1993 Stanley Cup Finals
Encyclopedia
The 1993 Stanley Cup Final series was contested by the Los Angeles Kings
and the Montreal Canadiens
to decide the NHL
championship for the 1992–93 season. It was the first appearance in the Final for the Kings, and the 34th for Montreal, their first since the 1989 Final
. The Canadiens won the series 4-1 to win the team's twenty-fourth Stanley Cup. The year 1993 was the 100th anniversary of the first awarding of the Stanley Cup
in 1893
. , the Canadiens remain the last Canadian team to have won the Cup. The 1993 Canadiens are also the last Stanley Cup championship team to be composed solely of North American-born players.
4–2, the Vancouver Canucks
, 4–2 and the Toronto Maple Leafs
, 4–3.
Montreal defeated their in-province rival
s, Quebec Nordiques
, 4–2, the Buffalo Sabres
4–0, and the New York Islanders
4–1. With their rivals
the Boston Bruins
being eliminated by the Sabres in the division semifinals, as well as the two-time defending Cup champions Pittsburgh Penguins
being eliminated by the Islanders in the division final, Montreal's path to their first final since became much easier. The Bruins had eliminated the Canadiens in the playoffs for three straight years, mainly due to Boston goaltender Andy Moog
, who was often referred to as the "greatest Hab killer" the Bruins ever had.
, and the last time Wayne Gretzky
would play in the Finals as well. Gretzky was trying to become the first player to captain two teams to the Stanley Cup, having led the Edmonton Oilers
to Stanley Cup championships in , , , and . It was Montreal's first trip to the Finals since 1989
, when they lost to the Oilers' provincial rivals
, the Calgary Flames
. Meanwhile, it was the first-ever trip to the Finals for the Kings in their 26-year history. , this is the most recent time that a Canadian team has won the Stanley Cup Championship. It is also (to date) the last time the Canadiens have advanced to the Stanley Cup Final. It was the last Final in which a Canadian franchise would have home ice advantage with the Stanley Cup up for grabs until the Vancouver Canucks
reached the Finals in .
's power-play goal at 3:03 of the first period. The Canadiens tied the game late in the first on Ed Ronan
's goal at 18:09 (although it was merely a pass that Gretzky accidentally deflected into his own net
). Robitaille would break the 1–1 deadlock with his second power-play goal of the game at 17:41 of the second period. Jari Kurri
added an insurance marker off a Patrice Brisebois
turnover at 1:51 of the third, and Gretzky sealed the 4–1 win for the Kings with an empty net goal at 18:02.
's stick. The stick was deemed illegal and McSorley was given a two-minute minor penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct
. As it was late in the game and Montreal was facing the prospect of going to Los Angeles down two games to none, Demers pulled goalie Patrick Roy
, producing a 6-on-4 advantage for the Canadiens. In dramatic fashion, Montreal's Éric Desjardins
scored from the point to tie the game at 2 and force overtime. Desjardins then scored his third goal of the game 51 seconds into overtime to give Montreal the win and the momentum heading toward Games 3 and 4 at the Great Western Forum. Desjardins is the first and, as of 2011, the only defenceman to get a hat trick
in the Cup Finals; before this game he had scored just two playoff goals.
at 10:26, and Gilbert Dionne
and Mathieu Schneider
increased that lead to 3–0 at 2:41 and 3:02 of the second period. After a memorable check by long-time Kings defenceman Mark Hardy on Montreal's Mike Keane
, the Kings fired back to tie the game in the second period on goals by Robitaille, Tony Granato
, and Gretzky. With time running out in the third period, Montreal captain Guy Carbonneau
appeared to cover the puck in the goal crease, which with such little time remaining (12 seconds) would have resulted in a penalty shot
for Los Angeles. But the referee ruled that the puck had been shot by a Kings player into Carbonneau's equipment, and so the period remained scoreless. After the series, the referee admitted that he had made a mistake on the call. The game went into overtime and the Canadiens won again; it was their ninth consecutive overtime playoff victory. John LeClair
scored the winner just 34 seconds into the extra period.
at 6:33 and McSorley on a power play at 19:56. As was the case in Game 3, the third period in Game 4 ended up scoreless. Once again, it was John LeClair who was the hero for Montreal as he netted the overtime winner 14:37 into the extra period, banking the puck off the leg of sliding Los Angeles defenceman Darryl Sydor
. In doing so, he became the first player since Montreal legend Maurice "Rocket" Richard
in 1951 to score playoff overtime goals in consecutive games, and giving Montreal an NHL-record ten consecutive overtime wins in the 1993 playoffs.
gave Montreal a 1–0 lead with a goal at 15:10 of the first period, McSorley tied the game for the Kings at 2:40 of the second period. The Canadiens' response was swift as Kirk Muller
scored just 71 seconds later, and then Stephane Lebeau
scored a power-play goal at 11:31 to give the Canadiens a 3–1 lead after two periods. DiPietro scored again at 12:06 to give Montreal a 4–1 lead. That ended up being the final score, with Muller's goal turning out to be the game winner. Gretzky did not manage a shot on net during the entire game.
With the win, the Canadiens won the series four games to one and clinched their 24th Stanley Cup championship. Montreal goaltender Patrick Roy
won the Conn Smythe Trophy
as the most valuable player of the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the second time (he won it for the first time in 1986
). With the Canadiens' win, Wayne Gretzky
was denied the distinction of being the first player to captain two teams to a Stanley Cup championship. As it turned out, the feat would be accomplished the very next year
by Gretzky's good friend and former teammate Mark Messier
, as he led the New York Rangers
to their first Stanley Cup title in 54 years
. Messier had previously captained the Edmonton Oilers
to the Stanley Cup in 1990
.
, unless otherwise noted.
At the high point of the riot 980 officers were dispatched and they made 115 arrests. The police reported 47 police cars damaged, 8 of those 47 cars were completely destroyed. Rioters arrested after they broke windows, looted stores and set fires. Some of the rioters were suspected of planning to loot stores using the riot as a decoy. 168 were injured, including 49 police officers.
Due to the Kings as the Canadians' opponents, most of the Los Angeles news media, including the Los Angeles Times
and the Daily News
, also covered the riots; Times staff writer Helene Elliott
was pressed into service as a news reporter minutes after the riots began.
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...
and the Montreal Canadiens
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
to decide the NHL
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
championship for the 1992–93 season. It was the first appearance in the Final for the Kings, and the 34th for Montreal, their first since the 1989 Final
1989 Stanley Cup Finals
The 1989 Stanley Cup Final was between the Calgary Flames and the Montreal Canadiens, the top two teams during the 1988–89 NHL regular season. , this is the most recent time that the first two seeds met in the Stanley Cup Final, as the New Jersey Devils had one win less than the Detroit Red Wings...
. The Canadiens won the series 4-1 to win the team's twenty-fourth Stanley Cup. The year 1993 was the 100th anniversary of the first awarding of the 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...
in 1893
1893 Stanley Cup championship
The Stanley Cup, then named the Dominion Hockey Challenge Cup, was first awarded in 1893 to the Montreal Hockey Club of the Amateur Hockey Association of Canada at the end of the 1893 AHAC season for having placed first in the standings with a 7–1–0 record...
. , the Canadiens remain the last Canadian team to have won the Cup. The 1993 Canadiens are also the last Stanley Cup championship team to be composed solely of North American-born players.
Paths to the Final
To reach the final, Los Angeles defeated the Calgary FlamesCalgary Flames
The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is the third major-professional ice hockey team to represent the city of Calgary, following the...
4–2, the Vancouver Canucks
Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,...
, 4–2 and the Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
, 4–3.
Montreal defeated their in-province rival
Battle of Quebec (ice hockey)
The Battle of Quebec is the nickname for a former National Hockey League rivalry between the Montreal Canadiens and Quebec Nordiques. The rivalry lasted from the 1979–80 to 1994–95 seasons. The teams played against each other five times in the NHL playoffs, and the Canadiens won three of the series...
s, 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, the Buffalo Sabres
Buffalo Sabres
The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League .-Founding and early success: 1970-71—1980-81:...
4–0, and 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. With their rivals
Bruins–Canadiens rivalry
The rivalry between the Boston Bruins and Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League is considered "one of the greatest rivalries in sports," along with the Yankees – Red Sox and Bears–Packers rivalries...
the Boston Bruins
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
being eliminated by the Sabres in the division semifinals, as well as the two-time defending Cup champions Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams during the league's original...
being eliminated by the Islanders in the division final, Montreal's path to their first final since became much easier. The Bruins had eliminated the Canadiens in the playoffs for three straight years, mainly due to Boston goaltender Andy Moog
Andy Moog
Donald Andrew Moog is a Canadian retired professional ice hockey goaltender. He is currently the goaltending coach for the NHL's Dallas Stars.Moog was previously the Dallas Stars' assistant coach...
, who was often referred to as the "greatest Hab killer" the Bruins ever had.
The series
This would be the last Stanley Cup Final series to be played in the Montreal ForumMontreal Forum
The Montreal Forum was an indoor arena located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Called "the most storied building in hockey history" by Sporting News, it was home of the National Hockey League's Montreal Maroons from 1924 to 1938 and the Montreal Canadiens from 1926 to 1996...
, and the last time 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,...
would play in the Finals as well. Gretzky was trying to become the first player to captain two teams to the Stanley Cup, having led the 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 ....
to Stanley Cup championships in , , , and . It was Montreal's first trip to the Finals since 1989
1989 Stanley Cup Finals
The 1989 Stanley Cup Final was between the Calgary Flames and the Montreal Canadiens, the top two teams during the 1988–89 NHL regular season. , this is the most recent time that the first two seeds met in the Stanley Cup Final, as the New Jersey Devils had one win less than the Detroit Red Wings...
, when they lost to the Oilers' provincial rivals
Battle of Alberta
The Battle of Alberta is a term applied to the intense rivalry between the Canadian cities of Edmonton, the capital of the province of Alberta, and Calgary, the province's largest city...
, the Calgary Flames
Calgary Flames
The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is the third major-professional ice hockey team to represent the city of Calgary, following the...
. Meanwhile, it was the first-ever trip to the Finals for the Kings in their 26-year history. , this is the most recent time that a Canadian team has won the Stanley Cup Championship. It is also (to date) the last time the Canadiens have advanced to the Stanley Cup Final. It was the last Final in which a Canadian franchise would have home ice advantage with the Stanley Cup up for grabs until the Vancouver Canucks
Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,...
reached the Finals in .
Game 1
In Game 1 at the Montreal Forum, the Kings jumped out to a 1–0 lead on Luc RobitailleLuc Robitaille
Luc Robitaille is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player. During his 19-season National Hockey League career, Robitaille won a Stanley Cup in 2001–02 with the Detroit Red Wings, and played for the Pittsburgh Penguins and New York Rangers, but is most known for his fourteen seasons,...
's power-play goal at 3:03 of the first period. The Canadiens tied the game late in the first on Ed Ronan
Ed Ronan
Edward Ronan is a former professional hockey player from 1991-1998.He played in the NHL for the Montreal Canadiens, Winnipeg Jets and Buffalo Sabres. He won the Stanley Cup in 1993 with Montreal....
's goal at 18:09 (although it was merely a pass that Gretzky accidentally deflected into his own net
Own goal
An own net occurs in goal-scoring games when a player scores a goal that is registered against his or her own team. It is usually accidental, and may be a result of an attempt at defensive play that failed or was spoiled by opponents....
). Robitaille would break the 1–1 deadlock with his second power-play goal of the game at 17:41 of the second period. Jari Kurri
Jari Kurri
Jari Pekka Kurri is a retired Finnish professional ice hockey right winger and a five-time Stanley Cup champion. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2001. He is currently the general manager of Team Finland....
added an insurance marker off a Patrice Brisebois
Patrice Brisebois
Patrice Brisebois is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman and currently a racing driver.-NHL playing career:Brisebois was drafted by the Montreal Canadiens in the second round, 30th overall, of the 1989 NHL Entry Draft...
turnover at 1:51 of the third, and Gretzky sealed the 4–1 win for the Kings with an empty net goal at 18:02.
Game 2
The most memorable moment of the series came late in the third period of Game 2. With the Kings leading by a score of 2–1, Canadiens coach Jacques Demers called for a measurement of the curve of Kings defenceman Marty McSorleyMarty McSorley
Martin James "Marty" McSorley is a retired Canadian professional hockey player, who played in the National Hockey League from 1983 to 2000. A versatile player, he was able to play both the forward and defense positions. He is also a former head coach of the Springfield Falcons of the American...
's stick. The stick was deemed illegal and McSorley was given a two-minute minor penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct
Unsportsmanlike conduct
Unsportsmanlike conduct is a foul or offense in many sports that is not necessarily a violation of the respective sport's rules of play, but violates the sport's generally accepted rules of sportsmanship and/or participant conduct...
. As it was late in the game and Montreal was facing the prospect of going to Los Angeles down two games to none, Demers pulled goalie Patrick Roy
Patrick Roy
Patrick Edward Armand Roy is a former Canadian ice hockey goaltender. Nicknamed "Saint Patrick," Roy split his professional career between the Montreal Canadiens, whom he played with for 10 years, and the Colorado Avalanche, whom he played with for 8 years, both of the National Hockey League...
, producing a 6-on-4 advantage for the Canadiens. In dramatic fashion, Montreal's Éric Desjardins
Eric Desjardins
Éric Desjardins is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman who played 17 seasons in the National Hockey League with the Montreal Canadiens and Philadelphia Flyers. He won the Stanley Cup with Montreal in 1993 and headlined the Flyers defence for over a decade...
scored from the point to tie the game at 2 and force overtime. Desjardins then scored his third goal of the game 51 seconds into overtime to give Montreal the win and the momentum heading toward Games 3 and 4 at the Great Western Forum. Desjardins is the first and, as of 2011, the only defenceman to get a hat trick
Hat Trick
Hat trick, hat-trick or hattrick may refer to:* hat-trick — in various sports, achieving three goals, wickets, etc. in a single match* Hattrick — online football management game** Hattrick Limited — producers of this game...
in the Cup Finals; before this game he had scored just two playoff goals.
Game 3
In Game 3 in Los Angeles, the Canadiens jumped out to a 1–0 first period lead on a tip-in goal by Brian BellowsBrian Bellows
Brian Bellows is a retired professional ice hockey player. He played nearly 1200 games in the National Hockey League with the Minnesota North Stars, Montreal Canadiens, Tampa Bay Lightning, Mighty Ducks of Anaheim and the Washington Capitals...
at 10:26, and Gilbert Dionne
Gilbert Dionne
Gilbert Dionne is a retired professional ice hockey left winger who played six seasons in the National Hockey League from 1990–91 until 1995–96. He is the younger brother of Hockey Hall of Famer Marcel Dionne, who is nineteen years his senior.Dionne was drafted 81st overall by the Montreal...
and Mathieu Schneider
Mathieu Schneider
Mathieu Schneider is a American former professional ice hockey player. Considered an offensive defenseman, Schneider played 1289 games in the National Hockey League with ten different teams, scoring 233 goals and totalling 743 points...
increased that lead to 3–0 at 2:41 and 3:02 of the second period. After a memorable check by long-time Kings defenceman Mark Hardy on Montreal's Mike Keane
Mike Keane
Michael John Keane is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey winger. Undrafted, Keane played over 1100 games in the National Hockey League from 1988 until 2004, and then played five seasons for his hometown Manitoba Moose of the American Hockey League until he retired in 2010...
, the Kings fired back to tie the game in the second period on goals by Robitaille, Tony Granato
Tony Granato
Anthony Lewis Granato is an American retired National Hockey League left winger and a former head coach and assistant coach of the Colorado Avalanche...
, and Gretzky. With time running out in the third period, Montreal captain Guy Carbonneau
Guy Carbonneau
Guy Carbonneau is a Canadian retired professional ice hockey player in the National Hockey League. He is also the president of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League 's Chicoutimi Saguenéens. He has two daughters Anne-Marie and Kristina, with wife Line Carbonneau. Anne-Marie married his former...
appeared to cover the puck in the goal crease, which with such little time remaining (12 seconds) would have resulted in a penalty shot
Penalty shot
A penalty shot is a play used in several sports whereby a goal is attempted during stop-time. Penalty shots are sometimes grouped into the larger penalty shootout used to decide games in several sports.-Ice hockey:...
for Los Angeles. But the referee ruled that the puck had been shot by a Kings player into Carbonneau's equipment, and so the period remained scoreless. After the series, the referee admitted that he had made a mistake on the call. The game went into overtime and the Canadiens won again; it was their ninth consecutive overtime playoff victory. John LeClair
John LeClair
John Clark LeClair is an American former professional ice hockey left winger who played 16 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Montreal Canadiens, Philadelphia Flyers, and Pittsburgh Penguins...
scored the winner just 34 seconds into the extra period.
Game 4
Game 4 was a carbon copy of the previous game. Montreal bolted out to an early 2–0 lead, but the Kings fought back in the second period with goals by Mike DonnellyMike Donnelly
Michael Chene Donnelly is a former ice hockey left wing. He played in the National Hockey League with the New York Rangers, Buffalo Sabres, Los Angeles Kings, Dallas Stars, and New York Islanders....
at 6:33 and McSorley on a power play at 19:56. As was the case in Game 3, the third period in Game 4 ended up scoreless. Once again, it was John LeClair who was the hero for Montreal as he netted the overtime winner 14:37 into the extra period, banking the puck off the leg of sliding Los Angeles defenceman Darryl Sydor
Darryl Sydor
Darryl Marion Sydor is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman. He has won two Stanley Cups during his career; with the Dallas Stars in 1999 and with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2004...
. In doing so, he became the first player since Montreal legend Maurice "Rocket" Richard
Maurice Richard
Joseph Henri Maurice "the Rocket" Richard, Sr., was a French-Canadian professional ice hockey player who played for the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League from 1942 to 1960. The "Rocket" was the most prolific goal-scorer of his era, the first to achieve the feat of 50 goals in 50...
in 1951 to score playoff overtime goals in consecutive games, and giving Montreal an NHL-record ten consecutive overtime wins in the 1993 playoffs.
Game 5
Leading the series three games to one, the Canadiens headed back home for Game 5. After Paul DiPietroPaul DiPietro
Paul DiPietro is a Canadian-born Swiss professional ice hockey player currently playing for EV Zug. He plays forward. He played for the Swiss national ice hockey team at the 2006 Winter Olympics.-Playing career:...
gave Montreal a 1–0 lead with a goal at 15:10 of the first period, McSorley tied the game for the Kings at 2:40 of the second period. The Canadiens' response was swift as Kirk Muller
Kirk Muller
Kirk Christopher Muller is a retired professional ice hockey centre who played in the National Hockey League for 19 seasons from 1984–85 until 2002–03...
scored just 71 seconds later, and then Stephane Lebeau
Stéphan Lebeau
Stéphan Lebeau is a former professional ice hockey centre who played seven seasons in the National Hockey League from 1988–89 to 1994–95. He won a Stanley Cup in 1993 with the Montreal Canadiens...
scored a power-play goal at 11:31 to give the Canadiens a 3–1 lead after two periods. DiPietro scored again at 12:06 to give Montreal a 4–1 lead. That ended up being the final score, with Muller's goal turning out to be the game winner. Gretzky did not manage a shot on net during the entire game.
With the win, the Canadiens won the series four games to one and clinched their 24th Stanley Cup championship. Montreal goaltender Patrick Roy
Patrick Roy
Patrick Edward Armand Roy is a former Canadian ice hockey goaltender. Nicknamed "Saint Patrick," Roy split his professional career between the Montreal Canadiens, whom he played with for 10 years, and the Colorado Avalanche, whom he played with for 8 years, both of the National Hockey League...
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 the most valuable player of the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the second time (he won it for the first time in 1986
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...
). With the Canadiens' win, 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,...
was denied the distinction of being the first player to captain two teams to a Stanley Cup championship. As it turned out, the feat would be accomplished the very next year
1994 Stanley Cup Finals
The 1994 Stanley Cup Final was a best-of-seven playoff series contested between the Eastern Conference champion New York Rangers and Western Conference champion Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League...
by Gretzky's good friend and former teammate 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...
, as he led 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...
to their first Stanley Cup title in 54 years
Curse of 1940
The Curse of 1940, also called Dutton's Curse, was a superstitious explanation for why the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League did not win the league's championship trophy, the Stanley Cup, from 1940 to 1994.-Popular theories:...
. Messier had previously captained the 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 ....
to the Stanley Cup in 1990
1990 Stanley Cup Finals
In the 1990 Stanley Cup Final, the Edmonton Oilers defeated the Boston Bruins four games to one. For the Oilers, it was their fifth Cup win in seven years, and the only one without Wayne Gretzky...
.
Series quotes
All quotes are by Bob ColeBob Cole (announcer)
Robert Cecil "Bob" Cole is a Canadian television announcer and former competitive curler.Cole was the primary play-by-play announcer for Hockey Night in Canada 'HNIC' on CBC, usually for Toronto Maple Leafs games, from 1980 to 2008. Aside from the Leafs broadcasts, he was also a staple for the...
, unless otherwise noted.
Montreal Canadiens - 1993 Stanley Cup champions
Riot
The 1993 Montreal Stanley Cup riot occurred in Montreal after the Montreal Canadiens won their 24th Stanley Cup. Fans poured out of the Montreal Forum and began to commit acts of vandalism and violence while their team was celebrating inside. In the epicenter of the riots, Ste. Catherine St., stores were looted and police cruisers were set ablaze. The riots caused $2.5 million dollars in damage, $ in dollars.At the high point of the riot 980 officers were dispatched and they made 115 arrests. The police reported 47 police cars damaged, 8 of those 47 cars were completely destroyed. Rioters arrested after they broke windows, looted stores and set fires. Some of the rioters were suspected of planning to loot stores using the riot as a decoy. 168 were injured, including 49 police officers.
Due to the Kings as the Canadians' opponents, most of the Los Angeles news media, including the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
and the Daily News
Los Angeles Daily News
The Los Angeles Daily News is the second-largest circulating daily newspaper of Los Angeles, California. It is the flagship of the Los Angeles Newspaper Group, a branch of Colorado-based MediaNews Group....
, also covered the riots; Times staff writer Helene Elliott
Helene Elliott
Helene Elliott is an American sportswriter for the Los Angeles Times who is a general sports columnist. She is the first female journalist to be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, receiving the Elmer Ferguson Memorial Award for bringing "honor to journalism and to hockey" in 2005.One of the...
was pressed into service as a news reporter minutes after the riots began.