Jun 18, 2024; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk (19) reaches for the puck on an empty net attempt on goal by Edmonton Oilers forward Connor McDavid (97) during the third period in game five of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final at Amerant Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Panthers’ Matthew Tkachuk Expected Rematch With Oilers

Originally posted on Breakaway on SI | By Nick Horwat | Last updated Jun 2, 2025 9:00 AM ET

The Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers are set for a rematch in the Stanley Cup Final, and one player in particular knew pretty early on these teams would meet again. According to Matthew Tkachuk, he knew that the Panthers and Oilers were the two best teams in the NHL, and it wouldn’t be long before they met again on the biggest stage in hockey.

During the handshake line following Game 7 of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final, the Panthers star forward told Oilers’ captain Connor McDavid that they would meet again soon.

Cameras and microphones caught Tkachuk saying “We’ll see you next year, eh?” to McDavid, and he believed every word of it.

Matthew Tkachuk knew a #StanleyCup rematch was on the way! pic.twitter.com/lFJRuSlYVZ
— JayOnSC (@JayOnSC) June 2, 2025

“I believed that it was going to be us two again,” Tkachuk said recently. “I think we’re the two best teams in the league. And if everything would go right, it would probably be us two again in the Final.”

This is the Panthers’ third consecutive trip to the Stanley Cup Final, and Tkachuk seems to have a pretty good barometer regarding who the top teams in the league are.

“I have that confidence in our team and they were the best team that we played last year in the playoffs,” Tkachuk said. “I stand by that. I believed it at the time and here we are again.”

The postseason didn’t start out too hot for the Oilers, dropping their first two games to the Los Angeles Kings, but they’ve gone 12-2 since then. The Panthers, meanwhile, are in their third straight Final, but have not shown any signs of slowing down.

Tkachuk fully expected a rematch in the Cup Final, and he got it. For the first time since the Pittsburgh Penguins and Detroit Red Wings in 2008 and 2009, the NHL will see a back-to-back rematch in the Stanley Cup Final.

Will the Panthers become the third team in the last decade to repeat as champions, or are McDavid and the Oilers finally finishing the job?

This article first appeared on Breakaway on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: