SEWELL, N.J. — A few days after brothers John and Matthew Gaudreau died when they were struck by a driver while riding bicycles on the eve of their sister Katie’s wedding, family friends were visiting parents Guy and Jane at their home during a rainstorm. Looking outside after the skies cleared, they saw a double rainbow that brought them some momentary peace.

Since then, Jane Gaudreau had not gotten any signs she attributed to her sons, so she sat in their room Friday and asked them for some divine intervention to clear out bad weather in time for an event to honor their legacies. After a brief scare of a tornado watch the night before, a rainbow appeared Saturday morning about an hour before the sun came out for the inaugural Gaudreau Family 5K Walk/Run and Family Day.

“I was so relieved,” Jane said. “I was like, ‘Well, there’s my sign.'”

Thousands attended the event at Washington Lake Park in southern New Jersey, a place John and Matthew went hundreds of times as kids and around the corner from Hollydell Ice Arena, where they started playing hockey. Roughly 1,100 people took part in a walk or run in person, along with more than 1,300 virtually in the U.S., Canada and around the world.

“I think it speaks to them as a family, how close they were and how everybody loved being around them,” said Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk, one of a handful of NHL players who were close to the Gaudreaus and made a point to be there. “You just see the support from this community and from other players as well that are here and traveled in. It just says a lot about Johnny, Matty, their legacy and this family as a whole, how much support they have because they’re such amazing people.”

Along with honoring the NHL star known as “Johnny Hockey” and his younger brother who family and friends called Matty, the goal of the event was to raise money for an accessible playground at Archbishop Damiano School where Jane and her daughter Kristen work. It was a cause John and Matthew had begun to champion in honor of their grandmother Marie, who spent 44 years at the school and died in 2023.

It became their mother’s project after their deaths.

“Jane works every day with children with disabilities, and she knew how important it was for the playground to be built,” said family friend Deb Vasutoro, who came up with the idea for a 5K. “The playground has been a project for, I think, four or five years, and there just never was enough funding. When the boys passed and Jane needed a purpose, she thought, ‘Let’s build the playground.’ It was the perfect marriage of doing something good to honor the boys and seeing children laugh and smile.”

The Rev. Allain Caparas from Gloucester Catholic High School, which the brothers attended and played hockey for while growing up in Carneys Point, said raising funds for the playground is an extension of the impact they had on the community.

“They’re continuing to make a difference in the lives of so many others,” Caparas said. “Johnny and Matthew lived their lives with purpose, and now we’re celebrating that.”

Social media filled with mentions from folks in Columbus and Calgary, the NHL cities in which John Gaudreau played, and as far away as Ireland and Sweden. Paul O’Connor, who has been tight with the Gaudreau family from son Dalton being childhood best friends with Matthew, couldn’t empty out his inbox because he kept getting notifications about signups and donations.

“It just keeps growing,” O’Connor said. “And people that couldn’t be here, they’re doing a virtual [5K]. If they can’t do either, they’re just throwing money at the cause.”

Tears welled up in the eyes of Guy and Jane as they talked about the event. His speech to the crowd was brief and poignant at the same time.

“I’d like to thank everybody for coming,” Guy said after running the 5K. “It really means a lot to Jane and the girls and the family. We miss the boys, and it really means a lot for us to have you here to honor my boys. Thank you.”

The sea of people first in the rain and then the sunshine included folks in gear from all across hockey. Tkachuk wore a “Johnny Hockey” hoodie with Gaudreau’s name and No. 13 on the back.

He handed sticks, collected from various vigils in late August and early September, to race winners along with fellow players Erik Gudbranson, Zach Aston-Reese, Tony DeAngelo and Buddy Robinson.

“Our family wouldn’t have missed this,” Gudbranson said after flying in Friday night following a trip to Walt Disney World. “Hockey’s a very tight community. It’s still a tragedy. We miss the boys.”

The aim is to hold the event annually moving forward, potentially in Calgary and Columbus.

“We thought this was such a good thing to honor the boys we want to keep it up,” Jane said. “I just think each year it’ll just get better and better.”

Florida Panthers forwards Eetu Luostarinen and Anton Lundell will be ready for Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final on Wednesday night in Edmonton, coach Paul Maurice said Saturday.

Both players were injured in Wednesday’s series-clinching Game 5 win against the Carolina Hurricanes.

Panthers forward A.J. Greer‘s status for the series opener against the Oilers remains uncertain. He missed Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals and was on the ice for only 4:22 in Game 5 due to a lower-body injury.

All three players did not participate in Saturday’s practice, the first team skate since the defending champions booked their spot in the Final rematch.

“I think the only question mark is Greer,” Maurice said. “We will list him as day to day. The other guys are fine. They will be back on the ice tomorrow when we do a little bit of an optional.”

Luostarinen, 26, recorded 24 points (9 goals, 15 assists) in 80 games during the regular season and 13 points (4 goals, 9 assists) in 17 games this postseason.

Lundell, 23, tallied 45 points (17 goals, 28 assists) in 79 games in the regular season and 12 points (5 goals, 7 assists) in 17 playoff games.

Greer, 28, posted 17 points (6 goals, 11 assists) in 81 games in the regular season and three points (2 goals, 1 assist) in 12 playoff contests.

The 2025 Stanley Cup Final is set. For the second consecutive year, it’s the Florida Panthers vs. the Edmonton Oilers in the final round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Not all sequels are as good as the original. Will this one be Rocky II? Or will it be The Godfather III? More importantly, can the Oilers win this time — ending the drought for Canadian teams winning the Cup, a streak going back to 1993?

Here are the major details on the series, from the schedule and betting intel (courtesy of ESPN BET) to notes on each club and the matchup from ESPN Research.

Stanley Cup Final

Paths to the Final:

Oilers: Defeated Kings in six, Golden Knights in five, Stars in five
Panthers: Defeated Lightning in five, Maple Leafs in seven, Hurricanes in five

Schedule:

Game 1: Panthers at Oilers, June 4, 8 p.m. ET (TNT)
Game 2: Panthers at Oilers, June 6, 8 p.m. ET (TNT)
Game 3: Oilers at Panthers, June 9, 8 p.m. ET (TNT)
Game 4: Oilers at Panthers, June 12, 8 p.m. ET (TNT)
Game 5: Panthers at Oilers, June 14, 8 p.m. ET (TNT)
Game 6: Oilers at Panthers, June 17, 8 p.m. ET (TNT)
Game 7: Panthers at Oilers, June 20, 8 p.m. ET (TNT)

Betting intel

Cup winner:

Oilers: -115
Panthers: -105

Conn Smythe Trophy (playoff MVP)

Connor McDavid (EDM): -110
Sergei Bobrovsky (FLA): +250
Aleksander Barkov (FLA): +425
Leon Draisaitl (EDM): +800
Matthew Tkachuk (FLA): +2500
Sam Bennett (FLA): +3000

Matchup notes

This is the 12th Stanley Cup Final rematch in NHL history, the fifth in the expansion era (since 1967-68), and the first since 2008-09. The past two occurrences — Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Detroit Red Wings in 2008 and 2009, Edmonton Oilers vs. New York Islanders in 1983 and 1984 — included Sidney Crosby and Wayne Gretzky winning their first Cup. A good sign for Connor McDavid?

The Panthers did not touch the Prince of Wales Trophy as winners of the Eastern Conference last year, after they did so in both 1996 and 2023 when they won it on those occasions. Florida won the Cup in 2024 after not touching it, while it lost in the Cup Final the previous two times when the team touched it. The Oilers decided this year to touch the Clarence S. Campbell Bowl for winning the Western Conference. They did not touch the trophy last year, nor did they do so in 2006 — and yet they lost the Stanley Cup Final in seven games both times.

In last year’s Cup Final, the Panthers raced out to a 3-0 lead on an aggregate score of 11-4. The Oilers won the next three by a combined score of 18-5. Game 7 was the tightest game of the series by far, ending with a 2-1 win for the Panthers; the game-winning goal occurred at 15:11 of the second period, Sam Reinhart‘s 10th of the 2024 postseason.

The Panthers won both of their 2024-25 regular-season games against the Oilers (6-5 at Florida on Dec. 16 and 4-3 at Edmonton on Feb. 27).

This series will feature the top four picks from the 2014 NHL draft: Aaron Ekblad (No. 1 to FLA), Sam Reinhart (No. 2 to BUF), Leon Draisaitl (No. 3 to EDM) and Sam Bennett (No. 4 to CGY). It’s the second final in NHL history where each of top four picks from the same NHL draft (skaters and goaltenders) dress in at least one game for either team — joining the 2024 final, with the same players.

play

Panthers advance to the Stanley Cup Final for the 3rd consecutive year

The Florida Panthers defeat the Carolina Hurricanes in five games to advance to their third consecutive Stanley Cup Final.

Team notes

Oilers

The Oilers will play in the Stanley Cup Final for the ninth time, which passes the Philadelphia Flyers (eight) for the most among non-Original-Six franchises, and ranks seventh overall.

Edmonton is the eighth team in the NHL’s expansion era (since 1967-68) to reach the Stanley Cup Final despite losing their first two games of their opening playoff series. Each of the other seven clubs to do so ended up winning the Stanley Cup: the 2018 Washington Capitals, 2014 Los Angeles Kings, 2011 Boston Bruins, 2006 Carolina Hurricanes, 2002 Detroit Red Wings, 1993 Montreal Canadiens and 1992 Penguins. The 2014 Kings are the only club in NHL history to start 0-3 and win the Cup.

Connor McDavid averages 1.73 points per game against the Panthers in his career, including playoffs. That’s the highest rate against Florida by any player in the franchise’s history (min. 20 GP). The players right behind McDavid: Joe Sakic (1.44 points per game), Peter Forsberg (1.43), Mario Lemieux (1.32).

After losing his first three starts this postseason, Stuart Skinner is 6-1 in his past seven starts, with a 1.41 goals-against average, .944 save percentage and three shutouts.

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, the longest serving current Oilers player, can become the second player in NHL history to play his first 14-plus seasons with a franchise and then win his first Stanley Cup with them. He would join Steve Yzerman (1997 with Detroit, his 14th season)

Panthers

The Panthers are the ninth franchise in NHL history with three consecutive Stanley Cup Final appearances, and second in the past 40 years, joining the Lightning from 2020-22.

Florida can become the 10th franchise in NHL history to repeat as Stanley Cup champions and eighth during the expansion era.

The Panthers will enter Game 1 in Edmonton having won their past five road playoff games, outscoring opponents 27-7 over those five games while going 6-for-14 (42.9%) on the power play.

Over Florida’s past 10 games this postseason, Sergei Bobrovsky has a 1.57 goals-against average, .935 save percentage and two shutouts. He enters the 2025 Stanley Cup Final with 57 career playoff wins, second-most among active goalies behind only Andrei Vasilevskiy (67).

Carter Verhaeghe scored his third career series-clinching goal in the Eastern Conference finals, and now trails only Max Pacioretty and Artturi Lehkonen (both with four) for the most among all active players. Verhaeghe’s 12 career game-winning goals in the playoffs are twice as many as the next-closest player in Panthers history (Matthew Tkachuk, six).

Sam Bennett scored in Game 5 against Carolina and became the first player to reach the 10-goal mark in the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs. He also became the second-fastest player in franchise history to hit the benchmark in a postseason, behind Dave Lowry (15 games played in 1996). Bennett’s 10 goals are tied for the third-most in a single postseason in Panthers history, behind Carter Verhaeghe (2024) and Matthew Tkachuk (2023) with 11 each.