29 CHL Alumni Will Participate in the NHL's 2024 Stanley Cup Final
June 8, 2024 - Ontario Hockey League (OHL) News Release
TORONTO, ON - As the Stanley Cup Final gets underway tonight between the Florida Panthers and the Edmonton Oilers in the National Hockey League (NHL), a total of 29 Canadian Hockey League (CHL) alumni from its three member leagues (WHL, OHL & QMJHL) are set to take part in this year's Stanley Cup Final (see the full list below).
The 29 CHL alumni represent nearly 60% of the players participating in the 2024 Stanley Cup Final and are the most of any development hockey league in the world. In total, there are 19 graduates hailing from the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), nine from the Western Hockey League (WHL), and one from the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL).
In addition to these players, both head coaches - Paul Maurice (Florida Panthers) and Kris Knoblauch (Edmonton Oilers) - in the Stanley Cup Final trace their roots back to the CHL.
Specifically, before his coaching career in the NHL, Maurice spent two seasons (1993-94 and 1994-95) as the head coach of the Detroit Jr. Red Wings, leading the club to an OHL championship in 1994-95 and a Memorial Cup appearance. Maurice also played four seasons in the OHL with the Windsor Spitfires from 1984 to 1988 before he began his coaching career as an assistant coach with the Spitfires.
Meanwhile, having previously played five seasons in the WHL, Knoblauch began his coaching career as an assistant coach with the Prince Albert Raiders in 2006. He then moved on to the Kootenay Ice, where he was a head coach for two seasons starting in 2010-11. In his first season as Kootenay's bench boss, Knoblauch claimed a WHL championship and earned a trip to the Memorial Cup. Following his time with the Ice, Knoblauch became the head coach of the Erie Otters in 2012. Once there, he led the Otters to an unprecedented CHL record four consecutive 50-win seasons between 2013 and 2017. Following an appearance in the OHL Final in 2014-15 and an OHL Coach of the Year award in 2015-16, Knoblauch would help lead Erie to an OHL championship title and a Memorial Cup appearance in 2017.
Since 2014, of the 245 players who have had their names etched onto the Stanley Cup, 55% (135 players total) have come through the CHL, including 18 players on last year's Vegas Golden Knights championship roster
Quick Facts:
As the 2024 NHL Playoffs began on April 20, the Edmonton Oilers led all 16 playoff teams with 18 CHL alumni on their roster
The Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers were one of 12 playoff teams to feature 10+ CHL alumni on their roster during the 2024 NHL postseason
Of the 10 coaches who have lifted the Stanley Cup over the last 15 years, seven of them either coached or played in the CHL, including Bruce Cassidy (Vegas Golden Knights), Jared Bednar (Colorado Avalanche), and Craig Berube (St. Louis Blues)
Of the 18 captains who have lifted the Stanley Cup over the last 30 years, 14 of them played in the CHL, including Sidney Crosby (Pittsburgh Penguins / Rimouski Océanic), Zdeno Chara (Boston Bruins / Prince George Cougars), Steve Yzerman (Detroit Red Wings / Peterborough Petes)
Of the last 10 players to win the Conn Smythe Trophy since 2013, six of them are CHL alumni, including Jonathan Marchesseault (Québec Remparts), Ryan O'Reilly (Erie Otters), and Duncan Keith (Kelowna Rockets)
Storylines to follow:
Connor McDavid (Edmonton Oilers / Erie Otters) and Matthew Tkachuk (Florida Panthers / London Knights) lead their respective teams in scoring, each aiming to win their first Stanley Cup. McDavid (5G-26A in 18 GP) leads the playoffs in scoring and has recorded multiple points in half of the games he has appeared in this postseason (9 of 18), while Tkachuk (5G-14A in 17 GP) is five points shy of the Florida Panthers record for points (24) in a single postseason - it is a record he set in 2023
Coming into the Stanley Cup Final, Carter Verhaeghe (Florida Panthers / Niagara IceDogs) ranked tied for third in NHL history with five overtime goals, trailing only Maurice Richard (6) and Swift Current Broncos alumnus Joe Sakic (8)
Evan Bouchard (Edmonton Oilers / London Knights) will begin the Stanley Cup Final needing four assists to equal the most by a defenseman in a single postseason and 10 points to match the highest point total by a blueliner in one playoff year - both benchmarks held by CHL alumnus Paul Coffey (Soo Greyhounds)
Coming into the Stanley Cup Final, Leon Draisaitl (Edmonton Oilers / Prince Albert Raiders) is averaging 1.57 points per game in his playoff career - the fourth-highest average in NHL history behind fellow CHL alumni Wayne Gretzky (1.84), Mario Lemieux (1.61) and Connor McDavid (1.58)
Corey Perry (Edmonton Oilers / London Knights) is set to become the first player in NHL history to play at least one game in the Stanley Cup Final with five different franchises (Oilers, Lightning, Canadiens, Stars & Ducks)
The 2024 Stanley Cup Final will also mark the first time in NHL history that the top-four picks from the same NHL draft class will dress in at least one game for either finalist. The top-four picks from 2014 who are set to play in the final are all CHL alumni: Aaron Ekblad (Florida Panthers / Barrie Colts), Sam Reinhart (Florida Panthers / Kootenay Ice), Leon Draisaitl (Edmonton Oilers / Prince Albert Raiders), and Sam Bennett (Florida Panthers / Kingston Frontenacs)
Players are listed alongside the CHL club they've played the most games with
Florida Panthers (11)
Sam Bennett (Kingston Frontenacs), Nick Cousins (Soo Greyhounds), Aaron Ekblad (Barrie Colts), Jonah Gadjovich (Owen Sound Attack), Dmitry Kulikov (Drummondville Voltigeurs), Steven Lorentz (Peterborough Petes), Josh Mahura (Regina Pats), Sam Reinhart (Kootenay Ice), Anthony Stolarz (London Knights), Matthew Tkachuk (London Knights), Carter Verhaeghe (Niagara IceDogs)
Edmonton Oilers (18)
Evan Bouchard (London Knights), Connor Brown (Erie Otters), Sam Carrick (Brampton Battalion), Cody Ceci (Ottawa 67's), Leon Draisaitl (Prince Albert Raiders), Warren Foegele (Kingston Frontenacs), Sam Gagner (London Knights), Adam Henrique (Windsor Spitfires), Evander Kane (Vancouver Giants), Brett Kulak (Vancouver Giants), Connor McDavid (Erie Otters), Ryan McLeod (Mississauga Steelheads), Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (Red Deer Rebels), Darnell Nurse (Soo Greyhounds), Corey Perry (London Knights), Calvin Pickard (Seattle Thunderbirds), Derek Ryan (Spokane Chiefs), Stuart Skinner (Lethbridge Hurricanes)
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