Ice Wars: Oiler's Walman Makes Waves in $10K Stanley Cup Scandal

Max Sterling, 6/11/2025In a Stanley Cup Final game that turned into "Water-gate," Oilers' Jake Walman earned himself $10,000 in fines for channeling his inner pool party host and unleashing aquatic warfare on the Panthers' bench. The soaked shenanigans highlighted a penalty-laden clash that saw Edmonton sink rather than swim.

During Monday's Game 3 shellacking at Amerant Bank Arena — where the Florida Panthers dominated in a 6-1 victory — Walman decided to add some unexpected precipitation to the evening's entertainment. The catalyst? Panthers forward A.J. Greer's creative interpretation of equipment etiquette, who apparently thought Walman's glove would look better airborne toward the Florida bench.

Walman's retaliatory spritz missed its intended target entirely, instead giving TNT's broadcast equipment an impromptu shower. When pressed about the aquatic assault afterward, the blueliner offered up the kind of non-answer that would make a politician proud: "Obviously, did that for a reason... Won't go into the details, just gamesmanship, I guess."

That water bottle incident? A mere $5,000 fine. But Walman wasn't done making his wallet lighter — he managed to rack up another $5,000 penalty for roughing up Florida's Matthew Tkachuk, because why stop at one fine when you can go for the daily double?

The game itself devolved into something resembling organized chaos, with the penalty box getting more action than a rush-hour subway car. Edmonton racked up a whopping 85 penalty minutes to Florida's 55 — numbers that feel more at home in the NHL's bygone era of bench-clearing brawls than today's typically more restrained playoff encounters.

Things really went off the rails midway through the third period. Both teams decided to participate in what hockey traditionalists might call "a spirited discussion with fists," though the goalies apparently didn't get the memo about the impromptu dance party. Five players — three wearing Oilers sweaters, two sporting Panthers colors — earned themselves extended timeouts via 10-minute misconduct penalties.

Stuart Skinner, Edmonton's netminder and perhaps the only Oiler with a clear view of the unfolding circus, summed it up perfectly: "Right away, I thought we ended up playing what Florida kind of wanted: just a little bit of a track meet, a little bit of grinding, lots of penalties. It was just penalty chaos tonight."

Now down 2-1 in the series, Edmonton faces a pivotal Game 4 on Thursday. They'll need to channel their energy into lighting the lamp rather than lighting fuses if they want to avoid heading home in a 3-1 hole. Sure, water bottle warfare might make for entertaining television, but it won't win you Lord Stanley's Cup.

The real story here should've been Florida's dominant performance in a crucial Stanley Cup Final game. Instead, we're all talking about impromptu water works and penalty box musical chairs. Sometimes hockey's greatest entertainment comes from the most unexpected places — even if it costs someone ten grand to provide it.

The NHL's latest playoff drama isn't about goals or saves — it's about a water bottle. In what might go down as one of the more peculiar moments of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final, Edmonton Oilers defenseman Jake Walman turned hydration into a headline-grabbing incident, landing himself a cool $10,000 in fines and a spot in hockey's blooper reel.During Monday's Game 3 shellacking at Amerant Bank Arena — where the Florida Panthers dominated in a 6-1 victory — Walman decided to add some unexpected precipitation to the evening's entertainment. The catalyst? Panthers forward A.J. Greer's creative interpretation of equipment etiquette, who apparently thought Walman's glove would look better airborne toward the Florida bench.Walman's retaliatory spritz missed its intended target entirely, instead giving TNT's broadcast equipment an impromptu shower. When pressed about the aquatic assault afterward, the blueliner offered up the kind of non-answer that would make a politician proud: "Obviously, did that for a reason... Won't go into the details, just gamesmanship, I guess."That water bottle incident? A mere $5,000 fine. But Walman wasn't done making his wallet lighter — he managed to rack up another $5,000 penalty for roughing up Florida's Matthew Tkachuk, because why stop at one fine when you can go for the daily double?The game itself devolved into something resembling organized chaos, with the penalty box getting more action than a rush-hour subway car. Edmonton racked up a whopping 85 penalty minutes to Florida's 55 — numbers that feel more at home in the NHL's bygone era of bench-clearing brawls than today's typically more restrained playoff encounters.Things really went off the rails midway through the third period. Both teams decided to participate in what hockey traditionalists might call "a spirited discussion with fists," though the goalies apparently didn't get the memo about the impromptu dance party. Five players — three wearing Oilers sweaters, two sporting Panthers colors — earned themselves extended timeouts via 10-minute misconduct penalties.Stuart Skinner, Edmonton's netminder and perhaps the only Oiler with a clear view of the unfolding circus, summed it up perfectly: "Right away, I thought we ended up playing what Florida kind of wanted: just a little bit of a track meet, a little bit of grinding, lots of penalties. It was just penalty chaos tonight."Now down 2-1 in the series, Edmonton faces a pivotal Game 4 on Thursday. They'll need to channel their energy into lighting the lamp rather than lighting fuses if they want to avoid heading home in a 3-1 hole. Sure, water bottle warfare might make for entertaining television, but it won't win you Lord Stanley's Cup.The real story here should've been Florida's dominant performance in a crucial Stanley Cup Final game. Instead, we're all talking about impromptu water works and penalty box musical chairs. Sometimes hockey's greatest entertainment comes from the most unexpected places — even if it costs someone ten grand to provide it.