Oilers in must-win mode tonight as Panthers aim to claim Stanley Cup at home
Hockey fans in Sunrise are preparing for a trophy-hoisting party inside Amerant Bank Arena tonight as the Florida Panthers aim to wrap up the Stanley Cup final series against the Edmonton Oilers.
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The defending champion Panthers grabbed a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven championship after whipping the Oilers 5-2 on Saturday in Edmonton.
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Three of the first four games were decided in overtime, but the Panthers crushed the Oilers 6-1 in Game 3 in Sunrise.
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The Panthers, who beat the Oilers in seven games last year to win their first Stanley Cup, are looking to become just the third team to go back-to-back since the NHL's salary cap era began in 2005.
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History and oddsmakers are not favouring the Oilers to bounce back. Only eight of the 44 teams to fall behind 3-2 in the final have gone on to win. Boston was the last to do it in 2011 against Vancouver, extending Canada's Cup drought that goes back to 1993.
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Edmonton will need a much better start to make sure hockey's holy grail gets put back in its case and loaded onto a plane for a potential Game 7 in the Alberta capital on Friday.
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Calgary Herald
2 hours ago
- Calgary Herald
Clock ticking on Ottawa Senators to sign alternate captain Claude Giroux
The clock is ticking on Claude Giroux and the Ottawa Senators. Article content Ten days to the opening of National Hockey League free agency, and the veteran winger remains unsigned. That doesn't mean it won't happen, but curiously the Senators haven't yet agreed to a deal with the 37-year-old forward. Article content Article content Talks have been held regularly, and sources say the Senators remain 'hopeful' that Giroux will be back next season. He signed with Ottawa in 2022 to help get the club back into the Stanley Cup playoffs, which it did in 2025, and there are better days ahead. Article content Article content Dave Poulin, the Senators' senior vice-president of hockey operations, told season-ticket holders at a summit earlier this month at the Canadian Tire Centre that the Senators wanted to keep Giroux. Article content Article content 'He's a huge part of our hockey team, and he's brought so much to the community,' Poulin said. 'We love Claude Giroux as an Ottawa Senator, and he loves being an Ottawa Senator. Negotiations continue. That's all I have.' Article content Steve Staios, the team's president of hockey operations and general manager, made similar remarks. Article content With free agency approaching, it may be time to show genuine affection in negotiations with Giroux. The closer this gets to July 1, the more danger there is that he'll head to the open market, and one executive has told Postmedia that the Montreal Canadiens could show interest. Article content Because the Senators want Giroux back and he wants to return, that's one hurdle cleared. Article content Article content Now they must work out the details, which is expected to be a one-year contract. Article content Article content The belief in NHL circles is that Giroux's camp is likely using the $4 million that Ottawa winger David Perron will make in the final year of his deal as a comparable. That makes sense: Giroux finished with 15 goals and 35 assists for 50 points in 81 games last season. Article content Postmedia has spoken with several league executives in recent weeks, and they agreed that Giroux's next deal should have a base salary in the $3-million U.S. range plus achievable bonuses that could allow him to make between $4.5 million and $5 million. Article content Though a report by Hockey Night in Canada's Elliotte Friedman said the two sides were trying to come up with a 'bonus structure,' Postmedia has been told they've yet to agree on the amount of the base salary.
Vancouver Sun
2 hours ago
- Vancouver Sun
Clock ticking on Ottawa Senators to sign alternate captain Claude Giroux
The clock is ticking on Claude Giroux and the Ottawa Senators. Ten days to the opening of National Hockey League free agency, and the veteran winger remains unsigned. That doesn't mean it won't happen, but curiously the Senators haven't yet agreed to a deal with the 37-year-old forward. Talks have been held regularly, and sources say the Senators remain 'hopeful' that Giroux will be back next season. He signed with Ottawa in 2022 to help get the club back into the Stanley Cup playoffs, which it did in 2025, and there are better days ahead. Dave Poulin, the Senators' senior vice-president of hockey operations, told season-ticket holders at a summit earlier this month at the Canadian Tire Centre that the Senators wanted to keep Giroux. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. 'He's a huge part of our hockey team, and he's brought so much to the community,' Poulin said. 'We love Claude Giroux as an Ottawa Senator, and he loves being an Ottawa Senator. Negotiations continue. That's all I have.' Steve Staios, the team's president of hockey operations and general manager, made similar remarks. With free agency approaching, it may be time to show genuine affection in negotiations with Giroux. The closer this gets to July 1, the more danger there is that he'll head to the open market, and one executive has told Postmedia that the Montreal Canadiens could show interest. Because the Senators want Giroux back and he wants to return, that's one hurdle cleared. Now they must work out the details, which is expected to be a one-year contract. The belief in NHL circles is that Giroux's camp is likely using the $4 million that Ottawa winger David Perron will make in the final year of his deal as a comparable. That makes sense: Giroux finished with 15 goals and 35 assists for 50 points in 81 games last season. Postmedia has spoken with several league executives in recent weeks, and they agreed that Giroux's next deal should have a base salary in the $3-million U.S. range plus achievable bonuses that could allow him to make between $4.5 million and $5 million. Though a report by Hockey Night in Canada's Elliotte Friedman said the two sides were trying to come up with a 'bonus structure,' Postmedia has been told they've yet to agree on the amount of the base salary. The Senators have $10.75 million in salary-cap space with 17 of the 23 players on the active roster signed, and team officials have stated it won't spend to the cap. The club has to be careful with incentives for Giroux because, if his bonuses put the Senators over the cap, the hit will fall to next season. Are bonuses for games played, like the ones that Jonathan Toews received from the Winnipeg Jets, necessary in this contract? League executives are surprised a deal isn't done because Giroux has been an alternate captain for the Senators, but remain doubtful that he will get to market. 'I think they'll come to an agreement,' one league executive said Saturday. Senators owner Michael Andlauer participated in a face-to-face meeting with Giroux's Los Angeles-based agent, Pat Brisson, at the NHL Combine in Buffalo earlier this month. Brisson also negotiated Toews' deal with the Jets. There is no question Giroux has been one of the best free agent signings ever by the Senators, but we get the sense his camp is frustrated that another contract hasn't been completed yet. Giroux signed here three years ago because he wanted to come home and be part of the solution for the Senators. His wife, Ryanne, and the couple's three children are comfortable here, too. In 245 regular-season games as a Senator, Giroux has contributed 71 goals and 122 assists for 193 points. The only game he missed in three seasons was down the stretch this year while being rested. Averaging more than 19 minutes of ice time last season, Giroux also ranked among the best faceoff men in the NHL at 61.5 per cent. He was mostly used on the top two lines, but also saw time on the power-play and penalty-killing units. Staios has prioritized getting restricted free agents Tyler Kleven, Nikolas Matinpalo and Fabian Zetterlund under contract since the Senators were eliminated from the playoffs on May 1. Matinpalo signed a two-year deal at $875,000 a year, Kleven agreed to a two-year deal at $1.675 million per season, and Zetterlund signed for a whopping $4.275 million per year for three years. The Senators are also trying to get goaltender Leevi Merilainen signed to a new deal to be the backup to Linus Ullmark next season. Negotiations are also taking place with wingers Nick Cousins and Matthew Highmore. Zetterlund's signing cements him as a top-six forward. That means that Giroux's role will change, and his ice time will diminish, but he's still a valuable asset on the power play, penalty kill and in the faceoff circle. We believe this deal will get across the finish line, but we're heading to the final hours here. bgarrioch@
Ottawa Citizen
2 hours ago
- Ottawa Citizen
Clock ticking on Ottawa Senators to sign alternate captain Claude Giroux
The clock is ticking on Claude Giroux and the Ottawa Senators. Article content Ten days to the opening of National Hockey League free agency, and the veteran winger remains unsigned. That doesn't mean it won't happen, but curiously the Senators haven't yet agreed to a deal with the 37-year-old forward. Article content Article content Talks have been held regularly, and sources say the Senators remain 'hopeful' that Giroux will be back next season. He signed with Ottawa in 2022 to help get the club back into the Stanley Cup playoffs, which it did in 2025, and there are better days ahead. Article content Article content Dave Poulin, the Senators' senior vice-president of hockey operations, told season-ticket holders at a summit earlier this month at the Canadian Tire Centre that the Senators wanted to keep Giroux. Article content Article content 'He's a huge part of our hockey team, and he's brought so much to the community,' Poulin said. 'We love Claude Giroux as an Ottawa Senator, and he loves being an Ottawa Senator. Negotiations continue. That's all I have.' Article content Steve Staios, the team's president of hockey operations and general manager, made similar remarks. Article content With free agency approaching, it may be time to show genuine affection in negotiations with Giroux. The closer this gets to July 1, the more danger there is that he'll head to the open market, and one executive has told Postmedia that the Montreal Canadiens could show interest. Article content Because the Senators want Giroux back and he wants to return, that's one hurdle cleared. Article content Article content Now they must work out the details, which is expected to be a one-year contract. Article content Article content The belief in NHL circles is that Giroux's camp is likely using the $4 million that Ottawa winger David Perron will make in the final year of his deal as a comparable. That makes sense: Giroux finished with 15 goals and 35 assists for 50 points in 81 games last season. Article content Postmedia has spoken with several league executives in recent weeks, and they agreed that Giroux's next deal should have a base salary in the $3-million U.S. range plus achievable bonuses that could allow him to make between $4.5 million and $5 million. Article content Though a report by Hockey Night in Canada's Elliotte Friedman said the two sides were trying to come up with a 'bonus structure,' Postmedia has been told they've yet to agree on the amount of the base salary.
