Pressure is a privilege — and the Edmonton Oilers are not taking their chance to hoist the Stanley Cup for granted.
Centre Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, who the Oilers drafted No. 1 in 2011, remembers the adversity the franchise faced when he entered the NHL.
“It’s rare for it to all just go well through your entire career,” Nugent-Hopkins told reporters Saturday ahead of Game 1 in Florida. “I went through that at the start of the career and then had some really good years, where we really had a belief in the team.
“We’ve — especially this core group — always believed that we’ve had it in us to get to this point. Obviously, it’s a long road and difficult to do, so we’re excited to be here.”
The championship series between Edmonton and the Florida Panthers starts Saturday evening. The Panthers are looking to rectify last season’s title loss and win their first Stanley Cup, while the Oilers are trying to earn their first since 1990.
The Oilers last made the Stanley Cup final in 2006, pushing the Carolina Hurricanes to seven games. Then, the club missed the playoffs in 12 of the 13 following seasons, before becoming a regular playoff contender in recent years.
“It’s kind of tough to put into words what the experience is like, but you just have to take it in every day and enjoy it,” Oilers forward Ryan McLeod said Saturday.
“You don’t get these opportunities all the time. We know how grateful we are to be here, so [we’re] just putting our best foot forward.”
For most of the roster, this series is a first: only five Oilers players have played in a Stanley Cup final before.
Stanley Cup fever has descended on Florida.
Game 1 of the Stanley Cup final is set for Saturday between the Edmonton Oilers and the Florida Panthers.
This is the furthest distance between the opposing teams in the final in cup history.
But Edmonton Oilers fans are willing to go the distance for their team.
Among them is defenceman Mattias Ekholm. He suited up for the Nashville Predators in 2017, ultimately losing to the Pittsburgh Penguins in six games.
The veteran isn’t taking his second trip to the final for granted.
“I wouldn’t say I have any regrets with the ’17 final, but at the same time, you’re trying to make everything out of this one because you never know if it’s your last one — and I’m not getting any younger,” Ekholm said Saturday.
“At the end of the night, you never know who’s going to come out winning out of those games. But 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.”
Puck drop for Game 1 is 6 p.m. MT on Saturday.