Panthers-Oilers fight: How Game 3 of Stanley Cup Final turned into all-out brawl in Florida

Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Finals saw the series shift south to Florida. The Panthers and Oilers were tied at one game apiece and were notably playing a more physical series. 

Game 3 had more of the same. There was a lot of chippiness throughout the game, and some impactful hits to the delight of fans in attendance. This came to a head in the third period, when a brawl between all of the players on the ice broke out. Usually in hockey fights, it is after a blindside hit and it is just between the two players while their teammates circle them and cheer them on.

The Game 3 fight between the Oilers and Panthers involved the entire line, and even some of the referees got caught up in it. Florida went on to win the game, but this one will be remembered for the third-period brawl and the insane amount of penalty minutes between the two teams. 

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Here is more on the fight that took place at the end of Game 3 between the Oilers and Panthers. 

Panthers-Oilers fight

It had been a physical game already, with several penalties called on both sides. With 9:31 left in the game and the Panthers up 5-1, frustrations boiled over for Edmonton forward Trent Frederic, who cross-checked the Panthers’ Sam Bennett in the back near center ice. This was the light spark that the entire ice needed. 

Bennett took down Frederic and a referee got caught in the crossfire. Their teammates slid toward the Oilers’ bench as they started trying to throw haymakers. 

GAME 3 OF THE STANLEY CUP FINAL HAS TURNED INTO A LINE BRAWL 🤯😱 pic.twitter.com/pdDkUNh5yZ

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) June 10, 2025

This fight epitomized some of the best things about hockey. First, it looks like the Edmonton bench is trying to help out their teammate and throw punches. They aren’t. They are trying to take the sticks away from the players closest to them so they can free up their hands and duke it out properly. 

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Second, Darnell Nurse and Jonah Gadjovich split off from the pack. They became the crowd’s focal point. Any time the Panthers’ Gajovich hit Nurse, the crowd went nuts. Anytime Nurse hit Gajovich, they booed.  

When the dust settled and the action subsided, there were three 10-minute misconducts handed out per side as well as a slew of other roughing and fighting penalties. Gadjovich, Bennett and A.J. Greer got the misconducts for Florida, while Nurse, Frederic and Mattias Ekholm were on the receiving end for Edmonton. 

Most penalties in a Stanley Cup Final game

The fight was a memorable part of the game, but it also resulted in a standout stat sheet. There were a whopping 140 penalty minutes shared between the teams. The fight inflated the numbers, but Florida had 55 penalty minutes while Edmonton had 85. 

You will not see many Stanley Cup Final games like that one — 140 total penalty minutes pic.twitter.com/uCtqLg2pa2

— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) June 10, 2025

The Oilers’ 85 penalty minutes in a Stanley Cup Finals game were some of the most all-time.