Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl speaks after a Stanley Cup Final loss to the Florida Panthers, discussing Connor McDavid’s Conn Smythe win, if it’s possible to take any lessons from rallying back to force Game 7, and more.
SUNRISE, Fla. — Kyle Okposo used to rollerblade around his driveway as a kid, pretending he was a pro hockey player competing in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final.
It’s a memory he has kept with him throughout his NHL career — one so special to him that he shared it with his 8-year-old son just a day before his Florida Panthers faced the Edmonton Oilers in the decisive Game 7.
“I said, ‘How special that you’re going to be able to go to the game,’” Okposo recalled telling his son. “You’ve got to embrace it. You’ve got to just smile and enjoy it. … You’ve got to embrace every second of it.”