The 2025 Stanley Cup Final has been an absolute battle through the first two contests, with both the Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers winning a game apiece. In a fairly big surprise, two of the oldest guys in the league, Brad Marchand and Corey Perry, have been arguably the most impactful players to this point, leading to a guy who played with both of them, Shawn Thornton, weighing in on their success.
Thornton, who currently works as the Chief Revenue Officer for the Panthers, played alongside Marchand on the Boston Bruins and Perry on the Anaheim Ducks. While he said he doesn’t necessarily expect anyone to play as deep into their careers as the 37-year-old Marchand and 40-year-old Perry have, he isn’t surprised that they are still playing some of their best hockey on the biggest stage the game has to offer.
“I don’t feel that old,” Thornton said per Michael Russo of The Athletic. “I will say, I never would’ve counted them out, but you don’t expect this. There’s only a few guys that get to play until they’re 40, but to see them still playing at such a high level and coming through in such big moments, I’m not surprised. They both kept me in the NHL.”
Shawn Thornton hoping Brad Marchand keeps on delivering for the Panthers
Marchand played hero for the Panthers in Game 2 on Friday night when he scored a pair of goals in their 5-4 win, including the game-winner in double overtime. The only reason the game got to that point, though, is because Perry scored a game-tying goal with 18 seconds left in the third period to keep the Oilers alive.
Even though he’s friendly with both guys, Thornton’s involvement with Florida likely means he’s rooting for them to come out on top in the Stanley Cup Final for the second straight year. The Panthers will have an opportunity to take a 2-1 lead in the series when they take the ice for Game 3 on Monday, June 9 at 8 p.m. ET.
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