Who Wins A Championship Rematch?
The Stanley Cup Final is Florida vs. Edmonton again, so let's take a cross-sport look at times the same teams played for a title in back-to-back years — and who won.
They say opposites attract — and the Stanley Cup odd couple that was the 2024 Final between the Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers is back again for another go of things in 2025.
We all remember this study in extreme contrasts: One team plays in a city where the nearest palm tree is 1,500 miles away; the other resides in a place where ice is mainly something you make in your freezer. They’re separated by a still-record 2,541 miles and nearly 28 degrees of latitude, which also remains a Finals record:
But differences in geography aside, what links the Oilers and Panthers now is something simpler, yet nearly as rare: a rematch. In an era of larger playoff fields and greater roster turnover — across just about every sport — it’s become surprisingly uncommon to see the same two teams find their way back to this same stage in back-to-back seasons, the way Florida and Edmonton have this week.
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