EDMONTON, Alberta — It took Stuart Skinner some time to come to terms with the deep disappointment of losing Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final in the previous season.
“Definitely, something was buried deep inside. It was a simple way to handle it, instead of thinking and trying to process it. I just pushed it down,” Skinner recalled. “Normally, I confront the wound pretty quickly, but it took me a while, well into the summer. And then it hit me hard midway through.”
Now that he has faced and dealt with that pain, the difficult experiences that crushed Skinner last season have positioned him to potentially lift the Stanley Cup this season.
“I feel completely different. I think everyone in our locker room feels different. Because we`ve already gone through it,” he said before the Stanley Cup Final rematch against the Florida Panthers. “We`ve already experienced it. And to be honest, we`ve gone through the worst-case scenario: losing Game 7.”
Skinner, 26, is in his fifth NHL season, all with the Edmonton Oilers, who selected him 78th overall in 2017. Before he was an Oilers goalie, he was an Oilers fan: The Edmonton native remembers cheering from the stands, chanting `NUUUUUUUGE!` for forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, his favorite player growing up — someone he now shares a dressing room with.
“It`s pretty amazing. He was clearly my favorite player when I was younger, and being able to play alongside him has been one of the coolest experiences,” Skinner said.
Thus, the Game 7 loss to the Panthers last season was devastating on multiple levels. The Oilers mounted a comeback from a 3-0 series deficit to force a deciding game, only to lose 2-1 and miss the chance to raise the Stanley Cup. Captain Connor McDavid was visibly emotional, crying in the dressing room after the game. Skinner`s tears began even before the traditional post-series handshake line.
It wasn`t just about squandering the opportunity to live a childhood dream and win the Stanley Cup as an Oiler. Skinner felt he had, in a way, let down his country, which has been waiting for another Canadian team to win the Cup since Montreal did in 1993.
“It`s a bit tougher because it`s a Canadian market. All of Canada is watching you. All of Canada is disappointed in you,” he noted.
Skinner suppressed all of this for as long as he could. He told his wife, Chloe, that he was “totally fine,” to which she wisely replied, “I don`t think you are.” Skinner credits her as being instrumental in helping him “open the wound” and confront that anguish. He talked to her, friends, teammates, and coaches about the profound devastation he felt.
“I have a lot of people in my corner where I`m able to kind of `word vomit` a bit, just let all the emotion out,” he explained.
He also journaled extensively. This is something Skinner has been doing since he was 18 to “calm the mind down” and be as present as possible.
“I think that`s kind of my main goal through all this. I think last year, with all the emotions, you can sometimes drift away from the present moment,” he said. “There are just small tools that can genuinely help you.”
Then, he reopened the wound a few weeks before the start of the 2024-25 season: Skinner finally watched Game 7.
“I`m not entirely sure why. Maybe for a bit of motivation. Maybe to fully release the emotions related to it,” he said.
He watched the two goals he allowed. He thought about the handshake line, where he congratulated his opposing goaltender, Sergei Bobrovsky of Florida, despite being an emotional wreck at that moment.
“That`s difficult to do, obviously, when you`re in the process of being crushed and in the midst of crying. So yeah, in a moment like that, you have to act like a man and be gracious towards everyone,” Skinner said. “I mean, it`s one of the best days of their lives, so I wasn`t going to have my own little pity party with them.”
Bobrovsky remembers that interaction as well.
“I tried to offer him support, naturally. I told him that he played excellently. He gave it his all. It was a good fight. It was a good battle,” the Panthers goalie recounted.
Skinner finished rewatching Game 7, and that was the end of it. “Now, it`s in the past,” he stated.
This encapsulates Stuart Skinner`s approach. Adversity arises. He processes it, channeling its energy into a positive force for personal improvement and growth.
“A lifetime of hardships, a lifetime of moments of success. All the things you experience where you might think it`s the end of the world. You have a choice to make in that moment: either to get back up or to give up,” Skinner reflected. “I`ve always held the genuine belief that if you simply never, ever give up, you will be capable of achieving it. And I believe that`s true for anyone.”
IT`S NOT EASY being Stuart Skinner in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
“Yeah, he`s experienced both ups and downs. I think people tend to focus more on the downs than the ups,” said Oilers GM Stan Bowman.
Skinner became the primary starter in 2022-23, allowing at least three goals in six of his 12 appearances as Edmonton exited in the second round against the Vegas Golden Knights.
The following season cemented the “roller coaster” status often associated with Skinner`s playoff performances. He was benched in the second round against the Vancouver Canucks after conceding four goals on 15 shots in their Game 3 loss. Calvin Pickard played the subsequent two games in the series, with a 1-1 record. With the Oilers facing elimination, Skinner reclaimed the crease and allowed just one goal in their Game 6 victory, and two goals in their decisive Game 7 win.
Despite the criticism he faced, Skinner delivered exactly what the Oilers needed in the next two rounds, limiting the Dallas Stars to just one goal in each of the last two games of that series and then allowing two or fewer goals in the final four games of the Stanley Cup Final loss to Florida.
In line with this pattern, the 2025 postseason has been quintessential Skinner. He lost the first two games in the opening round against the Los Angeles Kings, giving up a total of 11 goals and again yielding his starting spot to Pickard, who went 6-0 until an injury brought Skinner back into the starter`s role for their Game 3 loss to Vegas.
“We are pursuing the same objective. Obviously, he would prefer to be in the net. It was his role to support me, and right now, it`s my role to support him,” Pickard commented before the Final.
Since Game 4 against the Golden Knights, Skinner has arguably been the best goaltender in the playoffs: posting a 7-1 record, with a .938 save percentage and a 1.54 goals-against average. His prior benching feels as distant a memory as it did last postseason.
“It`s kind of the narrative of the Oilers. We get knocked down, we just keep getting back up, right? You`ve observed that throughout all the playoffs this year, both as individuals and as a collective team,” Skinner stated.
Opposing fans and media have often shown little sympathy towards Skinner`s struggles. Road arenas frequently echo with chants of `SKIN-NER!` even when he is performing well. Los Angeles fans went so far as to chant `WE WANT SKINNER!` while he was sitting on the bench after being pulled from a game. On a Stanley Cup contender boasting world-class talents, he is sometimes perceived as its weak point at worst, and merely “the guy whose job is not to lose the series” at best.
Ray Ratto of Defector recently published a column titled “Oh God, Stuart Skinner Controls The Oilers` Destiny,” writing: “As the Oilers` goaltender, he has personified both the highs and lows of being an Oil fan, because there is never certainty regarding the level of quality he will provide.”
As one would anticipate, Skinner`s teammates consistently defend his play when confronted with such criticism. Many point out that being a goaltender naturally attracts more scrutiny and condemnation.
“Being a goalie in this league, being a starting goalie in Canada, it`s quite a demanding job,” Pickard observed.
“It`s the most challenging position in sports, given the attention they receive. You look through the roster, everyone makes mistakes. But when the goalie does, then everyone notices,” Bowman remarked.
“It has to be one of the most pressure-packed positions in all of sports,” Oilers center Adam Henrique said. “Obviously, the media plays a significant role too. In this market, there`s so much that goes into it. I think he does an excellent job of managing all that, adjusting, and doing what he needs to do to simply be himself.”
But beyond empathy for the difficult position he plays and defending his postseason performances, Skinner`s teammates also believe the unpredictable swings in his playoff runs are inspiring.
“That`s the great thing about hockey: You can be on top of the world one day and at the bottom of the mountain the next, striving to get back to the summit,” defenseman Ty Emberson said.
“I think you just have to give him immense credit for his mental fortitude. You get pulled from a game, fail to win a game, and then come back and perform like the best goalie in the world,” Emberson stated. “That`s something I`ve been telling [Skinner] over the past couple of weeks: `I believe you are the best goalie in the world.`”
HENRIQUE IS IN his 15th NHL season. Where does Stuart Skinner rank on his “weird goalie meter”?
“I wouldn`t rank him particularly high. He`s not an overtly weird guy, so I would place him somewhere in the middle of the spectrum, between `crazy, wacky goalie` and `completely normal guy`,” Henrique assessed. “I genuinely like that guy. Getting to know him and seeing how he handles pressure, he does a fantastic job with the mental aspect of everything.”
It might surprise some that a goalie who has produced such erratic swings during the playoffs is considered a calming presence among his teammates.
“Things are never too chaotic with him,” Pickard noted. “You are going to play many games throughout a season. There will be numerous ups and downs, and he remains very even-keeled, and that is a significant attribute.”
Bowman stated that Skinner has a “good demeanor” for a goalie. “I think you must possess that ability to brush things off, and his capacity to deal with that adversity has been impressive,” the GM said.
In Game 1 against the Panthers on Wednesday, adversity struck when Florida took a 3-1 lead in the second period. The Panthers were aggressively pushing to extend that lead, holding a 30-16 advantage in shot attempts at 5-on-5 during the period. Ironically, that was when Skinner`s mind was at its most tranquil state.
“Honestly, it quietens everything down because you are actively engaged in so much work. In that precise moment, I am actually doing the least amount of thinking,” he explained. “Where I find myself thinking a lot is in the third period when I only face two shots and I`m kind of just waiting for something to happen.”
When the Oilers significantly tightened their team defense in the third period, as they have in the past two rounds of the playoffs, Skinner mentioned he practices breathing exercises to elevate his heart rate and adrenaline slightly, given he is not facing the same continuous barrage.
“You`re almost feeling anxious for [the puck] to come your way,” he said, “and naturally there are many thoughts, like, `I really hope we score.`”
The Oilers rallied to tie the game and then scored near the end of the first overtime to secure a 1-0 series lead, as McDavid found Leon Draisaitl for the winning goal — something Skinner has witnessed more than a few times with the Oilers.
“I definitely have the best view in the arena,” Skinner said after the game. “It`s a special moment. It`s a mix of excitement, relief, a lot of emotions surfacing, a lot of pride emerging. You manage to fight for a long, long time throughout the entire game, and then you are able to win.”
McDavid had spoken about how the Stanley Cup Final felt different this time. “It`s different in the sense that it feels less overwhelming, you know? Last year felt monumental. Very dramatic. This year feels very normal,” he commented. “It`s easier to play and perform when it`s just another day.”
Skinner feels the same way. “Last year, it`s your first time experiencing it. That can obviously bring a lot of excitement, certainly a lot of energy,” he said. “I am truly thankful for that experience I gained last year because this year I feel the complete opposite.”
He mentioned he gets proper rest between games this year, which was a challenge last season due to lack of sleep. He said his sense of awe has diminished year over year, too. Skinner recalled feeling overwhelmed when the Stanley Cup was presented on the ice before the first game last year. On Wednesday, when the Cup made its appearance, Skinner said he felt entirely different.
“When I saw the Cup on the ice last year, I was kind of looking at it with wide, amazed eyes,” he said. “This year, I`ve already seen it. So now it`s time to get back to work. It felt completely different emotionally.”
Skinner stated he has visualized lifting the Stanley Cup and experiencing all the joy that Game 7 denied him last season.
“I`ve done all the manifestation techniques,” he remarked.
He has also imagined scenarios where things don`t work out as planned.
“You might think I`m a bit unusual, but I visualize both outcomes. I visualize being able to win and I visualize losing again,” he revealed. “You have to prepare for everything. There are so many different things that can potentially happen.”
Stuart Skinner would know. He has experienced almost everything in the Stanley Cup playoffs, save for one thing: winning his final game of the season.
