Tonight, the @NYRangers and the @LAKings will take the ice to begin the @NHL #StanleyCup Final. While they compete for one of the most coveted trophies in sports, Twitter will be your behind-the-boards front row seat to all the exciting action on and off the ice.
https://twitter.com/NHL/status/474189050262597632
Follow @NHL, @NYRangers and @LAKings to go inside the locker room, view exclusive photos and videos, and more. And jump into the conversation on Twitter with the official hashtags #StanleyCup and #BecauseItsTheCup.
https://twitter.com/NHL/status/473988151019438081
Whether you are watching the games at the @STAPLESCenter, at Madison Square Garden, at home or at a sports bar, express your allegiance to your favorite team by tweeting photos and Vine videos to @NHL that show you cheering on the Rangers or Kings using the hashtag #MyPlayoffsStory.
Worried about missing #StanleyCup chatter on Twitter? Stay up to date on all of the latest Twitter trends and #StanleyCup Final buzz here at the @NHL’s social hub.
New York Rangers (@NYRangers)
@NYRangers fans can discover and follow their favorite players, such as goalie @HLundqvist30, here.
https://twitter.com/HLundqvist30/status/472217782160216064
Add your voice to the Rangers conversation with these hashtags: #NYR, #NYRCupFinal and #WeWantTheCup.
https://twitter.com/NYRangers/status/472208432368713728
In addition, Rangerstown Hockey House, at 33rd Street and 7th Avenue in New York City, offers fans the chance to show off (and tweet about) their #NYRart skills on a 30-ft canvas right inside the #NYRHockeyHouse. Fans are also encouraged to take photos and tweet them using #NYRPlayoffs for a chance to be featured on the Rangers websites.
And hey, if you happen to be growing a playoff beard, visit the Beard-A-Thon Barber Shop to check the fundraising leaderboard, take photos using #NYRbeards and #hydrochallenge, receive Beard-A-Thon giveaways and get haircuts or beard trims.
https://twitter.com/NYRangers/status/473917815180001280
Los Angeles Kings (@LAKings)
If the @LAKings are your team, find forward @MGaborik10 and his teammates on Twitter here.
https://twitter.com/MGaborik10/status/473337678831058944
Jump into the Twitter conversation with hashtags #LAKings and #GoKingsGo.
https://twitter.com/LAKings/status/473300735828819968
Visit the Kings’ social hub to see which team is winning the hashtag battle, check out the results of the latest Kings hashtag poll and view all #LAKings-related Tweets. Kings fans will also get closer to the action through a partnership with Giphy that enables Kings GIFs to play in-line.
https://twitter.com/LAKings/status/472552673414115328
Friendly competition
After the @LAKings defeated the @NHLBlackhawks in the Western Conference Finals, they tweeted their excitement:
https://twitter.com/LAKings/status/473322919326519297
And the @NYRangers had a funny response:
https://twitter.com/NYRangers/statuses/473325002713235456
That wasn’t the only funny exchange on Twitter between the two teams:
https://twitter.com/NYRangers/statuses/473313178848591872
So who’s winning the battle on Twitter? It’s nearly a tie! This graphic below shows which team was discussed the most on Twitter since the #StanleyCup Playoffs began on April 16, 2014:
On air
Fans will want to follow @NHLonNBCSports, the U.S. #StanleyCup Final broadcaster, and @NHLNetwork, @NBCSN, @NBCSports and @ProHockeyTalk for game analysis, score updates and more.
https://twitter.com/nhlonnbcsports/status/474238278921879553
https://twitter.com/nhlnetwork/status/474236991568363520
NBC is also asking fans to show their spirit by submitting pictures and video on Twitter using #CelebrateStanley. The best content will be featured on air during game broadcasts and fans can win prizes too. More about this here.
North of the border, follow CBC’s @HockeyNight in Canada for behind-the-scenes photos from the rink, truck and control room. Join the conversation using #HockeyNight and #StanleyCup.
https://twitter.com/hockeynight/status/474190108078641153
CBC’s Don Cherry (@CoachsCornerCBC) and Ron MacLean (@RonMacleanCBC) will hit the road for their popular Coach’s Corner segment live from New York and Los Angeles throughout the series. And thanks to a partnership with Twitter Amplify, @HockeyNight will also tweet out video highlights of each goal.
RDS (@rdsca) in Canada provides live coverage of the #StanleyCup in French. Fans can join the conversation via #RDS and #FievreLNH.
Celebrities join the #StanleyCup conversation
For the celebrities, a New York-versus-Los Angeles matchup certainly enhances the rivalry.
A few stars rooting for the @LAKings:
https://twitter.com/jimmykimmel/statuses/473300743621840897
https://twitter.com/Alyssa_Milano/status/473301054487293953
https://twitter.com/TheEllenShow/status/473305912958939138
The @NYRangers have celeb fans too:
https://twitter.com/jimmyfallon/status/472206115389079553
https://twitter.com/T_HardJR/status/472801426130096128
https://twitter.com/PhilJackson11/status/472206701949497344
And both city’s @MLB teams got in on the action:
https://twitter.com/Dodgers/status/473301314944761858
https://twitter.com/Mets/statuses/472214122596036608