Leon Draisaitl gets candid about recent Stanley Cup heartbreak with Connor McDavid

Leon Draisaitl gets candid about recent Stanley Cup heartbreak with Connor McDavid - "Still really stings"

Modified Apr 24, 2025 17:15 GMT

NHL: Edmonton Oilers at Minnesota Wild - Source: Imagn — Leon Draisaitl talked about the memories of losing Stanley Cup last year in Game 7 (image credit: IMAGN)

Leon Draisaitl recently shared how much last season’s loss still hurts. He spoke with Elliotte Friedman on a "Film With Friedge" session about the Stanley Cup Final Game 7 defeat to the Florida Panthers.

Sportsnet insider Elliotte Friedman asked if he and Connor McDavid talk about it. Draisaitl said they do sometimes and admitted that it still stings.

"Briefly, but I think you can tell that for a lot of our guys, that still really stings," Draisaitl said on Wednesday. "Connor and I were sitting in Florida in the morning before morning skate, and you could just tell — it was like a weird feeling, you know? We sat in the same stalls, and yeah, it hurts.

"I mean, it's always going to hurt until we actually do it and hopefully win one. I think it'll always kind of be there and stick around, and that's the way it is. We're not the first to go through that. So hopefully we can, yeah, get it done."

The Oilers had a rough start in the 2023-24 season, but after Kris Knoblauch joined the team in November, they turned things around, finishing with a strong 49-27-6 record.

Edmonton faced the Kings, Canucks and Stars in the playoffs and made it to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 2006. The Oilers fell behind 3-0 but forced Game 7. However, they lost 2-1.

McDavid led the playoffs in points with 42 and won the Conn Smythe Trophy. He said that he was proud of the team.

"Just the resilience of the group. We went through a lot of ups and downs and came that close," McDavid said in June, via NHL.com. "I’m really proud, proud of the way we fought all year...it (stinks)."

Leon Draisaitl scored for Oilers but the team lost 6-2 to the LA Kings

Leon Draisaitl could not lead the Edmonton Oilers to victory as they lost 6-2 to the LA Kings in Game 2 on Wednesday. He scored a goal at 13:54 in the second period to make it 3-1.

Draisaitl discussed the loss and said the team needs to work harder.

“We got a hunger to win as well, but we got to ramp it up,” Draisaitl said after the game, via NHL.com. “We got to dig in. We got to start playing here. Obviously, it hasn’t been good enough... We just have to find it, and we got to find it quick, of course.”

The Oilers will look to bounce back on Friday to avoid a 0-3 series deficit.

About the author

Ankit is an NHL journalist at Sportskeeda with over 3 years of experience in the writing industry. He has expertise in sports, product, and travel content writing. His interest in ice hockey was piqued after watching Sidney Crosby play and he has been passionately following the game since then. Ankit admires Crosby’s personality and hockey IQ, and when he crossed the 1,500 points tally, Ankit was among the biggest fans to celebrate the occasion.

An Edmonton Oilers fan because of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, Ankit also admires the Pittsburgh Penguins due to Crosby and the Colorado Avalanche for Nathan MacKinnon. He is also a fan of Wayne Gretzky and Bobby Orr.

Holding a Bachelor’s degree in English Literature and Language, Ankit believes his education has helped him develop a knack for presenting information in a precise and compelling manner. He only sources information from credible avenues and trusted people from his network for his articles.

When he is not watching or writing about the NHL, Ankit loves listening to music and reading books.

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Edited by Victor Ramon Galvez