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Leon Draisaitl Drops Brutally Honest Take After Oilers' Second Straight Stanley Cup Heartbreak

Originally posted on Hockey Latest | By Daniel Lucente | Last updated Jun 18, 2025 1:08 PM ET

The Oilers lost a second consecutive year in the Stanley Cup Finals, and Leon Draisaitl met with the media afterwards with a brutally honest take.

Leon Draisaitl was in the exact same locker room where his Stanley Cup dreams were crushed last season, and once again, the same disappointment greeted him.

On Tuesday night, the Edmonton Oilers saw the Florida Panthers hoist the Stanley Cup for the second straight year after a 5-1 loss in Game 6 at Amerant Bank Arena. It was another heartbreaking end to a season that was filled with promise.

Draisaitl didn't hold back his feelings when he was interviewed after the game, truly showing just how devastated he was.

'The takeaway is that we didn't win,' Draisaitl said. 'Nobody cares. Like, nobody cares. We didn't win, so try again next year.'

The Oilers had hoped to push the series to Game 7, as they did last year when they extended the series to a deciding Game 7 after trailing 3-0. But after falling behind 2-0 early in Game 6, the mountain was too high to overcome.

Edmonton had pulled off two comeback overtime wins earlier in the series, but there was no magic left. The Oilers also couldn't capitalize on their home-ice advantage, dropping two of three at Rogers Place.

The Stars were aligned for the Oilers as they were handed home-ice advantage

It was especially disappointing after having breezed through Vegas and Dallas in 10 combined games and having home-ice advantage in the Final for the first time in the playoffs. There is hope for the future, though.

Draisaitl will begin his eight-year, $112 million contract, and Connor McDavid will certainly sign a long-term extension with one year left on his contract. Most of Edmonton's core will return, and the championship window will remain wide open.

As it was a year ago, the Oilers vow to learn from this heartache and draw motivation from it in their continuing quest for a championship that has eluded them since 1990.

This article first appeared on Hockey Latest and was syndicated with permission.

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