NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 14, 2025
NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 14, 2025
The latest on the Oilers and Panthers on the eve of Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final, long-time Maple Leafs broadcaster Joe Bowen to retire, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.
STANLEY CUP FINAL NOTEBOOK
EDMONTON JOURNAL: Corey Perry’s speech to his Oilers teammates following the first period of Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final may have saved the club’s season.

Edmonton Oilers forward Corey Perry (NHL Images).
Down 3-0 to the Florida Panthers on Thursday and on the verge of falling behind 3-1 in the series, Perry gave a pep talk that rallied the Edmonton players. They tied the game 3-3 in the second period en route to a 5-4 overtime victory, knotting the series at two games apiece.
Perry’s teammates didn’t elaborate as to what he said. Nevertheless, they credited him with helping them regain their focus, providing the motivation necessary for their comeback.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: If the Oilers win the Stanley Cup, “Perry’s Pep Talk” will go down in hockey lore as the turning point of this series.
TSN: Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch had yet to commit to any lineup changes on Friday, including their starting goaltender for Game 5. Starter Stuart Skinner got the hook in Game 4 after giving up three goals in the first period. Backup Calvin Pickard got the win with a 22-save performance.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Skinner can be inconsistent, but he got the Oilers this far since returning to the net midway through their second-round series with the Vegas Golden Knights, showing the ability to bounce back. On the other hand, Pickard is a perfect 7-0 in this postseason, playing well in their Game 4 comeback.
THE SCORE: Florida Panthers head coach Paul Maurice doesn’t seem troubled by how tightly-contested this Stanley Cup Final has been. If anything, he is enjoying it.
“This is as good as this thing gets,” he told reporters. “This is Christmas. This is the payoff. You want to be a good pro, but Tuesday on the road on the West Coast in November, not as much fun as you’d think. This is where you get the payback…this is truly the juice that you live for.”
Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final is Saturday in Edmonton at 8 pm ET.
IN OTHER NEWS
TORONTO SUN: Long-time Maple Leafs play-by-play man Joe Bowen announced that the 2025-26 season will be his last. Known for his catchphrase “Holy Mackinaw!”, the 74-year-old Bowen has been broadcasting for nearly 44 years, 28 of those calling Leafs games on the radio, earning the title of “The Voice of the Maple Leafs.”
SPECTOR’S NOTE: It will be the end of an era for the Leafs. Bowen will be among a long list of notable long-time hockey broadcasters who’ve retired since 2020, joining Mike Emrick, Pat Foley, Sam Rosen, and the late Rick Jeanneret and Mike Lange.
PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: The Penguins re-signed winger Boko Imama to a one-year, two-way contract worth $775,000.
CHICAGO SUN-TIMES: The Blackhawks traded the rights of defenseman Victor Soderstrom to the Boston Bruins for prospect defenseman Ryan Mast and a 2025 seventh-round pick.
THE SEATTLE TIMES: Earlier this week, the Kraken parted ways with assistant coach Bob Woods.