Like every year, almost always at the same time, the playoffs have come to an end in two of the five major sports leagues.
Indeed, in both the NBA and the NHL, we’ve reached the finals, with only two teams left in each league.
So, in both basketball and hockey, a 2025 champion will be elected in the coming weeks.
What interests us now, when comparing the two leagues, is the presence of home-grown Québécois in the finals.
And in the NBA, well, it’s a truly exceptional and unexpected situation, with two Québécois, and even Montrealers, facing off in the Finals.
Luguentz Dort with the Oklahoma City Thunder and Bennedict Mathurin with the Indiana Pacers will have the chance to win the championship.
LUGUENTZ DORTS. BENNEDICT MATHURIN.
JUST TWO QUEBECERS IN NBA FINALS
#NBAFinals pic.twitter.com/sT4pODXCoz
– RDS (@RDSca) June 1, 2025
This is really great for Québécois basketball, which is really on the rise, and is now guaranteed to see one of its products win the sport’s most prestigious trophy.
Now, when compared with the NHL, surprisingly there are more Québécois in the NBA Finals than in the Stanley Cup Finals.
In fact, only A.J. Greer represents Quebec in the Stanley Cup Finals, playing for the Florida Panthers. He is injured, however, having left the last game against the Carolina Hurricanes.
There will be more Québécois in the NBA Finals than in the Stanley Cup Finals!
Benedict Mathurin @Pacers
Luguentz Dort @okcthunder
Vs
AJ Greer @FlaPanthers https://t.co/jLaqiH7LSn– Denis Casavant (@casavantTVA) June 1, 2025
It’s really quite astonishing, and obviously there’s a combination of circumstances at play here, but it’s still crazy that in a sport where Québécois can practically be counted on the fingers of one hand, there are more of them in the final than in the final of the sport that prevails in Québec.
It just goes to show that Québécois are not as widely represented in the NHL as they used to be, and that they are less of a determining factor in their team’s success.
Québécois hockey has been in decline for a number of years, and this is just one example.
Fewer and fewer impact players are Québécois, leading to finals without any Québécois headliners.
In short, it’s a simple comparison, and in the end, it’s good news for Québécois basketball, but it’s still surprising to see a single Québécois in the Stanley Cup Final.
– The Stars’ summer will be very interesting to follow.
How should the Dallas Stars react after their 3rd straight season being eliminated in the Western Conference final: https://t.co/kBHQm6sUA2
– The Hockey News (@TheHockeyNews) June 1, 2025
– What do you think?
In your opinion, will the Laval Rocket be able to come back in their series against the Charlotte Checkers?
The last Tailgate Weekend of the season with @datgregtho is now until 2pm!
– BPM Sports (@BPMSportsRadio) June 1, 2025
– Read more.
The Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers are back to battle for the Stanley Cup once again. @EmmySadler looks at how both teams fortified, adjusted and added to their respective rosters to return to the game’s biggest stage. https://t.co/oWB2GywVnZ
– Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) June 1, 2025
– It’s true.
Ferrari is overrated. Over the last 15 years, every world champion who’s been there has been burnt out.
– Alonso
– Räikkönen
– Vettel
– Hamilton–
Louis-Philippe Guy
(@LPGeek) June 1, 2025
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