The Stanley Cup Final has finally arrived, and for Calgary Flames fans, it is a nightmarish matchup. It will be the Edmonton Oilers taking on the Florida Panthers, two teams which are not all liked in Calgary.
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Both teams are disliked in Calgary for separate reasons. They both have ties to the Flames, however, as there are a total of five players in this series who once dawned the Flaming ‘C’. Here is a look at all five who are hoping to hoist the Stanley Cup later this month.
Edmonton Oilers
Derek Ryan
Derek Ryan has been in and out of the lineup for the Oilers on this year’s run, suiting up for 14 of their 18 playoff outings. Much like his time in Calgary, he is relied upon mostly in a fourth-line role, but does tremendous work on the penalty kill. That has been a huge part of the Oilers’ success, as they haven’t allowed a power-play goal in two of their three series.
Before joining the Oilers as a free agent in 2021, Ryan spent three seasons with the Flames, registering 25 goals and 80 points in 192 games. He has yet to win a Stanley Cup in his career, and at 37 years old, this will be one of his final opportunities to do so.
Brett Kulak
Brett Kulak began his NHL career with the Flames after being selected in the fourth round (105 overall) in the 2012 Draft. After spending some time in the minors, he made his Flames debut during the 2014-15 season, and wound up playing 101 games with the organization.
Kulak has become a huge part of the Oilers’ back end over the past two and a half seasons. His great skating ability always allows him to be in great position when opposing teams are rushing into the offensive zone, while he also has better offensive instincts than credited for. In 18 playoff games, he has a goal and four helpers.
Florida Panthers
Matthew Tkachuk
There is no question that the most notable Flames alum in this series is Matthew Tkachuk. The 26-year-old was selected sixth overall in the 2016 Draft by the Flames, and almost immediately became a cornerstone piece of the franchise. While many hoped he would spend his entire career in Calgary, he wound up forcing his way out of town following the 2021-22 season.
Tkachuk has been a member of the Panthers ever since, and has had great success so far. He’s helped lead them to the Stanley Cup Final in each of his two seasons since the trade, though they will be looking for better results this time around. As bitter as many Flames fans remain over his departure, they are choosing to support him over their bitter rival Oilers.
Sam Bennett
Another somewhat polarizing player amongst Flames fans is Sam Bennett. The now 27-year-old was viewed as a potential saviour of the franchise when he was selected fourth overall in 2014, but things never went as planned. He struggled to find his offensive game through parts of six seasons with the Flames and eventually requested a trade during the 2020-21 season.
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The Flames wound up moving Bennett to the Panthers that same season. The move has worked out great for Bennett, as he has not only improved his numbers tremendously, but has established himself as one of the most physical presences in the NHL.
Ryan Lomberg
You’d be forgiven if you forgot, or perhaps didn’t even know, that Ryan Lomberg was part of the Flames organization. The 29-year-old signed in Calgary as an undrafted free agent ahead of the 2015-16 season, and spent the next few years in the minors before suiting up for seven NHL games in 2017-18. He would log another four games with the Flames in 2018-19, but chose instead to sign with the Panthers the following summer.
Much like Bennett, joining the Panthers has greatly benefitted Lomberg’s career, as he has become a regular in the lineup ever since. While he doesn’t provide a lot of offence, he is a hound on the forecheck, and will be a serious pain for Oilers’ defencemen each and every time he is on the ice.
Long Break Has Added Excitement
These two teams have been off for some time, with the Panthers having wrapped up their series last Saturday and the Oilers the day following. As much as hockey fans would have liked things to get started right away, the long break has only helped further excitement into what figures to be a great matchup between two of the league’s best.
