For the second straight year, the final series of the Stanley Cup playoffs comes down to the Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers.
The 2024 matchup between the two teams produced a thrilling battle for the Cup -- Florida took a commanding 3-0 series lead, before Edmonton stormed back to force a decisive Game 7. The Panthers prevailed on home ice in the series-deciding game, though, clinching the franchise's first Stanley Cup.
The two teams meeting once again to decide who will hoist Lord Stanley's Cup harkens back memories of other championship series that went back-to-back the following year. Here are some other championship rematches across a number of notable American sports leagues since 1990.
NHL
Detroit Red Wings vs Pittsburgh Penguins: 2008 and 2009 Stanley Cup Final
The Red Wings and Penguins delivered a pair of entertaining series in succession, with the 2008 matchup going six games and the 2009 edition requiring seven.
Detroit took a 2-0 lead to start off each series, the prelude to differing results by the time the Cup was lifted. In 2008, the Red Wings rode their hot start to victory, whereas the following year the Penguins rallied back from their initial two-game deficit to get their revenge.
NBA
Golden State Warriors vs Cleveland Cavaliers: 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018 NBA Finals
The modern gold standard for title rematches, LeBron James' Cavaliers and Stephen Curry's Warriors met in the NBA Finals a remarkable four consecutive times in the mid-2010s.
Golden State took the first matchup, before James pulled off a legendary 3-1 comeback to get revenge and bring the Larry O'Brien Trophy to Cleveland in the sequel. However, the Warriors would take the two editions that followed.
San Antonio Spurs vs Miami Heat: 2013 and 2014 NBA Finals
The NBA's other 21st-century repeat Finals also featured James -- this time during his tenure with the Miami Heat.
The Heat won the first of the two meetings, taking the 2013 Finals in a back-and-forth seven game series that included Ray Allen's famous game-tying corner three in Game 6. San Antonio would even things in next season's rematch, however, with Kawhi Leonard earning Finals MVP honors as the Spurs won in five games.
Utah Jazz vs Chicago Bulls: 1997 and 1998 NBA Finals
The last two Finals of Michael Jordan's second three-peat with the Bulls came against the John Stockton and Karl Malone-led Utah Jazz.
The first matchup between the two squads produced one of Jordan's most iconic moments -- his "Flu Game" in Game 5 -- where the superstar guard poured in 38 points, including a go-ahead 3-pointer in the final minute to lift Chicago to victory. The Bulls would win the series in six games. Jordan's legend grew again in the subsequent 1998 Finals, hitting the step-back series-winning shot with seconds remaining in Game 6.
NFL
Dallas Cowboys vs Buffalo Bills: Super Bowls XXVII and XXVIII.
Capping off a run of four straight Super Bowl defeats for the Bills were the team's two most lopsided losses in the stretch, falling back-to-back to the Cowboys in convincing fashion in Super Bowls XXVII and XXVIII.
Super Bowl XXVII was the worst of the pair -- the 35-point margin in Dallas' 52-17 win is tied for the third-largest score difference in Super Bowl history -- but the following season didn't bring much more fulfillment for Buffalo fans. The Bills took a 13-6 lead into halftime, before the Cowboys posted 24 unanswered points in the second half to win 30-13.
WNBA
Los Angeles Sparks vs Minnesota Lynx: 2016 and 2017 WNBA Finals
The Sparks and Lynx' back-to-back WNBA Finals matchups didn't disappoint, with the two squads both coming away with a title apiece after a pair of series that both required decisive Game 5s.
Candace Parker earned Finals MVP honors with Los Angeles in 2016, amassing 28 points and 12 rebounds in a crucial Game 5. Sylvia Fowles helped Minnesota get revenge in 2017, though, averaging 17.8 points and 15 rebounds in the series to earn her own Finals MVP trophy.
Houston Comets vs New York Liberty: 1999 and 2000 WNBA Finals
Houston and New York's back-to-back Finals didn't bring nearly the same intrigue and drama as the repeat matchup of the Sparks and Lynx years later. The Comets would win both series, with their 2000 victory marking their fourth consecutive WNBA championship.
Cynthia Cooper dominated both series en route to her third and fourth Finals MVP awards. The Basketball Hall of Fame guard averaged 21.7 points per game in 1999 and 22.5 points per game in 2000, as Houston swept the best-of-three series rematch.