NHL Makes Leon Draisaitl Announcement After Wild Oilers-Panthers Game 1

The series opener of the 2025 NHL Stanley Cup Final was one to remember. In a game that saw both teams take turns in making big goals, it was Leon Draisaitl and the Edmonton Oilers who came out on top against the Florida Panthers at Rogers Place in Edmonton via a 4-3 score on Thursday night.

The former Hart Memorial Trophy winner was the first one to light the lamp in the series, needing just 66 seconds into the contest to find the back of the net and put Edmonton on the board for a 1-0 lead. 

The Panthers scored the next three goals, including one from Sam Bennett early in the second period to give Florida a 3-1 lead. But Viktor Arvidsson answered that goal with his own a little over a minute later to cut Edmonton’s deficit in half. 

Mattias Ekholm scored what would become the lone goal from either team in the third period, sending the contest into overtime, where Draisaitl weaved his magic.