I’ll always remember Florida Panthers coach Paul Maurice elevating the Stanley Cup for the primary time.
A coach within the NHL since 1995 when he took his first bench boss gig with the Hartford Whalers on the age of 28, Maurice lastly captured Lord Stanley’s Mug in 2024. Probably the most lovely trophy in sports activities was handed to him mid-interview; he paused what he was saying, grabbed the Cup and lifted it, delivering one of many longest and most satisfying exhales in sports activities historical past.
Even in the event you weren’t a Panthers fan, in that second you have been thrilled for Maurice — a man who devoted his life to hockey and eventually achieved his goals.
There have been a number of such iconic moments in NHL historical past. Probably the most well-known instance is Ray Bourque successful the Cup with the Colorado Avalanche in 2001 as Joe Sakic made essentially the most well-known “move” in hockey historical past, not even elevating the Cup earlier than delivering it to Bourque’s awaiting fingers. Lanny McDonald retired a champion with the Calgary Flames in 1989 and was the topic of my favourite hockey photograph ever, an ideal instance of how arduous it’s to win the Cup and the way blissful it feels to lastly do it:
Yearly, hockey followers like to determine a veteran who hasn’t received the Cup but to cheer for within the playoffs (notably if their group does not make the postseason). Who has the feel-good story? Who has been within the league for thus lengthy that you simply consider they deserve one?
Some label it the OGWAC, or “previous man with out a Cup.” The identical 12 months Paul Maurice first received it in 2024, Kyle Okposo additionally was one of many strongest OGWAC candidates. He received his first Cup with the Cats after an 18-year profession with the New York Islanders and Buffalo Sabres.
Listed below are my OGWAC picks for this season as we march towards the Stanley Cup playoffs:
May this season be it for essentially the most majestic beard within the NHL and one the league’s most colorful characters? He’ll garner a whole lot of OGWAC votes as one of many few NHL gamers over 40.
The excellent news for Burns is that he performs for the Avalanche, the group that has the shortest odds to win the Stanley Cup, at +290 per DraftKings Sportsbook. Burns made a Cup Remaining with the Sharks and achieved playoff success with a Hurricanes group that simply could not recover from the hump. Now, he is a candidate to lastly get a Cup whereas skating with the perfect group within the NHL.
What a narrative this is able to be.
Though Nick Foligno has captained two NHL golf equipment (Columbus then Chicago), he hasn’t performed north of 10 playoff video games in a single season. He was a part of that record-setting Boston Bruins roster in 2023 that dramatically misplaced within the first spherical to the Panthers. Whereas enjoying for the Toronto Maple Leafs, he was the primary man to drop the gloves with Corey Perry after Perry landed an unintentional however damaging knee on a susceptible John Tavares through the playoffs. Merely put, Nick is among the nice leaders in sports activities of our era.
Now the 38-year-old, for the primary time ever, is on the identical group as his youthful brother (34). They’re a part of a stacked Wild group that’s searching for its first Stanley Cup in franchise historical past. The picture of the Foligno brothers hoisting Lord Stanley’s Mug within the air could be an all-time hockey photograph.
The captain of the Stars additionally will get the “spent his total NHL profession with the identical group” vote, actually changing into the heartbeat of the Stars’ franchise. He is comparatively younger in contrast with some on this checklist, however the 36-year-old signed a one 12 months, $1 million deal this previous offseason to get one other run on the Cup with Dallas. This may additionally produce a cathartic second ought to the Stars win, since as captain Benn could be the one skating to the commissioner to seize the trophy first.
Benn captained the group to the Cup Remaining in 2020 and to convention finals runs up to now three seasons. Not many hockey followers could be dissatisfied seeing Benn increase the Cup.
“Reavo” will definitely acquire votes from followers of his former groups for a way a lot he has caught up for star gamers in seasons previous — and continues to take action for Macklin Celebrini, Will Smith and the opposite younger Sharks this season.
Reaves, 39, scored the Western Convention finals-clinching aim for Vegas in 2018, sending the Golden Knights to the Cup Remaining; they in the end misplaced to the Washington Capitals (giving Alex Ovechkin his first Stanley Cup).
The Sharks are enjoyable to look at and firmly occupy that “second-favorite group” place for a lot of hockey followers. So if San Jose does make a push and secures a playoff spot, it can little question get a whole lot of love, with Reaves incomes a few of the OGWAC vote.
Sure, the Wild have a number of candidates on the checklist!
In 2014, Zuccarello turned the primary NHL participant from Norway to play within the Stanley Cup Remaining, in a shedding effort for the New York Rangers. Though we’re seven years faraway from his final sport in a Broadway Blueshirt, some Rangers followers nonetheless maintain a smooth spot for Zucc and would like to see him win the Cup.
I think about that within the order of who will get to accommodate the Cup first, Zuccarello is perhaps on the entrance of the road on the Wild, proper after captain Jared Spurgeon. Nick Foligno would in all probability be proper behind Mats (Zucc wins out as a consequence of Minnesota tenure and each being comparable in age — that may be my guess).
Honorable mentions
Though ineligible for the OGWAC classification, two different gamers who would definitely get consideration chasing a Cup this spring are:
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Corey Perry. That is merely as a consequence of the truth that though Perry, who’s 40, received a Cup with the Geese again in 2007, he has misplaced within the Cup Remaining in 5 of the previous six seasons.
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Connor McDavid. The “all the time a bridesmaid, by no means a bride” narrative is in hyperdrive after the Olympics. However that feeling has been there the previous few seasons for McDavid, 29, just because he is the perfect hockey participant on the planet. The NHL’s most team-friendly contract he signed within the fall can also be an enormous consider these excessive expectations.
Soar forward:
Games of the week
What I loved this weekend
Hart Trophy candidates
Social post of the week
Stick taps
Greatest video games of the week
This week, I am locked in on two groups chasing a playoff berth after lacking for the previous few years:
The Columbus Blue Jackets sit one level again within the East wild-card race — however could be in first place within the Pacific Division. They host the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday, the New York Rangers on Thursday and the Seattle Kraken on Saturday earlier than heading to Lengthy Island to fulfill the New York Islanders on Sunday.
A win streak right here could be fairly useful, as they appear to catch the Boston Bruins and Detroit Red Wings whereas staving off the groups behind them as effectively.
The San Jose Sharks climbed into the second West wild-card spot over the weekend; think about an Avalanche-Sharks first-round matchup! That may be a pleasure to look at.
Macklin Celebrini & Co. go to the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday earlier than internet hosting the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday and Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday. These are two robust video games in opposition to playoff-bound golf equipment, after which they will face a group begging for factors at this level within the season.
Hart Trophy contenders if the season ended right this moment
I am beginning to surprise what number of Hart Trophy votes gamers akin to Macklin Celebrini and Matthew Schaefer will get for a way useful they have been to their group. Perhaps successful the Calder might be sufficient within the voters’ eyes for Schaefer, and even when the Sharks declare a postseason spot, Celebrini won’t clear the sheer quantity of factors that the large three have (despite the fact that he is a serious motive the Sharks would make the playoffs within the first place).
My checklist stays unchanged, however wavering; I am an enormous “literal definition of the Hart trophy” man, and I am monitoring the standings for that motive.
Connor McDavid has 111 factors, together with six factors in his previous 5 video games, because the Oilers battle for the Pacific Division lead.
Nathan MacKinnon is at 109, with 12 factors in seven video games throughout March, together with a four-point night time in opposition to Seattle on Thursday, and the Avs stay on high of your entire league standings.
Nikita Kucherov is the one different participant with north of 100 factors within the NHL this season (106), and he had essentially the most factors in his previous 5 video games of the large three (10). The Lightning are 4 factors again of the Sabres on high of the Atlantic Division.
What I cherished this weekend
The Sabres and Maple Leafs are entering into reverse instructions. The Sabres are a “wagon” and certain playoff sure (lastly!), whereas the Leafs are deliberating numerous phases of a rebuild/retool/revamp.
Forward of the Sabres-Leafs matchup Saturday in Buffalo, Sabres coach Lindy Ruff was requested concerning the standing of the long-standing custom of hockey followers in Toronto shopping for up Sabres dwelling sport tickets (even in opposition to non-Toronto groups) given the brand new dynamic, which elicited a humorous response from Ruff:
With the Leafs and Sabres having considerably reverse seasons, Lindy Ruff hoped Leafs followers is perhaps keen to promote their tickets to Sabres followers in Buffalo 😂 pic.twitter.com/iPMmIbl3fB
— BarDown (@BarDown) March 14, 2026
Social media submit of the weekend
Staff USA’s official X account put out a preview submit for Sunday’s gold medal sled hockey sport in opposition to Canada and known as the feud “Seated Rivalry,” an homage to the favored present “Heated Rivalry” on HBO. Generally you simply need to tip your cap.
Appointment tv. 🍿#WinterParalympics pic.twitter.com/lh0DWUc3qQ
— Staff USA (@TeamUSA) March 13, 2026
Stick faucets
Congratulations to the under-10 C2-2 Kirkwood Stars from the Kirkwood Youth Hockey Group within the St. Louis space, winners of the Blue Word Cup in 2026!
No. 56 Adeline McKenna is on the group; her father is former NHL goaltender Mike McKenna, who can also be a part of the Kirkwood teaching workers.
The group entered the competitors with the No. 3 seed, needed to win three video games in a row to take the trophy and did, together with a 4-3 victory over Woman Liberty.
“The development all through the season was unimaginable,” coach McKenna mentioned. “[We had] 4 gamers that got here from the Study to Play program. … They took off and have become excellent gamers.”
Go Stars!
