Stanley Cup Final schedule released and it dips into summer

There are few guarantees in the Stanley Cup playoffs, but we do know one thing: the trophy will be awarded sometime in June this year.

And while we don’t know who’s playing in the showdown for the ages just yet, we know that it could stretch into the summer.

The NHL announced the schedule for this year’s championship slate on Thursday: Game 1 of the series is set for Saturday, June 8, while Game 7 is set for June 24.

It could be one of the latest Stanley Cup Finals ever.

In 2022, the Colorado Avalanche won on June 26, though the year’s NHL calendar was bumped back due to the ripple effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2021 Stanley Cup Final between Montreal and Tampa Bay took place from June 28 to July 7, while the 2020 bubble concluded from September 19 to 28, 2020. The 2013 Stanley Cup was won on June 24, by the Chicago Blackhawks.

In pre-COVID-19 days, the schedule for the Final often wrapped in the first half of June, and occasionally in the first week, depending on how fast the previous playoff rounds were completed.

Both semifinal series are tied at two games apiece. The Edmonton Oilers evened up the Western Conference Final last night with a 5-2 win at Rogers Place over the Dallas Stars, while the New York Rangers and Florida Panthers play tonight at Madison Square Garden in a pivotal Game 5 matchup.

The earliest we could know this year’s full Stanley Cup matchup is on Sunday, while both series will be wrapped up by Tuesday, should each go the distance.

All games for the series have an 8 pm ET start time, which would be 6 pm local in Edmonton, 7 pm in Dallas, and 8 pm for games in either New York or Florida.

Here’s the full list of dates for the final series:

2024 Stanley Cup Final Schedule

Game 1: Saturday, June 8
Game 2: Monday, June 10
Game 3: Thursday, June 13
Game 4: Saturday, June 15
Game 5: Tuesday, June 18*
Game 6: Friday, June 21*
Game 7: Monday, June 24*

*if necessary

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