Oilers' Stuart Skinner Reveals Shocking Admission on Stanley Cup Final Rematch

The Edmonton Oilers are looking to fully redeem themselves in the 2025 Stanley Cup Final after falling short in Game 7 last year. The Oilers will get the chance to play the same team that beat them, the Florida Panthers, as they go for another chance to win the title.

Edmonton has been on a mission throughout the postseason, and they have been dominant over the past 14 games. The team has gone 12-2 over their past 14 playoff games, and enters the Stanley Cup Final playing extremely well.

But the loss to the Panthers last year is still on the minds of a few players. Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner opened up on the loss last season, saying that he did his best to bury all the emotions from the series. 

“I feel good as of now. I’ve just been preparing, doing my thing just like any of us, so it’s exciting,” Skinner said Tuesday during Stanley Cup Final media day. “If I’m going to be completely honest here, I thought I put it (disappointment) away quickly last year, but definitely internally there was something buried.

“That’s kind of the easy way to do it. Instead of thinking about it and trying to process it, I kind of stuffed it down a little bit. It kind of bit me in the butt halfway through my summer last year, and then I was able to look back at it and process it. Obviously, I didn’t want it to eat at me going into this season.”

Edmonton Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner (74) reacts against the Dallas Stars at American Airlines Center.

Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Skinner has been solid for the Oilers during the postseason this year, going 6-4 with a 2.53 goals-against average, .904 save percentage. The goalie has also posted three shutout wins.

But playing the Panthers will be an entirely different challenge that the team seems ready for. 

“It’s a different year. I feel completely different,” Skinner said. “I think everybody in our room feels different and you have to prepare for everything. There are so many things that can kind of happen.”

Game 1 between the two teams is set to begin at 8 p.m. on Wednesday.