Sorry, New Englanders — the Boston Bruins won't be in this year's Stanley Cup Final. Crazy, right? The best team in NHL regular season history didn't make it to June. Instead, they were sent packing in the first round, failing to make it to May.
That doesn't mean there won't be New England connections in this season's Stanley Cup Final, which features an odd matchup between the Vegas Golden Knights and the Florida Panthers.
If you had those two teams in the Cup Final when the playoffs began in April, would you mind showing me your pick for the Powerball numbers?
Both squads have a ton of New England connections and in doing research for this story, I was stunned at just how many ties to the region players on both teams have.
The big one is Jack Eichel. The Chelmsford, Mass., native is one of the best prospects ever to come from New England. He spent two seasons with the Boston Jr. Bruins from 2010-12 before heading to the United States National Team Development Program. He returned to the area in 2014, where he played at Boston University for one season, leading the Terriers to a national championship appearance and winning the Hobey Baker Award. He leads Vegas in scoring this postseason with 18 points in 17 games.
Florida's best player has many New England connections, too.
Matthew Tkachuk isn't from the region, but Keith, his father, is from Melrose, Mass. He's cousins with Ryan and Casey Fitzgerald (who we'll get to in a minute), as well as Kevin Hayes (Dorchester, Mass.) and his late brother Jimmy.
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Another notable one is Golden Knights head coach Bruce Cassidy. While Cassidy isn't from the region, he became a fan favorite during his time as head coach of the Boston Bruins from 2017-2022. He also spent 2008-16 as both an assistant coach and head coach of the AHL's Providence Bruins.
Cassidy will be the big reason why many Bruins fans will root for Vegas over Florida. The Golden Knights have two former Bruins players as well with Phil Kessel and Reilly Smith. Kessel was drafted No. 5 overall in the 2006 NHL Draft and played for them until 2009. Smith was a solid, top-six winger for Boston from 2013-2015.
However, fans and alumni of Boston College may feel differently. The Panthers boast Colin White and Casey Fitzgerald.
White, from Boston, spent two seasons at BC from 2015-17. He played prep school hockey at Nobles from 2011-13 and spent time with the Cape Cod Whalers and Boston Advantage in his teenage years. He's been a trusty fourth-line right wing for the Panthers since the playoffs began.
While Fitzgerald has only played in one game this postseason, the North Reading, Mass., native played at BC from 2015-19, serving as a team captain in his final two years. The defenseman spent time at Malden Catholic from 2011-13 and played for the Valley Jr. Warriors, too.
The Panthers have goalie Spencer Knight, who's a native of Darien, Conn. He hasn't been with the team since entering the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program in February, but Knight is a promising young goalie. He played in the Mid Fairfield Rangers organization before heading to Avon Old Farms for the 2016-17 season. He spent two seasons at Boston College from 2019-21.
Vegas also has a goalie in the system who spent time at Avon Old Farms, as the Golden Knights acquired Jonathan Quick at the trade deadline. A Milford, Conn., native, Quick was a standout netminder at Avon Old Farms from 2002-05. He followed that up with two seasons at UMass from 2005-07.
Quick had a legendary career with the Los Angeles Kings, winning two Stanley Cups. He didn't spend too much time in the minors, but he did play 33 games for the AHL's Manchester Monarchs over two seasons (2007-09).
Both teams have a ton of AHL and college hockey connections to the region.
The Panthers have Brandon Montour, who played a single season at UMass from 2014-15. Montour has been the offensive leader for Florida's defense this postseason and was vital in taking down the Bruins in the first round. Ryan Lomberg played two seasons at Maine from 2012-14 and Alex Lyon, the goalie whose strong play squeaked the Panthers into the final seed for the playoffs, played at Yale from 2013-16.
At the AHL level, Bridgeport Sound Tigers fans may remember Carter Verhaeghe's time with the team, which spanned from 2015-17. Verhaeghe enters the Stanley Cup Final ranking second on his team in points with 15. Eetu Luostarinen played five games with the Springfield Thunderbirds in 2019-20.
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Don't worry, Thunderbirds fans — you're forgiven if you don't remember those five games.
Eric Staal, who currently centers Florida's fourth line, played 77 games for the AHL's Lowell Lock Monsters in 2004-05, notching 77 points in 77 games. When the NHL lockout ended after that season, Staal embarked on a long NHL career, mainly playing for the Carolina Hurricanes, serving as the captain for seven seasons.
Aside from Eichel and Quick, the Golden Knights only have one other player who spent time in college hockey across New England, and that's Ben Hutton. The defender played at Maine from 2012-15 and has skated in two games for Vegas this postseason.
Vegas does have a solid number of AHL connections to the region. Jonathan Marchessault, who ranks second in points for Vegas this postseason, played one season for the Connecticut Whale in 2011-12. William Karlsson, Vegas' leading goal scorer, played 15 games for the Springfield Falcons in 2014-15.
Karlsson isn't the only former Springfield Falcon on the Golden Knights — starting goalie Adin Hill spent time there as well, playing in four games in 2015-16.
Defenseman Alec Martinez played parts of three seasons with the Monarchs from 2008-11 before finding a full-time role with the Kings.
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So, the question is which players, if they win, will bring the Stanley Cup back to New England? It really only comes down to the players who are from the region.
If Vegas wins, Eichel is an easy pick to bring it back to his hometown. The northern suburbs of Boston would be in a frenzy. After winning his second Stanley Cup in 2014, Quick brought the trophy back to Hamden, Conn., which is where he grew up.
On the other side, White and Fitzgerald would both be safe bets to have their Day with the Cup in Massachusetts.
