Sparks flew and tempers flared during Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final between the Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers. Following the candid ending to the Cats’ 6-1 victory, the NHL’s Department of Player Safety intervened. One of Connor McDavid‘s teammates received hefty fines for incidents involving Matthew Tkachuk and the Panthers’ bench.
It wasn’t the most competitive game, but NHL fans were treated to a bloodbath—and no shortage of fireworks—in Game 3 of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final. As the Oilers found themselves hopeless at Amerant Bank Arena, they dug deep into their bag of tricks in an attempt to stir the pot. The Panthers got under their skin, and pandemonium broke loose.
The third period felt more like a boxing bout rather than a Stanley Cup Final showdown. McDavid and the Oilers let their frustration boil over, going after Tkachuk and the Panthers after every whistle.
Defenseman Jake Walman once again took center stage in the series. He was assessed an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty in addition to a double-minor for roughing Tkachuk. Walman has been a Tasmanian devil for the Oilers in the Final, serving as an on-ice enforcer and constant agitator.
Jake Walman #96 of the Edmonton Oilers looks on against the Dallas Stars during the third period in Game Five of the Western Conference Final of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at American Airlines Center on May 29, 2025 in Dallas, Texas.
Footing the bill
There are no limits NHL players aren’t willing to push in pursuit of the Stanley Cup, but Walman crossed a line in Game 3—and the league’s Department of Player Safety took notice. As announced by the NHL, McDavid’s teammate has been hit with multiple hefty fines for his actions—rounding up to a total of $10,000 in sanctions.
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“Edmonton’s Jake Walman has been fined $5,000, the maximum allowable under the CBA, for roughing Florida’s Matthew Tkachuk. Walman has also been fined $5,000, the maximum allowable under the CBA, for unsportsmanlike conduct for an incident involving Florida’s bench,” the NHL’s Department of Player Safety announced on its X, formerly Twitter, account.
The incidents
There was no shortage of fisticuffs or post-whistle scrums in Game 3. With a combined 140 penalty minutes, it became the fourth-most penalized game in Stanley Cup Final history.
The Oilers accounted for 85 of the total 140 penalty minutes, giving the Panthers a staggering 11 power play opportunities. Yet it felt like Walman was always involved when chaos erupted on the ice.
Kane fires shot at officiating
Oilers forward Evander Kane is well-known around the NHL for speaking his mind, and he didn’t hold back, firing a candid comment at the officiating after the lopsided 6-1 defeat in Sunrise.
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“The game obviously got out of hand at the end. That stuff is going to happen. You look at some of the calls and, whatnot. Some of them are frustrating. They seem to get away with it more than we do,” Kane said after the defeat, via TSN. “It’s tough to find the line. They’re doing just as much stuff as we are. There seems to be a little more attention to our group.“
