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Oilers' Kris Knoblauch Announces Connor Brown's Official Status for Game 1

Originally posted on Hockey Latest | By Jack Sutherland | Last updated Jun 2, 2025 3:30 PM ET

While the Oilers will not have Zach Hyman for the remainder of the postseason, they've announced the status of forward Connor Brown for Game 1 vs. the Panthers.

The Stanley Cup Final begins this week, with the Florida Panthers taking on the Edmonton Oilers once again. Florida hopes to claim their 2nd straight title, while the Oilers hope to avenge last year's 7-game Cup Final loss.

The Oilers will be considerably shorthanded for the entire series, as Zach Hyman recently underwent surgery and is unavailable for the rest of the postseason.

Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch announced today that forward Connor Brown, who was hurt after taking a massive hit from Dallas Stars defenseman Alex Petrovic in Game 3 of the WCF, is coming back for Game 1 against Florida.

Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch said Connor McDavid will take part in a full practice tomorrow. He said Connor Brown will be ready to go for Game 1 on Wednesday.

Brown himself said that he's feeling good and is ready to go following a recent practice.

I feel good. Nice to get a practice in with the team. Obviously, I haven't been practicing much. It's nice to get it going. I'm excited.

In his absence, the Oilers skated Viktor Arvidsson along with Adam Henrique and Evander Kane on the 3rd line. Right now, Brown isn't sure of what the final line combinations will be for Wednesday, but he's excited regardless.

I've got no idea what the line combinations are. Obviously, I'm not trying to put my coaching hat on or anything like that. It's just my job to be ready to go.
The beauty about this team is I think we're so deep. Any type of combination that you find yourself on, it can be productive. So, I'm just worrying about myself, making sure I'm at my best.

Brown has 8 points (5G, 3A) in the 14 playoff games he's played.

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

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