The Florida Panthers pummeled the Edmonton Oilers 6–1 in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Finals to take a 2–1 series lead, but the game wasn’t only defined by goals — it also featured a staggering 140 penalty minutes, a total rarely seen this deep into the postseason.
The Panthers, now with commanding control of the series, were hit with 14 penalties, including five for roughing. Only one official fight was recorded, a scrap between Jonah Gadjovich and Darnell Nurse. The Oilers, meanwhile, were slapped with 21 total penalties as they struggled to contain Florida’s relentless pace.
Evander Kane was the most penalized player of the night, getting called four times and contributing to the Oilers’ 85 of the 140 total penalty minutes — a mark that now enters the record books as one of the most penalty-filled games in Stanley Cup Finals history.
Where does this rank in Stanley Cup Finals history?
Game 3 now ranks as the fourth-most penalized game in Stanley Cup Finals history. The last time a Finals game reached at least 140 penalty minutes was in 2023, when the Panthers and Golden Knights combined for 148 in Game 2.
- Flames vs. Canadiens (1986 Game 4) – 176 minutes
- Panthers vs. Golden Knights (2023 Game 2) – 148 minutes
- Canucks vs. Bruins (2011 Game 3) – 145 minutes
- Oilers vs. Panthers (2025 Game 3) – 140 minutes
That 1986 game between Calgary and Montreal was notoriously violent, especially in the third period, which turned into an “all-out brawl”. The Canadiens would go on to win that game 1–0 and eventually secure the Cup in Game 5.
What’s the NHL record for most penalty minutes in a game?
That still belongs to a 2004 NHL regular season clash between the Philadelphia Flyers and Ottawa Senators, where the two teams combined for a staggering 419 penalty minutes — a record that has stood for more than 20 years.