Saskatchewan's connections to the 2024 Stanley Cup Final
Saskatchewan’s hockey roots run deep and once again this year, there are more than a handful of provincial connections to the 2024 Stanley Cup Final.
The Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers will face off for hockey’s ultimate prize starting Saturday in Sunrise, Fla.
The Panthers are making their second consecutive trip to the final round and are in search of the franchise’s first Stanley Cup. The Oilers’ last trip to the final was in 2006, they're searching for their first cup since 1990.
There are 12 Saskatchewan connections to the 2024 Stanley Cup Final split between the two teams.
Florida Panthers
Josh Mahura:
The defenseman from St. Albert, Alta. was a member of the Regina Pats for the teams’ run to the 2017 WHL Championship series and 2018 team that hosted the Memorial Cup. In 94 regular season games with the Pats, Mahura recorded 30 goals and 59 assists. He added 18 more points in 30 playoff games.
The now 26-year-old played 30 regular season games for the Panthers this year but has yet to suit up for a playoff game and has dealt with injuries throughout the season.
Reid Jackson:
The Weyburn, Sask. product is a professional scout for the Panthers. As a player, the 31-year-old was a member of the U18 AAA Tisdale Trojans and also played 12 games for the Moose Jaw Warriors in 2012-13. Before moving to the Panthers in 2022, Jackson was an amateur scout for the Calgary Flames for four seasons.
Les Jackson:
Jackson is a senior advisor to Panthers’ general manager Bill Zito. The Manning, Alta. product played 61 games with the then WCHL’s Estevan Bruins in 1970-71, putting up 34 points and 99 penalty minutes.
Edmonton Oilers
Kris Knoblauch:
The Imperial, Sask. product was hired to be the Oilers’ head coach on Nov. 12 2023 after a slow start to the season. Since that time, Knoblauch guided the Oilers to an NHL best 46-18-5 record that included a league record tying 16 game winning streak.
Prior to his time with the Oilers, Knoblauch was a head coach in the AHL. He was also an assistant coach for the Prince Albert Raiders in 2006-07 and played for the U18 AAA Battlefords Stars from 1994 to 1996.
Glen Gulutzan:
Also a member of the Oilers’ coaching staff as an assistant, Glen Gulutzan is a product of Hudson bay, Sask. He played seven games for the Moose Jaw Warriors as well as the 1991-92 season with the Saskatoon Blades. He then played two years with the University of Saskatchewan Huskies before going on to play professionally in the Unites States prior to his coaching career.
Leon Draisaitl:
The second most popular player on the Oilers, the product of Cologne, Germany played two season with the Prince Albert Raiders (2012-13, 2013-14). Draisaitl scored 105 points in 64 games in his final seasons with the Raiders and also had three points in four playoff games that year.
Stuart Skinner:
The Edmonton born and raised goaltender who has now become the Oilers’ number one was part of a memorable WHL championship win with the Swift Current Broncos in 2018. During that spring, Skinner would start 26 playoff games, putting up a record of 16-10 with a 2.20 GAA and .932 save percentage.
Lane Pederson:
The 1997 born Saskatoon product has yet to play a game for the Oilers but did pick up 52 points in 66 AHL games this past regular season.
Pederson was also a member of the Swift Current Broncos for the 2015-16 and 2016-17 seasons, putting up 65 points in 62 games in his final WHL season.
Stew MacDonald:
MacDonald started his working career as the Regina Pats’ director of marketing and publicity in the 1980s. He then moved on to the Edmonton Oilers and is now the teams’ president and chief revenue officer, a role he’s held since 2010.
MacDonald was also part of the Oilers organization for three Stanley Cups in 1989, 1988 and 1990 when he was the teams’ director of marketing.
Jeff Lang:
The Davidson, Sask. product has been the Oilers’ head equipment manager since 2010. Prior to his time with the Oilers, Lang worked for Hockey Canada and was part of the Olympic gold medal winning men’s hockey team in 2002 as part of the teams’ equipment staff.
Brad Harrison:
From Yorkton, Sask., Brad Harrison is now an assistant equipment manager with the Oilers. Harrison was an equipment manager for the Regina Pats in the late 1980s before moving to Germany to work for the Frankfurt Lions. Harrison returned to Canada to work for the Toronto Marlies before being hired by the Oilers.
Jim Crosson:
The Regina, Sask. product is an amateur scout for the Oilers. He also spent time as the general manager for the AJHL’s Lloydminster Bobcats and was head coach for the Sherwood Park Crusaders before being hired by the Oilers.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6934019.1718879457!/httpImage/image.png_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.png)
Feels like 40: Heat wave sticking around in Ontario, Quebec, Maritimes
A heat wave that's washed over eastern Canada is sticking around for a little while still.
Gunman in Toronto shooting was not evil, but 'broken' by fraud dispute: wife
The wife of the gunman in Monday's double murder-suicide in North York says she doesn't consider her husband an evil person, but one who was 'broken' by a lengthy fraud dispute that saw their family savings drained.
Olive oil shortage 'delicate dance' for cash-strapped restaurants
Canadian restaurants that rely on what is being called 'liquid gold' as the backbone of their menu are being forced to eat a massive extra cost during a worldwide olive oil shortage.
Ont. mother loses $6K during Facebook marketplace transaction
An Ontario woman is sharing her story after she lost $6,000 by clicking a fraudulent link disguised to look like an e-transfer during a Facebook Marketplace transaction.
Russia obliterates Ukraine's front-line towns faster with hacked bombs and expanded air base network
Russia has accelerated its destruction of Ukraine's front-line cities in 2024 to a scale previously unseen in the war using the glide bombs and an expanding network of airstrips, according to an Associated Press analysis of drone footage, satellite imagery, Ukrainian documents and Russian photos.
Police look to identify 'nudist runner of the woods' caught on camera in western Quebec
The MRC des Collines-de-l'Outaouais police say the owner of a Val-des-Mont business discovered security camera footage of someone running naked across his property on June 8 around 1:30 a.m.
Has your car been stolen after a visit to a mechanic?
There may be connections between vehicle thefts and recent visits made to body shops in Canada, according to some victims. Have you been a victim of car theft? What were the circumstances? CTVNews.ca wants to hear from you.
Marge Simpson's likeness found in ancient Egyptian coffin. What does this discovery mean?
Coffin lids during the New Kingdom era are known for their intricate designs, but this particular cover was remarkable for another reason from the perspective of social media users and fans of the longtime Fox animated sitcom 'The Simpsons.'
WestJet and unionized mechanics agree to resume talks; strike action is off the table
The threat of strike action by unionized mechanics at WestJet has been dropped after both sides agreed to return to the bargaining table.