Former NCAA DI hockey player in the 2025 Stanley Cup Finals

The 2025 Stanley Cup Finals are here, and the defending champion Florida Panthers will face the Edmonton Oilers again in the 2024 rematch. This year there are new faces on both sides, including former NCAA DI hockey players. Let’s take a look at the college careers of former college hockey players who played in the 2025 Stanley Cup Finals.

Florida panther

Evan Rodriguez (Boston University: 2011-2015)

Evan Rodriguez played four seasons at Boston University, scoring 121 points in 146 games as a forward. A two-time Hockey East Region second-team all-star in college, he finished second nationally in scoring with 61 points his senior year behind teammate and Hobey Baker winner Jack Eichel. Rodriguez and the Terriers lost to Providence in the 2015 Frozen Four Championship. Rodriguez then signed with the Buffalo Sabers in 2015 and made his debut in 2016. He has since spent time with the Pittsburgh Penguins and Colorado Avalanche before joining the Panthers, who won the Stanley Cup in 2023-24.

Nate Schmidt (Minnesota: 2010-2013)

Nate Schmidt played three seasons with the Minnesota Golden Gophers, scoring 74 points in 96 games as a guard. He was named to the All-WAC Second Team in 2011-12 and the All-WAC First Team as a junior in 2012-13. That year, he finished third among all NCAA guards with 31 points (8G, 23A) and a +16 on the season. Schmidt signed with the Washington Capitals as an undrafted player in 2013-14. He was later selected by the Vegas Golden Knights in the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft and was part of the first NHL expansion team to reach the Stanley Cup Finals in his first season. Schmidt joined the Panthers in 2024-25 after spending the past four seasons with the Vancouver Canucks and Winnipeg Jets.

Here is a list of former NCAA hockey players for the Florida Panthers who will play in the 2025 Stanley Cup Finals.

Edmonton Oilers

Jake Wallman (Providence: 2014-2017)

Jake Wallman played three seasons at Providence College, scoring 69 points in 107 games as a guard. As a sophomore and junior, Wallman was named to the Hockey East Region’s first All-Star team and was named to Hobey Baker in 2016-17. In 2015, Wallman helped Providence win the first NCAA title in program history, defeating Evan Rodriguez and Boston University in the 2015 Frozen Four championship game. Wallman joined the St. Louis Blues at the end of his junior season and spent time with St. Louis, Detroit and San Jose before being traded to the Edmonton Oilers before the 2025 NHL trade deadline.

Trent Frederick (Wisconsin: 2016-2018)

Trent Frederick played two seasons at Wisconsin, scoring 65 points in 66 games as a forward. In 2017, he received the honors of “Eleventh of the Year”, “All-Big Eleven” and “All-Big Twelve”. He also won the Spike Carlson-Chris Chelios Award as the Badgers’ MVP that season. As a sophomore, he was honorable mention All-Big Ten. Frederick joined the Boston Bruins after his sophomore season and spent 10 seasons in the Bruins organization before being traded to the Edmonton Oilers before the 2025 NHL trade deadline.

Here is a list of former Edmonton Oilers NCAA hockey players who will play in the 2025 Stanley Cup Finals.

*Zach Hyman suffered a season-ending injury in Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals and will miss the Stanley Cup Final.