Saskatchewan’s connections to the 2025 Stanley Cup Final

Edmonton Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch behind the bench during NHL action against the Colorado Avalanche on Nov. 30, 2024, in Denver. (David Zalubowski/Associated Press)

For the first time since 2009 the Stanley Cup Final will be a rematch of the same two teams that faced off for it all the previous year.

Game 1 of the best of seven series for hockey’s ultimate prize between the Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers goes Wednesday night from the Alberta capital.

Florida won the franchise’s first championship last year in seven games after the Oilers stormed back from a 3-0 series deficit.

Here’s Saskatchewan’s connections to the rematch series going down this June.

Edmonton Oilers

Kris Knoblauch – Imperial, Sask.

In just his second season as the Oilers’ head coach, Imperial’s Kris Knoblauch is already in his second Stanley Cup Final.

Since taking over coaching duties early in the 2023-24 season, Knoblauch has led the Oilers to a 94-47-10 record in regular season games.

Heading into the 2025 Stanley Cup Final, the Oilers are 12-4 so far in their playoff run with Knoblauch in charge.

Leon Draisaitl – Prince Albert Raiders

Now one of the best players in the NHL, Draisaitl began his North American career in the Western Hockey League with the Prince Albert Raiders.

The German forward put up 105 points in the 2013-14 season for Prince Albert. That followed a rookie season with the Raiders that saw him tally a respectable 58 points in 64 games.

Matt Savoie – Moose Jaw Warriors

Forward Matt Savoie hasn’t gotten into a playoff game in 2025 and has only played four regular season games for the Oilers so far. But there are high expectations for the young forward in the Alberta capital.

Many of those expectations were born when Savoie was a member of the Moose Jaw Warriors in 2023-24 and was instrumental in helping the franchise win the 2024 WHL championship.

In 23 regular season games with the Warriors, Savoie recorded 47 points. He added 24 more in Moose Jaw’s 2024 championship run.

Stuart Skinner – Swift Current Broncos

The Oilers’ starting goaltender who has posted three shutouts in the 2025 playoffs so far is also a former WHL champion.

Stuart Skinner spent part of the 2017-18 season with the Swift Current Broncos and posted a 16-6-1 regular season record before recording a 2.20 GAA and .932 SV% in the 2018 WHL playoffs helping the Broncos to a 2018 WHL championship.

Glen Gulutzan – Hudson Bay, Sask.

Hudson Bay’s Glen Gulutzan is now in his seventh season as an assistant coach for the Oilers.

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 United States prior to his coaching career.

Stew MacDonald – Regina Pats

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 when he was the teams’ director of marketing.

Jeff Lang – Davidson, Sask.

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 a member of the teams’ equipment staff.

Brad Harrison – Yorkton, Sask.

From Yorkton, Brad Harrison is 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 – Regina, Sask.

The Regina 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.

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David Evanochko - Regina, Sask.

From Regina, David Evanochko works for the Oilers as its lead solutions architect.

Evanochko is responsible for the teams’ technology solutions on the hockey operations team.

He was formerly the vice president of software development at Conexus Credit Union before being hired by the Oilers prior to the 2024-25 season.

Florida Panthers

Reid Jackson – Weyburn, Sask.

The Weyburn, Sask. product is a professional scout for the Panthers. As a player, the 32-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 – Estevan Bruins

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.

Know of any other Saskatchewan connections to the 2025 Stanley Cup Final? Email us at [e-mail].