The 2024 Stanley Cup Final is set between the Edmonton Oilers and the Florida Panthers, will the distance matter?

The 2024 Stanley Cup Final match-up is set as the Edmonton Oilers are taking on the Florida Panthers; puck drop on game one in Sunrise, Florida is set for Saturday, June 8, at 8 p.m. ET.

Canada has not seen one of its teams hoist the Cup in 31 years — the Montréal Canadiens beat the Los Angeles Kings in five games in 1993. The Canadiens are the most decorated NHL team, capturing their 24th Stanley Cup win in that series against the Kings. The Oilers have five cups under their belt, winning four in the mid-to-late e1980s and one in 1990. It has also been 31 years for the Panthers, as their franchise was founded in 1993 and the team has yet to bring home professional sports' greatest trophy. Could this be their year for their first Cup?

This series turned out to make NHL history though, even before any on-ice action had taken place. As we know, the Stanley Cup Final sees the winner of the Western Conference take on the winner of the Eastern Conference, travel cross-country is always expected. What we are seeing now though, is the longest distance between two Finals opponents, ever! It will take around seven hours through the sky to travel the 2,540 miles to get from Edmonton, AB to Sunrise, FL, allowing fans and media members to get their cheers and notes ready for an incredibly exciting Cup Final that awaits. We can't forget though, the players also have to travel this distance, and what kind of effect will that have on them at this stage of the demanding and physical Stanley Cup playoffs?

The final round of the NHL playoffs has seen great distance traveled before and could potentially see a greater distance between the Cup contenders in the future. A New York City to Los Angeles Cup final happened in 2012 and 2014 when the Kings beat the New Jersey Devils to win the Cup in 2012 then returning two short years later to beat the New York Rangers in five games. This LA-NYC trip is 2,445 miles, just about 100 miles less than this year. But what if the Cup Finals saw the Kings take on the Boston Bruins? That would be about 2,590 miles — so 50 more than we're seeing now.

NHL history would be made yet again if the Panthers returned to the Cup Finals and took on the Vancouver Canucks — this time the trip ranging from Sunrise, FL to northwestern Canada in Vancouver, BC would span 2,783 miles. This seems to be the greatest possible distance to travel between two NHL teams that could meet at this stage of the game.

For now though, this is NHL history in the making. This Final round will be physical, gritty, and passionate. We wouldn't want it any other way.