2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs: Conference Finals Television Schedule and Announcers

The Stanley Cup Playoffs logo. (NHL.com, Tamir Moore)

* Panthers and Hurricanes to face off in the Eastern Conference Final; first-ever playoff meeting between the teams

* Stars and Golden Knights to play in the Western Conference Final; a rematch of the 2020 Conference Finals

* Panthers vs. Hurricanes series begins on Thursday night at 8:00 PM (ET) on TNT; Panthers-Hurricanes to be exclusively televised on TNT

* Stars vs. Golden Knights series begins on Friday night at 8:30 PM (ET) on ESPN; Stars-Golden Knights to be exclusively televised by ABC or ESPN

The NHL's Conference Finals are now all set to go following the Dallas Stars Game 7 victory in the Western Conference Semifinals versus the Seattle Kraken this past Monday night. (as a side note, congratulations to Seattle for making a second round appearance in their very first postseason as a franchise).

The conference finals will begin on Thursday night in Raleigh. The Eastern Conference Finals are up first, as Hart Trophy finalist Matthew Tkachuk and the Florida Panthers visit Sebastian Aho and the Metropolitan-division winning Carolina Hurricanes in Game 1 of their series on Thursday night. Game 1 of the Panthers-Hurricanes is set for an 8:00 PM (ET) start time and will be televised on TNT.

Of course, as you hockey fans out there may know, this is the first-ever playoff meeting between Carolina and Florida. After stunning the best team in hockey, the Boston Bruins, in seven games in the first round, the Panthers ousted the Toronto Maple Leafs in five games during the conference semifinals. The Panthers aim for their first Stanley Cup Final appearance since 1996 and look to capture the franchise's first-ever Stanley Cup championship.

As for the Hurricanes, the team looks to win their first Stanley Cup since 2006 and second in their franchise's history. The Hurricanes reached the Eastern Conference Final stage by knocking out the New York Islanders in six games and the New Jersey Devils in five games to set the stage for Carolina's second Conference Final appearance in the last five seasons (2019 was their last Conference Final appearance prior to this season).

On the call for the Eastern Conference Finals on TNT will be Kenny Albert, alongside analysts Eddie Olczyk and Keith Jones, with Jackie Redmond reporting throughout the course of the series.

On the Western side, the Western Conference Finals will begin on Friday night as Jason Robertson and the Dallas Stars, fresh off their seven-game series victory over Seattle in the previous round, take on Jack Eichel and the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 1 from Las Vegas at 8:30 PM (ET) on ESPN.

The Vegas-Dallas Conference Final series is a rematch of the same Conference Finals matchup between these same two opponents back in 2020 (during the NHL's Canada bubble), which Dallas won (they eventually lost to Tampa Bay in the Stanley Cup Final that year).

Vegas strives for their second Stanley Cup Final appearance in their brief six-season history (the first Stanley Cup Final appearance for Vegas was in 2018, during their inaugural season). Meanwhile, Dallas has their eyes set on getting one stop closer to the franchise's first championship since 1999, in addition to a second Stanley Cup Final appearance in the past four seasons.

ABC will televise Game 2 of the Stars vs. Golden Knights series this Sunday (May 21) at 3:00 PM (ET) and if necessary, Game 5, on Saturday, May 27, at 8:00 PM (ET). ESPN will handle the telecasts for the remaining games of the series.

Sean McDonough will call ABC/ESPN's coverage of the Western Conference Final with analyst Ray Ferraro and rinkside reporter Emily Kaplan.

I invite you to check out my articles on the previous rounds of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs:

* Conference Quarterfinals (link): https://tamirmoore.blogspot.com/2023/04/2023-stanley-cup-playoffs-conference.html

* Conference Semifinals (link): https://tamirmoore.blogspot.com/2023/04/2023-stanley-cup-playoffs-conference_27.html

Mandatory credit for NHL team logos: SportsLogos.Net.

• 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs: Conference Finals Series Summary

Eastern Conference:

* (M1) Carolina Hurricanes vs. (WC2) Florida Panthers == Florida wins series, 4-0 (Series begins on Thursday, May 18)

. Game 1 - Thursday, May 18 - Panthers vs. Hurricanes - TNT, 8:00 PM (ET) - Kenny Albert, Eddie Olczyk, Keith Jones, Jackie Redmond

. Game 2 - Saturday, May 20 - Panthers vs. Hurricanes - TNT, 8:00 PM (ET) - Kenny Albert, Eddie Olczyk, Keith Jones, Jackie Redmond

. Game 3 - Monday, May 22 - Hurricanes vs. Panthers - TNT, 8:00 PM (ET) - Kenny Albert, Eddie Olczyk, Keith Jones, Jackie Redmond

. Game 4 - Wednesday, May 24 - Hurricanes vs. Panthers - TNT, 8:00 PM (ET) - Kenny Albert, Eddie Olczyk, Keith Jones, Jackie Redmond

. Game 5 (if nec.) - Friday, May 26 - Panthers vs. Hurricanes - TNT, 8:00 PM (ET) - Kenny Albert, Eddie Olczyk, Keith Jones, Jackie Redmond

. Game 6 (if nec.) - Sunday, May 28 - Hurricanes vs. Panthers - TNT, 8:00 PM (ET) - Kenny Albert, Eddie Olczyk, Keith Jones, Jackie Redmond

. Game 7 (if nec.) - Tuesday, May 30 - Panthers vs. Hurricanes - TNT, 8:00 PM (ET) - Kenny Albert, Eddie Olczyk, Keith Jones, Jackie Redmond

Western Conference:

* (P1) Vegas Golden Knights vs. (C2) Dallas Stars == Vegas wins series, 4-2 (Series begins on Friday, May 19)

. Game 1 - Friday, May 19 - Stars vs. Golden Knights - ESPN, 8:30 PM (ET) - Sean McDonough, Ray Ferraro, Emily Kaplan

. Game 2 - Sunday, May 21 - Stars vs. Golden Knights - ABC, 3:00 PM (ET) - Sean McDonough, Ray Ferraro, Emily Kaplan

. Game 3 - Tuesday, May 23 - Golden Knights vs. Stars - ESPN, 8:00 PM (ET) - Sean McDonough, Ray Ferraro, Emily Kaplan

. Game 4 - Thursday, May 25 - Golden Knights vs. Stars - ESPN, 8:00 PM (ET) - Sean McDonough, Ray Ferraro, Emily Kaplan

. Game 5 - Saturday, May 27 - Stars vs. Golden Knights - ABC, 8:00 PM (ET) - Sean McDonough, Ray Ferraro, Emily Kaplan

. Game 6 - Monday, May 29 - Golden Knights vs. Stars - ESPN, 8:00 PM (ET) - Sean McDonough, Ray Ferraro, Emily Kaplan

. Game 7 (if nec.) - Wednesday, May 31 - Stars vs. Golden Knights - ESPN, 9:00 PM (ET) - Sean McDonough, Ray Ferraro, Emily Kaplan

• 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs: Conference Finals Daily Schedule

* Thursday, May 18

. Game 1 - Panthers vs. Hurricanes - TNT, 8:00 PM (ET) - Kenny Albert, Eddie Olczyk, Keith Jones, Jackie Redmond

* Friday, May 19

. Game 1 - Stars vs. Golden Knights - ESPN, 8:30 PM (ET) - Sean McDonough, Ray Ferraro, Emily Kaplan

* Saturday, May 20

. Game 2 - Panthers vs. Hurricanes - TNT, 8:00 PM (ET) - Kenny Albert, Eddie Olczyk, Keith Jones, Jackie Redmond

* Sunday, May 21

. Game 2 - Stars vs. Golden Knights - ABC, 3:00 PM (ET) - Sean McDonough, Ray Ferraro, Emily Kaplan

* Monday, May 22

. Game 3 - Hurricanes vs. Panthers - TNT, 8:00 PM (ET) - Kenny Albert, Eddie Olczyk, Keith Jones, Jackie Redmond

* Tuesday, May 23

. Game 3 - Golden Knights vs. Stars - ESPN, 8:00 PM (ET) - Sean McDonough, Ray Ferraro, Emily Kaplan

* Wednesday, May 24

. Game 4 - Hurricanes vs. Panthers - TNT, 8:00 PM (ET) - Kenny Albert, Eddie Olczyk, Keith Jones, Jackie Redmond

* Thursday, May 25

. Game 4 - Golden Knights vs. Stars - ESPN, 8:00 PM (ET) - Sean McDonough, Ray Ferraro, Emily Kaplan

* Saturday, May 27

. Game 5 - Stars vs. Golden Knights - ABC, 8:00 PM (ET) - Sean McDonough, Ray Ferraro, Emily Kaplan

* Monday, May 29

. Game 6 - Golden Knights vs. Stars - ESPN, 8:00 PM (ET) - Sean McDonough, Ray Ferraro, Emily Kaplan

- Source(s): NHL.