A year ago, under the heartbreak of defeat, Connor McDavid stood in the handshake line as Matthew Tkachuk leaned in and said, “Hopefully, we’ll see you next year.” It was a simple gesture of sportsmanship after the Florida Panthers hoisted their first Stanley Cup in franchise history, defeating the Edmonton Oilers in a grueling seven-game series in the 2024 Stanley Cup Final.

That moment has resurfaced, and it hits differently now.

Next year is here. The Panthers and Oilers are back, set to collide once again in the 2025 Stanley Cup Final. What was once a hopeful message has become a prophecy fulfilled, and the storyline couldn’t be more compelling.

Florida returns as the defending champions, battle-tested and unfazed.

They stormed through the Eastern Conference, eliminating the Tampa Bay Lightning in five games, outlasting the Toronto Maple Leafs in seven, and finally closing out the Carolina Hurricanes in five.

Tkachuk, Barkov, and Bobrovsky continue to anchor a gritty, defensively sound team built to outlast opponents in tight battles. Their depth, discipline, and playoff composure make them a dangerous opponent once again.

On the other side is an Oilers squad that looks nothing like a runner-up.

Edmonton powered through the Los Angeles Kings in six, overwhelmed the Vegas Golden Knights in five, and finished off the Dallas Stars with a commanding 6–3 win in Game 5.

McDavid leads the league in playoff points, Leon Draisaitl is right behind him, and the team’s chemistry is peaking at the right time. They’ve learned from last year’s pain — and they’re playing like a team on a mission.

Last year, Edmonton came within one win of ending a long Stanley Cup drought. That loss didn’t break them. It fueled them. And now, they didn’t come back just to participate, they came back to finish what they started.

For Florida, it’s about proving that 2024 wasn’t a one-time run. For Edmonton, it’s about payback.

Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final begins June 4 in Edmonton, where the stakes couldn’t be higher and the pressure even heavier. The rosters are stacked, the history still raw, and the hunger on both sides impossible to ignore.

Tkachuk’s words may have started as a gesture of respect, but now they feel like the opening line of a rivalry that’s only just beginning.

This is the rematch the hockey world didn’t just want, it’s the one that was written long before the puck drops.