Rachel Gagner celebrates Edmonton Oilers' Stanley Cup Finals journey (Image credits: instagram.com/ yelenabass)

IN-PHOTOS: Oilers' Sam Gagner's wife Rachel celebrates team's long-awaited Stanley Cup Finals return

Modified Jun 03, 2024 17:39 GMT

Edmonton Oilers' journey to Stanley Cup Finals has been years in the making, and for Rachel Yelena Gagner, wife of Oilers' player Sam Gagner, excitement is clearly visible. Following the team's victory over the Dallas Stars in game six of the Western Conference Finals, Rachel took to Instagram to share her celebration with fans.

In a series of Instagram stories, Rachel offered followers a peek into her joyous mood. In one photo, Sam and Rachel's elder son Cooper was seen wearing an Oilers jersey.

The next story showed the arena atmosphere with a simple "let's go" caption.

But it was Rachel's post on Instagram that truly encapsulated the significance of the moment. Alongside a photo of herself, Sam, and one of their children, she captioned:

"Stanley Cup finals bound 17 years in the making."

Sam Gagner and Oilers win over Stars, largely due to Connor McDavid's contribution

In the game leading to his first-ever Stanley Cup Final appearance, Connor McDavid showed his unparalleled skill, earning praise from both teammates and opponents.

“It’s mind-boggling to see him pull off something like that. For him to pull off a play like that tonight is incredible. That’s why he’s our leader. You never get used to it,” Ryan Hopkins said (via NHL.com).

With the Edmonton Oilers facing off against the Dallas Stars, McDavid’s performance was described by coach Kris Knoblauch as the standout display of the night.

“It’s still astonishing," Knoblauch said

Despite facing a high-quality opponent, McDavid's goal, reminiscent of a video game move, secured a crucial victory for the Oilers.

Leon Draisaitl echoed this sentiment, highlighting McDavid's unique talent.

“There’s only one player in the world that can make that happen,” Draisaitl said.

Former NHL goaltender Curtis Joseph, who watched McDavid grow up, reminisced about seeing similar moves from the young prodigy.

“When he was six. I was in the NHL at the time and I could only stop him because of his lack of reach at the time,” Joseph said.

McDavid acknowledges the challenges he faced in reaching the Stanley Cup Final, expressing his dream to lift the trophy.

“It feels like a dream, For that to happen, there’s still work to be done,” McDavid said.

As McDavid leads the postseason scoring race, he remains focused on achieving the ultimate goal: winning the Stanley Cup.