There is nothing more brutal in North American professional sports than a defeat in the seventh game of a final series. Leon Draisaitl reacted accordingly emotionally to missing out on the NHL title.
While the Florida Panthers were still on the ice ringing in their lavish party night with the coveted Stanley Cup, Leon Draisaitl, with red eyes, tried to describe the biggest disappointment of his career in an adjoining room of the locker room.
Three defeats at the start, then three wins and in the seventh game of the final series the chance for the longed-for triumph – only to then lose 1:2 and, despite numerous chances, wake up brutally from the great ice hockey dream.
“It’s heartbreaking. I haven’t felt much worse, to be honest,” said the Edmonton Oilers forward in the catacombs of the arena north of Miami. “It hurts a lot right now. You’re one or two shots away from winning the thing. Now you have to go through 82 games of the season again, play well enough to even get another chance.”
Draisaitl refuses to comment on injuries and his own future
Physically weakened and visibly empty at the end, Draisaitl also had nothing left in the tank to force an extension. For weeks there had been rumors about a broken rib and broken fingers. Draisaitl did not want to comment on his physical condition. “We don’t need to talk about that now,” he said simply – and also refused to comment on his own future.
While the Panthers celebrated redemption and their first championship one year after their final defeat against the Vegas Golden Knights, the Oilers slipped into a painful summer break with question marks. It remains to be seen whether Draisaitl will be involved again next season in the attempt to win the Oilers’ sixth title. The 28-year-old Cologne native’s contract expires after the next season.
If Edmonton does not want to risk losing one of the league’s best professionals for nothing, both parties must agree to continue their collaboration in the coming months – or the striker may end up wearing a different jersey for the first time in his NHL career. According to well-informed NHL insider Frank Seravalli, Draisaitl and his congenial strike partner Connor McDavid (contract ends in 2026) have already given the Oilers management the signal that they want to stay long-term.
Praise from Uwe Krupp
Before these talks, however, there will probably be a few days of grieving. “I think it will definitely hurt for a while. Then just focus on the next season,” said Draisaitl after the bitter end of the season in Florida, before he went back to the locker room.
“This defeat in the seventh game is a kick below the belt,” said two-time Stanley Cup winner Uwe Krupp to the dpa. The former national coach praised Draisaitl for a “great season. He has played a huge part in the Oilers’ success, is a very important factor.”
Oilers miss a chapter of sports history
With a fourth win, the Oilers would have made sports history and become only the second team in NHL history to win the series after three defeats at the start of the Stanley Cup Finals. The only time the Toronto Maple Leafs managed this was 82 years ago. The dry spell for Canadian teams would also have been over; the last time the NHL champions came from outside the USA was 31 years ago.
The guests quickly countered the 0:1 by Carter Verhaeghe in the 5th minute, and Mattias Janmark equalized in the 7th minute. In the second period, the Oilers had the puck more often and for longer, but were hardly able to generate any clear chances due to their superiority. A counterattack finally resulted in a saveable shot by Sam Reinhart, which rocked the arena in Florida (36th minute).
The Oilers struggled, worked hard and in some situations simply didn’t have the necessary luck. Draisaitl, visibly injured and apparently avoiding tough challenges, was unable to help his team decisively. The same goes for superstar McDavid, who was the first final loser in 21 years to be awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
This means that only five German professionals can call themselves Stanley Cup winners: Krupp (1996/2002), Dennis Seidenberg (2011), Tom Kühnhackl (2016/2017), Philipp Grubauer (2018) and Nico Sturm (2022). Draisaitl has the personal awards as most valuable player of a season and top scorer. He still has to wait for the longed-for title. “I trust them to reach for the Stanley Cup again, especially with the experience of the current run,” said Krupp.
Source: Stern
I am Pierce Boyd, a driven and ambitious professional working in the news industry. I have been writing for 24 Hours Worlds for over five years, specializing in sports section coverage. During my tenure at the publication, I have built an impressive portfolio of articles that has earned me a reputation as an experienced journalist and content creator.
