12 CHL alumni hoist the Stanley Cup as the Florida Panthers defeat the Edmonton Oilers in the 2024 Stanley Cup Final

With 12 CHL alumni on their roster, the Florida Panthers helped mark the sixth season in a row that more than 10 CHL graduates helped their team to a Stanley Cup title

As the Florida Panthers edged the Edmonton Oilers in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final on Monday night, 12 CHL alumni hoisted the Stanley Cup after helping Florida to its first-ever championship title in franchise history. In total, eight players hailing from the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), three from the Western Hockey League (WHL), and one from the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) won the Stanley Cup last night.

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid (Erie Otters) became just the sixth player from the losing team of a Stanley Cup Final to ever be awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as the NHL Playoffs MVP. McDavid, who led the NHL in scoring with 42 points (8G-34A) this postseason, is also just the second skater in NHL history to win the award as a member of the losing team, following in the footsteps of WHL alumnus Reggie Leach (Flin Flon Bombers) who first achieved the feat in 1976 with the Philadelphia Flyers.

Helping to lead the way for Florida was their top goalscorer of the postseason, Carter Verhaeghe (Niagara IceDogs), who tallied a team-high 11 goals in 24 playoff games. Verhaeghe’s 11 goals ranked second this postseason, one goal above Wyatt Johnston (Dallas Stars / Windsor Spitfires), Leon Draisaitl (Edmonton Oilers / Prince Albert Raiders), and Sam Reinhart (Florida Panthers / Kootenay Ice) who were all among the top-five goalscorers of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Three CHL alumni also figured among the Panthers’ top-five leading scorers this postseason, as Verhaeghe (11G-10A in 24 GP), Reinhart (10G-6A in 24GP), and London Knights alumnus Matthew Tkachuk (6G-16A in 24 GP), who co-led the team in scoring, put together impressive performances throughout the playoffs. The Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers also benefitted from the leadership of their head coach Paul Maurice, who played four seasons in the OHL with the Windsor Spitfires (1984-88) and won an OHL championship title as the head coach of the Detroit Jr. Red Wings in 1995.

Although they came short of their ultimate goal, CHL alumni and Edmonton Oilers skaters McDavid (Erie Otters), Evan Bouchard (London Knights), and Draisaitl (Prince Albert Raiders) finished the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs as the NHL’s postseason scoring leaders. As mentioned above, McDavid (8G-34A in 25 GP) led the way with 42 points, while Bouchard with 32 points (6G-26A in 25 GP) and Draisaitl with 31 points (10G-21A in 25GP) placed second and third respectively.

McDavid’s 34 assists during the 2024 playoffs established a new NHL record for the most all-time in a single postseason, breaking the previous mark of 31 assists held by Soo Greyhounds alumnus Wayne Gretzky. McDavid’s 42 points this postseason rank as the fourth-highest count in NHL history with just two names above him on this list: Gretzky and Laval Voisins alumnus Mario Lemieux. Additionally, with 26 helpers during the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Bouchard passed Soo Greyhounds alumnus Paul Coffey for the most assists by a defenseman in a single postseason in NHL history.

Heading into this year’s Stanley Cup Final, of the 245 players with their names etched onto the Stanley Cup over the last 10 years, 55% (135 players total) had come through the CHL, including 18 players on last year’s Vegas Golden Knights championship roster

Quick Facts

• With 12 CHL alumni on their roster, the Florida Panthers helped mark the sixth season in a row that 10+ CHL graduates helped their team to a Stanley Cup title
• McDavid became the 7th CHL alumnus since 2013 to win the Conn Smythe Trophy
• By winning the Conn Smythe Trophy as a member of the losing team, McDavid became just the 6th player in NHL history to achieve that feat, joining a list that includes four other CHL alumni: Roger Crozier (St. Catharines Teepees), Ron Hextall (Brandon Wheat Kings), Reggie Leach (Flin Flon Bombers), and Jean-Sebastien Giguere (Halifax Mooseheads)
• Having played in the OHL with the Windsor Spitfires and been a head coach with the Detroit Jr. Red Wings, Maurice became the 8th head coach with ties to the CHL to hoist the Stanley Cup in the last 15 years
• Seven of the top-nine leading scorers this postseason were CHL alumni: McDavid, Bouchard, Draisaitl, Tkachuk, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (Edmonton Oilers / Red Deer Rebels), Verhaeghe, and Vincent Trocheck (New York Rangers / Saginaw Spirit)
• Seven of the top-11 goal scorers during the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs were CHL alumni, including four of the top five: Verhaeghe, Johnston, Draisaitl & Reinhart
• 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

Complete list of the 12 CHL alumni who won the Stanley Cup in 2024
Players are listed alongside the CHL club they’ve played the most games with

Florida Panthers (12)
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), Justin Sourdif (Vancouver Giants), Anthony Stolarz (London Knights), Matthew Tkachuk (London Knights), Carter Verhaeghe (Niagara IceDogs)