Oilers veterans not taking trip to Stanley Cup Final against Panthers for granted 

SUNRISE, Fla. -- Corey Perry and Mattias Ekholm want the Edmonton Oilers to enjoy the experience of playing in the Stanley Cup Final heading into Game 1 against the Florida Panthers at Amerant Bank Arena on Saturday (8 p.m. ET; ABC, ESPN+, SN, TVAS, CBC).

Both Perry, a forward, and Ekholm, a defenseman, know they may not get another kick at this can and want to make sure they make the most of the opportunity with the Oilers.

“Exactly, and I’ve said it everywhere I’ve been,” Perry said. “Guys have played 1,000 games in this league and have never had a chance to play a playoff game. You never know when this opportunity will come again.

“I was fortunate enough to get there in my second year in the League, and it took me 12 years to get back. And in those 12 years, my career could have been done. So, you have to relish it, have fun with it and take it all in.”

Perry is playing in his fifth Stanley Cup Final for his fifth team (Anaheim Ducks, Dallas Stars, Montreal Canadiens, Tampa Bay Lightning, Oilers), a first for any NHL player. Darryl Sydor, Martin Gelinas, Paul Coffey, Al Arbour, Ab McDonald, Larry Hillman each played in four Cup Finals with four different teams.

Perry, 39, won the Stanley Cup with Anaheim in 2007. He then played in three consecutive Cup Finals, losing with Dallas in 2020, Montreal in 2021 and Tampa Bay in 2022. He has 125 points (53 goals, 72 assists) in 209 postseason games.

“This is what you grow up wanting to do, having a chance to do, and having a crack at it a fifth time is pretty cool and pretty special,” Perry said. “It never gets old. My first time in the Stanley Cup Final, I was 22 years old, and I never thought I’d get back. I never thought I’d get the opportunity when I was bought out in Anaheim (in 2019) and going through all that. So, you don’t take anything for granted in this league.”

Ekholm, 34, is taking part in the Cup Final for the second time, losing to the Pittsburgh Penguins as a member of the Nashville Predators in 2017.

“Yeah, I’m definitely not taking it for granted at this point of my career,” Ekholm said. “I’m super happy to be back, and excited.”

Nashville lost the best-of-7 series in six games to Pittsburgh in 2017. It was the first and only time the Predators reached the Cup Final.

“I wouldn’t say I have any regrets with the ’17 Final; at the same time, you’re trying to get everything out of this one because you never know if it’s your last one and I’m not getting any younger,” Ekholm said. “I’m trying to prepare as good as I can to make sure I’m ready to go at puck drop tonight and going forward.

“At the end of the day, they have a great team too. It’s going to come down to margins so small, the bounces here and there, and that’s just something you have to live with.”

This is Edmonton’s first trip to the Cup Final since losing in seven games to the Carolina Hurricanes in 2006. The Oilers have five players with Cup Final experience in Ekholm, Perry, forwards Mattias Janmark, Adam Henrique and defenseman Brett Kulak.

“It’s hockey, and at the end of the night you never know who’s going to come out winning out of those games,” Ekholm said. “At least I’m trying to do everything I can for myself to be at the top of my game and our team to be at the top of our game.”