The 1985 Stanley Cup Finals was played between the defending champion Edmonton Oilers

Edmonton Oilers

The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....

 in their third-straight Finals appearance and the Philadelphia Flyers

Philadelphia Flyers

The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...

. The Oilers would win the best-of-seven series four games to one, to win their second Stanley Cup

Stanley Cup

The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...

. It was also the sixth straight Finals of post 1967 expansion teams. , this is also the last time that a team, defending champion or finalist, would appear in the finals for the third straight season.

Paths to the Final

Edmonton defeated the Los Angeles Kings

Los Angeles Kings

The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles, California. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...

 3–0, the Winnipeg Jets 4–0 and the Chicago Black Hawks

Chicago Blackhawks

The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10...

 4–2 to advance to the finals.

Philadelphia defeated the New York Rangers

New York Rangers

The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...

 3–0, the New York Islanders

New York Islanders

The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...

 4–1, and the Quebec Nordiques

Quebec Nordiques

The Quebec Nordiques were a professional ice hockey team based in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. The Nordiques played in the World Hockey Association and the National Hockey League...

 4–2 to make it to the finals.

The series

The 1985 final series continued to use the format of alternating locations after game two and game five, instead of the previous format of alternating after game two, game four and every game thereafter. The NHL would revert back to the previous format for the 1986 final

1986 Stanley Cup Finals

The 1986 Stanley Cup Final NHL championship series was contested by the Calgary Flames in their first Final appearance and the Montreal Canadiens in their 32nd. The Canadiens would win the best-of-seven series four games to one, to win their twenty-third Stanley Cup, and their seventeenth in their...

. Wayne Gretzky

Wayne Gretzky

Wayne Douglas Gretzky, CC is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. Nicknamed "The Great One", he is generally regarded as the best player in the history of the National Hockey League , and has been called "the greatest hockey player ever" by many sportswriters,...

 scored seven goals in the five games. Grant Fuhr

Grant Fuhr

Grant Scott Fuhr is a Canadian former ice hockey goaltender in the National Hockey League and currently the goaltending coach for the Phoenix Coyotes. In 2003, he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame...

 stopped two penalty shots. Jari Kurri tied the all-time playoff record with 19 goals.

Game one

The Flyers posted a 4–1 victory to open the series.

Game two

Wayne Gretzky

Wayne Gretzky

Wayne Douglas Gretzky, CC is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. Nicknamed "The Great One", he is generally regarded as the best player in the history of the National Hockey League , and has been called "the greatest hockey player ever" by many sportswriters,...

's first period goal late in the second period snapped a 1–1 tie, and Dave Hunter

Dave Hunter

David P. Hunter is a retired professional ice hockey player who won three Stanley Cups with the Edmonton Oilers in the 1980s. He also played for the Pittsburgh Penguins and Winnipeg Jets. He is the second of the four Hunter brothers, which also includes fellow NHLers Dale and Mark...

 added an insurance empty-netter and the Oilers drew even in the series with a 3–1 win.

Game three

Gretzky single-handedly won the game for his club. He scored twice within the first 90 seconds of the game, and finished off a hat trick by the end of the first period. Although the Oilers put six shots on net over the final 40 minutes, it was enough to escape with a 4–3 win and 2–1 series lead.

Game four

Unbowed, the Flyers roared out to a 3–1 lead midway through the first period thanks to goals at even strength, on the power play and shorthanded. However, the Oilers roared back with four consecutive goals including a pair from Gretzky, to win 5–3 and take a commanding series lead.

Game five

Against backup goaltender Bob Froese

Bob Froese

Robert Glenn Froese is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender.-Playing career:He played in the National Hockey League for the Philadelphia Flyers and New York Rangers. Froese shared the William M. Jennings Trophy with Darren Jensen as a member of the Flyers in the 1985–86 season...

, the Oilers blitzed the Flyers with a four-goal first period and sailed to a convincing 8–3 win. Gretzky & Kurri posted a goal and three assists each, Paul Coffey

Paul Coffey

Paul Douglas Coffey is a Canadian retired professional ice hockey defenceman in the National Hockey League. Known for his speed and scoring prowess, Coffey ranks second all-time among NHL defencemen in career goals, assists, and points, behind Ray Bourque.-Playing career:Coffey was drafted 6th...

 scored twice as did Mark Messier

Mark Messier

Mark Douglas Messier is a former Canadian professional ice hockey centre of the National Hockey League and current special assistant to the president and general manager of the New York Rangers. He spent a quarter of a century in the NHL with the Edmonton Oilers, New York Rangers, and Vancouver...

. Edmonton won its second consecutive Stanley Cup

Stanley Cup

The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...

 while the Flyers, at the time the youngest team in professional sports, took the lessons from their loss into the clubs' next meeting in 1987. Wayne Gretzky won the Conn Smythe Trophy

Conn Smythe Trophy

The Conn Smythe Trophy is awarded annually to the player judged most valuable to his team during the National Hockey League's Stanley Cup playoffs. The Conn Smythe Trophy has been awarded 46 times to 40 players since the 1964–65 NHL season...

 as playoff MVP.

Edmonton Oilers 1985 Stanley Cup champions