There will be a first-time Stanley Cup champion team this year. The Stanley Cup Final is set and will see the Golden Knights and the Painters go head-to-head.
The Florida Panthers host Brandon Montour, 29, a Mohawk of Six Nations, in his 10th pro season. He is having a career year and earned 73 points (16 goals and 57 assists) in 80 regular season matches. He’s collected nine points, including six goals, in Florida’s first eight playoff games since. He was also given accolades for breaking multiple franchise records and his athleticism.
The Panthers entered the postseason as the number 16 team, yet knocked out three of the top contending teams from the Bruins, to the Leafs, to the Hurricanes. This is their first final appearance since 1996 when they fell to Colorado. Considered a ‘Cinderella Season,’ Montour’s squad is a sharp opponent from the East.
In the West, the Golden Knights’ roster includes defenceman Zach Whitecloud, a member of Sioux Valley Dakota Nation in Manitoba. Whitecloud, a 26-year-old who is in his fifth pro season, was credited with 12 points, including five goals, in 59 regular season appearances this year. And he didn’t register a point in Vegas’ five-game opening-round series against the Winnipeg Jets.
The Golden Knights punched their ticket to the finals with a win over the Dallas Stars in the final, coming out on top after six games to overcome the Stars. This is their first final appearance since 2018 after losing to Washington.
The best-of-seven series begins this Saturday, June 3 for Game 1, with the next games to follow on June 5, June 8, June 10 and June 13 if necessary.
