While he didn't win the Conn Smythe, Sergei Bobrovsky was the key to a winning pool entry.

Final Pool Analysis

A classic Cup Finals has ended with the better team - Florida - avenging its finals defeat from a year ago. In doing so, they crushed the hopes of Oiler fans and many Canadians of completing the legendary comeback and bring the Cup home.

The Panthers' game seven victory clinched the $2,094 Lord Stanley's Pool title for John Thompson, who picked the most accurate entry in the pool's history, just 9 points off the Dream Team maximum. After finishing a close 4th place last year, Anthony Bruno is on the podium this year, along with Donna Thompson, tied for 2nd and 3rd place ($698 each). Anthony and Donna had eight of nine Dream Team picks correct in another incredible show of accuracy. Congratulations to the winners!

Honourable mentions: Kinsey Gill finished in 4th just three points back. Mike Osburn, who led most of the pool along with Pierre Allard and finished fifth, would have won the pool if Edmonton had come through in game 7.

Legendary run
Connor McDavid's incredible playoff run included dragging the Oilers back from elimination for two games against Vancouver and three in the finals, including two four-point games. The Conn Smythe Trophy winner broke Wayne Gretzky's record for most assists in a playoff season, and his 42 points was 4th all time and most since 1991. In the pool, McDavid's 42 points is easily the most ever for a skater (surpassing Evgeni Malkin's 36 in 2009), and second only to Martin Brodeur's astounding 52 points from 7 shutouts, an assist, and a 16-win campaign in 2003.

Key to the pool
While McDavid and Oiler company were a given, netting 105 points among three players, they alone weren't enough. It was Sergei Bobrovsky, by a wide margin the best goalie, who was the key to this pool. Taking Bobrovsky likely also meant you took two other Panthers and, combined with the Oilers, you were in play for the pool championship.

Dream Team
Four players return from last year's Dream Team, including Connor McDavid's third consecutive, while three more return as multiple-time stars.

See Retro Dream Teams here - back to the start of the pool and further back to 1980.

2024 Dream Team
Forwards
Connor McDavid, EDM, 42
Leon Draisaitl, EDM, 31
Aleksandr Barkov, FLA, 22
Matthew Tkachuk, FLA, 22
Vincent Trochek, NYR, 20
Wyatt Johnston, DAL, Jason Robertson, DAL or Mika Zibanejad, NYR, 16
Defense
Evan Bouchard, EDM, 32
Miro Heiskanen, DAL, 16
Goalie
Sergei Bobrovsky, FLA, 27
Team
Florida, 10
TOTAL: 238
Winning Score: 229

Who was hot and not in the final round:

Hot	Pos. Gain (R3,R4 - not including Bonus)		Hot	Rd4 Pts.
Alex Kurgatnikov	65 (195,130)		Pierre Allard, Anthony Bruno, Devin Hurst, Tom Nicholl, Mike Osburn, Donna, John, and Ryan Thompson, Caesar Wener	36
Mason DePetrillo	49 (107,58)
Jeff Wood	49 (107,58)
Emma Loop	48 (85,37)
Samuel Moses	110 (280,170)
Not	Pos. Loss (R3,R4 - not including Bonus))		Not	Rd4 Pts.
Stacy Robichaud	50 (222,272)		300 tied with	0
Jonathan Berges	47 (231,278)
Hugh Freedman	36 (245,281)
Barbara Kennedy	36 (245,281)
Nolan Sarner	36 (245,281)

Team and Player Stats:

Top Players
Forwards Team Pts Picks Connor McDavid EDM 42 257 Leon Draisaitl EDM 31 188 Ryan Nugent-Hopkins EDM 22 1 Aleksander Barkov FLA 22 34 Zack Hyman EDM 22 37 Matthew Tkachuk FLA 22 95 Carter Verhaeghe FLA 21 8 Vincent Trochek NYR 20 27 Anton Lundell FLA 17 0 Wyatt Johnson DAL 16 11 Mika Zibanejad NYR 16 29 Sam Reinhart FLA 16 72 Jason Robertson DAL 16 92	Defense Team Pts Picks Evan Bouchard EDM 32 125 Miro Heiskanen DAL 16 57 Cale Makar FLA 13 6 Gustav Forsling FLA 13 6 Brandon Montour FLA 11 13 Goalies Team Pts Picks Sergei Bobrovski FLA 27 41 Stuart Skinner EDM 20 29 Jake Oettinger DAL 11 58 Artur Silovs VAN 10 0 Igor Shesterkin NYR 10 89

Next year: Lord Stanley's Pool 2025
Thank you to all for playing, I hope you enjoyed it. See you next year!