NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 13, 2025
NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 13, 2025
The Oilers rally to defeat the Panthers in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final, Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck wins the Hart and Vezina trophies, Kings captain Anze Kopitar wins the Lady Byng Trophy, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.
OILERS RALLY, DEFEAT THE PANTHERS IN GAME 4 OF THE STANLEY CUP FINAL
NHL.COM: Leon Draisaitl’s overtime goal gave the Edmonton Oilers a 5-4 victory over the Florida Panthers in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final, tying the series at two games apiece.
The Panthers dominated the first period, with Matthew Tkachuk scoring twice and Anton Lundell tallying to take a 3-0 lead, putting the Oilers on the verge of collapsing as they did in Game 3. After swapping out starting goalie Stuart Skinner for Calvin Pickard, the Oilers tied it on goals by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Darnell Nurse, and Vasily Podkolzin.

Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl (NHL Images).
Edmonton took the lead with just over six minutes remaining in the third period on a slapshot by Jake Walman. However, Florida pulled goalie Sergei Bobrovsky for an extra attacker and cashed in as Sam Reinhart tied it with 20 seconds remaining in the period.
The Panthers nearly won it in overtime when Sam Bennett hit the crossbar. Moments later, Draisaitl hopped onto the ice, skated into the Panthers’ zone, and shoveled a one-handed backhander that deflected off Panthers defenseman Niko Mikkola past Bobrovsky.
This series returns to Edmonton for Game 4 on Saturday, June 14, at 8 pm ET.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: That was one of the greatest Stanley Cup Final games I’ve ever seen. Edmonton seemed done like dinner after the first period, and Florida appeared on the verge of taking a 3-1 stranglehold on the series.
The Panthers completely controlled the first period, outplaying Edmonton to take what seemed an insurmountable three-goal lead. Skinner couldn’t be faulted for those goals, which were the result of his teammates’ sloppy play. Swapping him for Pickard felt like a desperation move, but it helped to settle the Oilers down. He was steady throughout the rest of the game, stopping 22 of 23 shots.
Draisaitl set an NHL record for the most overtime goals (four) in a single postseason. The Oilers shook up their lineup before the game, sitting forward Viktor Arvidsson and defenseman John Klingberg in favor of Jeff Skinner and Troy Stecher.
After the game, Draisaitl praised teammate Corey Perry for rallying his teammates following the first period. “Corey spoke up. When he speaks up, you listen, and you do what he says. We did a great job of grabbing it, grabbing some momentum and keeping it.”
HEADLINES
NHL.COM: Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck is the winner of the Hart Memorial Trophy and the Vezina Trophy for 2024-25. He’s the first goalie to win both awards since Carey Price in 2014-15, and the only active three-time winner of the Vezina.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: No surprise here, as a photo of Hellebuyck with both trophies was recently leaked on social media. Nevertheless, he was a deserving winner. He was the best goaltender in the league this season and was considered the front-runner for the Hart Trophy.
Los Angeles Kings captain Anze Kopitar won the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy for the third time in his career, taking only two minor penalties this season.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hockey followers often deride the Lady Byng Trophy because it rewards “gentlemanly play”, which is a quaint early 20th-century way of saying the winners play a strong, disciplined game. The 37-year-old Kopitar remains among the most respected two-way players in the game, whose play remains worthy of recognition.
Hellebuyck and Jets winger Kyle Connor were named to the 2024-25 First All-Star Team, joining Colorado Avalanche forward Nathan MacKinnon and defenseman Cale Makar, Tampa Bay Lightning right wing Nikita Kucherov, and Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski.
Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy, defenseman Victor Hedman, and winger Brandon Hagel were part of the Second All-Star Team. Joining them were Oilers center Leon Draisaitl, Boston Bruins winger David Pastrnak, and Vancouver Canucks defenseman Quinn Hughes.
Calder Memorial Trophy winner Lane Hutson of the Montreal Canadiens and 2024 first-overall pick Macklin Celebrini of the San Jose Sharks were among the players named to the 2024-25 NHL All-Rookie Team. They joined Calgary Flames goaltender Dustin Wolf, Philadelphia Flyers winger Matvei Michkov, Anaheim Ducks winger Cutter Gauthier, and Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Denton Mateychuk.
Former NHL star and future Hall-of-Famer Jaromir Jagr won a regional Emmy Award for his work as a producer and writer on last year’s broadcast of his jersey retirement ceremony by the Pittsburgh Penguins at PPG Paints Arena.