The Stanley Cup has not been won by a Canadian team in over 30 years

Playing well in tough environments is nothing new to the Florida Panthers.

During the regular season, Florida finished tied with the Dallas Stars for the most road wins in the NHL with 26.

It's been more of the same since the playoffs arrived.

Florida, Dallas and the Edmonton Oilers are all tied with six road victories during the postseason, with the Panthers earning their wins in eight road games while the Oilers and Stars have each played nine.

There is no denying how much more difficult it becomes to win on the road during the playoffs, but that hasn't impacted the Panthers.

Florida's style of play is built for the postseason.

It's a lot of fast skating, heavy hitting, close defending, tight boards battles…things that can wear an opposing team down and take their fans out of a game.

Entering the Stanley Cup Final, the Panthers are well aware of what kind of situation they're heading into with the Oilers.

Edmonton is one of the most hockey-crazed markets in the NHL. It's not the biggest city, but boy do they love their hockey team.

"We’re expecting a great atmosphere," said Panthers forward Sam Reinhart. "It’s been a while since Edmonton has been in (the Final) last. It’s obviously an exciting time. It’s great for the game. We’re excited and we’re up for the challenge."

A Canadian team reaching the Stanley Cup Final is no small deal.

Lord Stanley's Cup has not been won by a team from Canada since 1993. That's the same year the Panthers played their first season in the league.

Since the Montreal Canadiens won the Cup in '93, there have been six teams from north of the border who have reached the Stanley Cup Final: Vancouver twice (1994, 2011), Calgary (2004), Edmonton (2006), Ottawa (2007) and Montreal (2021).

When this year's Stanley Cup Final begins on Saturday, expect most of Canada's NHL fans to be cheering for the world's most famous sports trophy to be brought back to its birthplace.

"Obviously they want their teams to be where Edmonton is, but a Canadian market, you know they're gonna have their whole country behind them," said Panthers defenseman Brandon Montour. "It’s going to be loud, but we focus on what we can here, and I think we’ve got a pretty good state (Florida) that’s excited that we're back here too as well, and that's what our goal is, to bring it back."

The series will begin on Saturday in Sunrise when the Panthers host Game 1 at Amerant Bank Arena.

A few days later the scene will shift to Edmonton and their home barn, Rogers Place.

The relatively small western Canadian metropolis has been consumed by hockey as the Oilers have embarked on their run to reach the championship series.

While there might be an entire country full of people pulling for the Oilers, they can only fit so many inside that arena.

"There's lots of people watching hockey straight into June up there and it's a big part of the fabric of life," said Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice. "If it was a 40,000 seat arena, they could probably fill it for an event like this."

Bottom line, it's going to be bonkers across Canada for the next couple weeks.

Whether you're a fan of the Oilers, Panthers, one of the 30 other NHL teams, or just a general fan of the sport, the spectacle that's coming should be fun for all.

"I think it’s going to be nuts," said Panthers forward Carter Verhaeghe. "They're really passionate about their hockey up there, and I think it's gonna be a crazy. I don't know when the last time they were in the final, but it's probably been a while for those fans and I expect nothing but the best atmosphere."

At the end of the day, the Panthers aren't worried about how loud and intimidating the crowd will sound.

Playing, and winning, in tough buildings is nothing new to these Cats.

If they can continue that success for a couple more weeks, the ultimate prize in all of hockey will be waiting for them.

"Every city thinks they have the loudest building," said Maurice. "Theirs is going to be loud and ours is going to be loud. I think we're six weeks in and it's our second tour going to the (Stanley Cup) Final, I don't think it hasn't much of an impact at all. Sometimes you get a little bit of a bump from being on the road because it's just you, there's that great camaraderie, it feels like the crowds all jacked up, it feels like it's just you. I know it's gonna be loud, it's gonna be great energy for sure, I just don't think it's something we haven't felt already."

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