game 2: June 10 at 8 p.m. ET
  • Game 3: June 13 at 8 p.m. ET
  • Game 4: June 15 at 8 p.m. ET
  • Game 5: June 18 at 8 p.m. ET (if necessary)
  • Game 6: June 21 at 8 p.m. ET (if necessary)
  • Game 7: June 24 at 8 p.m. ET (if necessary)

How to watch

Stanley Cup Final games will be broadcast on ABC/ESPN+ in the U.S. and Sportsnet/CBC in Canada.

A potential late finish

There is a possibility that this year’s Cup Final could end late in June, with Game 7 slated for Monday, June 24, if necessary. The NHL Draft in Las Vegas is scheduled for Friday, June 28 later that week.

How each team got here

The Oilers entered the playoffs with a 49-27-6 record, second in the Pacific Division. They beat the Los Angeles Kings in five games, before defeating the Vancouver Canucks in seven games. In the Western Conference final against the Stars, the Oilers rattled off three straight wins to take the series in six games.

The Panthers won the Atlantic Division with a 52-24-6 record. Last year’s Stanley Cup Final participants knocked off the Tampa Bay Lightning in five games, the Boston Bruins in six games before conquering the New York Rangers in the Eastern Conference final in six games.

What’s at stake

For the Oilers, this is their first Stanley Cup Final appearance since 2006. A Stanley Cup would be Edmonton’s sixth in franchise history.

The Panthers are searching for the franchise’s first ever Stanley Cup win. Last season, Florida made the Stanley Cup Final before losing to the Vegas Golden Knights in five games.

Season series recap

The Panthers won both of their games against the Oilers this season, first winning 5-3 on Nov. 20 and then later scoring five goals again on Dec. 16 in a 5-1 drubbing.

Key storylines

A Canadian team hasn’t won a Stanley Cup since 1993 (the Montreal Canadiens). Several Canadian teams advanced to the Stanley Cup Final since 1993: the Calgary Flames (2004), the Oilers (2006), the Vancouver Canucks (2011) and the Canadiens (2021). All four of them lost in the final series.

Another major storyline is Connor McDavid. The No. 1 pick in the 2015 NHL Draft, McDavid won several individual awards, including the Hart Trophy three times, the Art Ross Trophy five times and the Ted Lindsay Award four times. The one item missing from his illustrious resume is a Stanley Cup.

For Florida, a Stanley Cup would be the franchise’s first. The Panthers reached the finals in 2023 for the second time in team history and a title in 2024 would be a sweet ending for an organization that has notched winning seasons in nine of the past 10 years.

Before 2014-15, Florida only tallied more than 35 points in a season six times in team history.

Required reading

(Photo: Patrick Smith / Getty Images)



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