Oilers head coach takes ruthless shot at Buffalo Bills ahead of Stanley Cup Final

Edmonton Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch took a shot at the Buffalo Bills on Tuesday afternoon.

May 10, 2024; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Edmonton Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch on the bench against the Vancouver Canucks during the first period game two of the second round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-USA TODAY Sports / Bob Frid-USA TODAY Sports

Buffalo sports fans already have a bevy of reasons to support the Florida Panthers over the Edmonton Oilers in this year’s Stanley Cup Final—six former Buffalo Sabres play for the team, including key Panthers Sam Reinhart and Brandon Montour and former Sabres captain Kyle Okposo.

If you, for some reason, needed another reason to support the Cats, Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch just gave you a great one.

The head coach spoke to the Edmonton press ahead of the start of the Stanley Cup Final this weekend, taking a heartbreaking—but admittedly comical—shot at the Buffalo Bills to suggest that experience playing in a championship game isn’t necessarily important.

“Experience is good, I don’t know how much experience is beneficial,” Knoblauch said. “You can ask the Buffalo Bills how important Super Bowl experience is, but I think the biggest thing is just having confidence and playing. When our guys are playing their best, they should have a lot of confidence.”

"You can ask the Buffalo Bills how important Super Bowl experience is."

Kris Knoblauch on the Panthers reaching the #StanleyCup Final for the second straight year. pic.twitter.com/UUib2APsFj

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) June 4, 2024

Knoblauch, of course, is referring to the stretch from the 1990–1993 NFL seasons in which the Bills appeared in—and lost—four consecutive Super Bowls, an unfathomable—and undesirable—feat that hasn’t been matched since. 

It’s perhaps not a perfect comparison, as the Panthers don’t have immense experience playing in the Stanley Cup Final; the team appeared in last year’s final, losing in five games to the Vegas Golden Knights. Before last season, Florida hadn’t made it past the second round of the playoffs since 1996.

Related: WR Stefon Diggs speaks on trade from Bills: I could 'feel it in the air'

Regardless, it’s a quality joke from Knoblauch. He’s twisting a knife in a wound that hasn’t yet healed, but one that could perhaps mend with a Super Bowl win in the coming years on the back of Josh Allen. Unlike the Oilers, the Bills’ current core of championship-caliber players was built through savvy maneuvers as opposed to the luck of ping-pong balls.

This year’s Stanley Cup Final commences on June 8. On behalf of Buffalo, go Panthers.