EDMONTON, Alberta — At the height of his hockey career after winning the Stanley Cup last year with the Florida Panthers, Matthew Tkachuk had a message for Connor McDavid at the Edmonton Oilers captain’s lowest point of his career in the handshake line immediately following Game 7.

Hockey is considered Canada's sport, but it has been decades since a Canadian team won the Stanley Cup. The Montreal Canadiens won the NHL championship in 1993 — at a time when having a Canadian winner seemed to be the rule.

Stanley Cup Final officially gets underway Wednesday, June 4, with the Edmonton Oilers hosting the Florida Panthers in Game 1. This is a rematch of last year's final, which saw Florida jump out to a 3-0 lead only to have Edmonton storm back and force a decisive Game 7.