Vitek Vanecek and the Unlikely Goalie Journey in the Stanley Cup Final

Vitek Vanecek and the Unlikely Goalie Journey in the Stanley Cup Final

Vitek Vanecek and the Unlikely Goalie Journey in the Stanley Cup Final

It’s a storyline not even the best hockey screenwriters could’ve scripted: Vitek Vanecek, once New Jersey’s primary goaltender, now finds himself on the brink of winning the Stanley Cup—not as the starter, not even necessarily as the backup, but as part of a wild carousel of former Devils goalies making postseason headlines.

When the Florida Panthers made the surprising mid-season move to acquire Vanecek in a trade with the San Jose Sharks, it was met with curiosity. They had just dealt Spencer Knight to the Chicago Blackhawks, and suddenly, Vanecek found himself behind Sergei Bobrovsky on a contending team. Though he hasn’t touched the ice in these playoffs, Vanecek has found a way to make his presence known—most notably during warmups, where he engaged in a now-viral staredown with Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner before Games 3 and 4. Whether it was mind games or simply a quirky new pregame routine, it added flair to an already intense series.

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But Vanecek isn’t the only former Devils netminder tied to this year’s Final. Enter Evan Cormier—a name that may feel like a distant memory to Devils fans. Drafted in the fourth round back in 2016, Cormier bounced around the Devils' minor league affiliates, from Binghamton to Adirondack, and even got a sniff of the NHL bench when Louis Domingue went down in 2019. However, he never saw a single minute of game action. Fast-forward to 2025, and Cormier is now just one injury away from appearing in the Stanley Cup Final, dressed and ready as Florida’s emergency option.

Cormier has spent this past season with the Savannah Ghost Pirates in the ECHL, making his current position even more remarkable. He’s not just on the playoff roster—he’s standing by, one twist of fate away from stepping into the spotlight. At 27 years old, he still holds onto the belief that his NHL opportunity could arrive at any moment. “It’s just timing,” Cormier said. “That’s what I’ve learned over the past seven years. When your opportunity comes, you just got to be ready.”

While Tomas Nosek, Jesper Boqvist, and Adam Henrique—other former Devils skaters—are making contributions on the ice during the postseason, the goaltending storyline remains uniquely fascinating. Henrique, another former fan favorite, is chasing his own Cup dreams with the Oilers and is best remembered in New Jersey for his 2012 goal that sent the Devils to the Final. That memory is etched in franchise lore, yet here he is again, still searching for glory more than a decade later.

So, as the Stanley Cup Final charges toward its conclusion, there’s a strong Devils flavor permeating both rosters. Whether it’s Vanecek backing up Bobrovsky, Henrique battling on Edmonton’s front lines, or Cormier simply waiting for his shot, the echoes of New Jersey’s past are impossible to ignore. And while only one team will raise the Cup, several former Devils will have a chance to touch it—and maybe even rewrite their legacies in the process.

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