The Edmonton Oilers have confirmed that forward Connor Brown will be available for Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Florida Panthers. The game will be played at Rogers Place on Wednesday night (early Thursday morning SA time).
Brown returned to full training on Sunday after missing two games with an undisclosed injury. He picked up the knock in Game 3 of the Western Conference Final against the Dallas Stars after a hard hit from Alexander Petrovic.
“I feel good,” Brown said. “It’s nice to get a proper session in with the team again. I’m excited and ready.”
He has contributed eight points in 14 playoff games so far, with five goals and three assists.
With Zach Hyman out for the rest of the playoffs after undergoing surgery, Brown may be asked to step into a top-six role. He skated in a grey jersey on Sunday, which usually signals the fifth line, but coach Kris Knoblauch has regularly changed his lines during the postseason.
“I’m not sure where I’ll slot in,” Brown said. “We’re lucky to have depth. Any combination can work. I just want to be sharp and ready.”
This season, Brown has played 82 regular-season games, tallying 30 points. Last year, he was part of the Oilers team that pushed the Panthers to Game 7 after being down 3-0 in the series. He scored two goals and assisted four more during that run.
“It feels different this year,” he said. “Last time, it was all new. Now we know what it takes to get here. We’ve stuck to the process and it’s paying off.”
Edmonton reached the final again after finishing off Dallas with a 6-3 win in Game 5. They have now won 12 of their last 14 games, a remarkable turnaround after losing the first two games of the playoffs against the Los Angeles Kings.
Brown signed with the Oilers after a short, injury-plagued stint at the Washington Capitals. He only managed four games there before undergoing surgery for a torn ACL. Since joining Edmonton, he has found more stability and is becoming a key figure in the squad.
Coach Knoblauch sounded confident about his readiness.
“He looked good at practice, even double shifting at times,” the coach said. “I’m confident he will be fine for Game 1.”
For South African fans looking to tune in, expect an early start Thursday morning as two of ice hockey’s best teams face off once again for the sport’s most prestigious prize.
Photo: Leila Devlin/Getty Images
