1995 Stanley Cup Finals
Encyclopedia
The 1995 Stanley Cup Final NHL
championship series was contested by the New Jersey Devils
and the Detroit Red Wings
. This was the first of nine consecutive finals with American franchises exclusively. New Jersey was making the franchise's first-ever appearance in the Final, while Detroit returned to the Final for the first time since the 1966 Final
. The Devils swept the series four games to none to win their first Stanley Cup
. It was the second sweep in the Finals in four years.
Despite the fact that the regular season was cut severely short by the owners lockout, both the season, and the finals were saved at the eleventh hour and the playoffs were held, despite many fans and sports writers insistence that such a short season did not adequately reflect a proper hockey season and should have been aborted. The win by the Devils marked their first Stanley Cup title, after 21 seasons and two franchise relocations. It was also the first of three for the Devils in less than a decade. The win was made more impressive by the fact that the Devils won it holding the lowest seed ever to win the Stanley Cup with the 9th seed. Their regular season winning percentage was also the lowest since the 1967 Toronto Maple Leafs. They were the underdogs going in, winning their first two games on the road.
This series featured the two teams that went to the finals at least three times since the NHL renamed the conferences before the season. Including 1995, the Devils went to the Final four times, while the Red Wings went to the Final six times. It also marked the beginning of a series of wins; the Devils and Red Wings, along with the Colorado Avalanche
, would establish in the era from 1995 to 2003
. The three teams would win a combined eight of nine Stanley Cups during that time. The Devils won it here, followed by the Avalanche in 1996
, then the Red Wings in 1997
and 1998
. After the Dallas Stars
won in 1999
, the four-year cycle repeated as the Devils started it again in 2000
, followed by Colorado in 2001
, Detroit in 2002
, and the Devils themselves again in 2003.
4–1, the Pittsburgh Penguins
4–1, and the Philadelphia Flyers
, the Penguins' in-state rivals and one of the Devils' own rival
s, 4–2.
Detroit defeated the Dallas Stars
4–1, the San Jose Sharks
4–0 and rival
Chicago Blackhawks
4–1.
. Few gave New Jersey much of a chance against the NHL’s best team. Going into the game, Detroit was a perfect 8–0 at home in the playoffs, and had outscored their opponents 30–11 in their eight home games. In the first three rounds alone the Red Wings had scored 18 power-play goals. Detroit fans, first greeting their opponents with a chorus of boos, then chanted after every Devils name was read during introductions, "Who Cares?"
After a scoreless first period, the underdog Devils got on the board first, when Stephane Richer
blasted a slap shot from the top of the right circle that just squeezed through Detroit goaltender Mike Vernon. The power-play goal came at 9:41 of the second period and gave New Jersey a 1–0 lead. The Red Wings responded less than four minutes later and tied the game on a power-play goal by Dino Ciccarelli
at 13:08. The Devils would regain the lead on a goal by Claude Lemieux
, a slapper from the slot at 3:17 of the third period. New Jersey would go on to win the game 2–1 and take a one-game-to-none series lead. They played a solid defensive game, frustrating the Red Wings and holding them to just 17 shots. The win was their ninth road win of the playoffs.
scored on the power play at 7:17 of the second period to make the score 1–0 in favor of the Red Wings. Devils forward John MacLean would tie the game at 1–1 less than two and a half minutes later with a goal at 9:40. Then, on a Detroit breakaway, New Jersey defenceman and captain
Scott Stevens
laid a thundering body check on Kozlov as he made a move to the inside past the New Jersey blue line. Although the Red Wings regained the lead on Sergei Fedorov
's goal at 1:36 of the third period, the Stevens hit seemed to inspire the Devils. With the midway point of the third period approaching, New Jersey defenceman Scott Niedermayer
picked up the puck in his own zone and skated up the ice. Once over the Detroit blue line, he got a step on defenceman Paul Coffey
and fired a shot towards the Detroit net. Although the puck missed the net, it bounced off the end boards and came right back to Niedermayer who shot it past Mike Vernon to tie the game at 2–2. The game remained tied until late in the third period. Devils defenceman Shawn Chambers
fired a shot from the point and the rebound came right to Jim Dowd who backhanded the puck into the net to give the Devils a 3–2 lead. Stephane Richer would add an empty-net goal as New Jersey won, 4-2.
, Claude Lemieux, Neal Broten
, Randy McKay and Bobby Holik
all scored to give the Devils a 5–0 lead with 11:46 remaining in the game. Detroit scored twice on power-play goals by Sergei Fedorov and Steve Yzerman at 16:57 and 18:27 of the third period, as New Jersey won 5–2. They now had a commanding three-games-to-none lead in the series.
and Chambers (his second of the game) at 7:46 and 12:32 of the third period. The Devils won the game 5–2 and the series four games to none. It was New Jersey's first Stanley Cup Championship in team history. Devils goaltender
Martin Brodeur
allowed just seven goals against the Red Wings in the series and Devils forward Claude Lemieux was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy
as Playoff MVP, having led all skaters in playoff goals with 13. He would win the Stanley Cup again the very next season with the Colorado Avalanche.
Because the Devils swept the Red Wings and Game 4 of the series was on Fox, their television play-by-play announcer, Mike Emrick
, called the win, alongside John Davidson, as they both were the lead broadcast team. That game, the first Stanley Cup clinching game to air on network television in the United States since Game 6 in , drew a 4.7 rating and a 10 share. In the New York City area, the game drew a 10.6 rating and 21 share and in Detroit, 14.1 and 26.
In Canada, Bob Cole
and Harry Neale
were in the broadcast booth as usual.
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 series was contested by the New Jersey Devils
New Jersey Devils
The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey, United States. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
and the Detroit Red Wings
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...
. This was the first of nine consecutive finals with American franchises exclusively. New Jersey was making the franchise's first-ever appearance in the Final, while Detroit returned to the Final for the first time since the 1966 Final
1966 Stanley Cup Finals
The 1966 Stanley Cup Final was contested by the Detroit Red Wings and the defending champion Montreal Canadiens. The Canadiens would win the best-of-seven series four games to two to win the Stanley Cup for the seventh time in eleven years.-Paths to the final:...
. The Devils swept the series four games to none to win their first 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 the second sweep in the Finals in four years.
Despite the fact that the regular season was cut severely short by the owners lockout, both the season, and the finals were saved at the eleventh hour and the playoffs were held, despite many fans and sports writers insistence that such a short season did not adequately reflect a proper hockey season and should have been aborted. The win by the Devils marked their first Stanley Cup title, after 21 seasons and two franchise relocations. It was also the first of three for the Devils in less than a decade. The win was made more impressive by the fact that the Devils won it holding the lowest seed ever to win the Stanley Cup with the 9th seed. Their regular season winning percentage was also the lowest since the 1967 Toronto Maple Leafs. They were the underdogs going in, winning their first two games on the road.
This series featured the two teams that went to the finals at least three times since the NHL renamed the conferences before the season. Including 1995, the Devils went to the Final four times, while the Red Wings went to the Final six times. It also marked the beginning of a series of wins; the Devils and Red Wings, along with the Colorado Avalanche
Colorado Avalanche
The Colorado Avalanche are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver, Colorado, United States. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Avalanche have won the Stanley Cup twice, in 1995–96 and 2000–01. The franchise...
, would establish in the era from 1995 to 2003
2003 Stanley Cup Finals
The 2003 Stanley Cup Finals was a best-of-seven playoff series that determined the champion of the National Hockey League for the 2002–03 season...
. The three teams would win a combined eight of nine Stanley Cups during that time. The Devils won it here, followed by the Avalanche in 1996
1996 Stanley Cup Finals
The 1996 Stanley Cup Final NHL championship series was contested by two teams that had not existed three seasons before, the Colorado Avalanche and the Florida Panthers. The Avalanche won the Cup in a four game sweep to win the franchise's first Stanley Cup, in their first season in Denver since...
, then the Red Wings in 1997
1997 Stanley Cup Finals
The 1997 Stanley Cup Final NHL championship series was contested by the Detroit Red Wings and the Philadelphia Flyers. Detroit was in the Final for the second time in three years while the Flyers were making their first appearance since the 1987 Final...
and 1998
1998 Stanley Cup Finals
- Detroit Red Wings - 1998 Stanley Cup Champions :- Stanley Cup engravings :* Wally Crossman was oldest person engraved on the Stanley Cup at age 87....
. After the Dallas Stars
Dallas Stars
The Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team was founded during the 1967 NHL expansion as the Minnesota North Stars, based in Bloomington, Minnesota. The...
won in 1999
1999 Stanley Cup Finals
The 1999 Stanley Cup Final NHL championship series was contested by the Eastern Conference champion Buffalo Sabres and the Western Conference champion Dallas Stars. It was the 106th year of the Stanley Cup. The Sabres were led by captain Michael Peca, coach Lindy Ruff and goalie Dominik Hasek. The...
, the four-year cycle repeated as the Devils started it again in 2000
2000 Stanley Cup Finals
The 2000 Stanley Cup Finals was contested by the Eastern Conference champion New Jersey Devils and the Western Conference and defending Stanley Cup champion Dallas Stars. The Devils were led by captain Scott Stevens, coach Larry Robinson and goalie Martin Brodeur...
, followed by Colorado in 2001
2001 Stanley Cup Finals
The 2001 Stanley Cup Finals was contested by the Eastern Conference champion and defending Stanley Cup champion New Jersey Devils and the Western Conference champion Colorado Avalanche, making the franchise's second Stanley Cup Finals appearance, and first since the team won the 1996 Finals. The...
, Detroit in 2002
2002 Stanley Cup Finals
The 2002 Stanley Cup Finals was contested by the Western Conference champion Detroit Red Wings and the Eastern Conference champion Carolina Hurricanes, making their first Stanley Cup Finals appearance. Detroit defeated Carolina in five games to win their tenth Stanley Cup championship...
, and the Devils themselves again in 2003.
Paths to the Final
To get to the Final, New Jersey defeated the Boston BruinsBoston 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...
4–1, the 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...
4–1, 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 Penguins' in-state rivals and one of the Devils' own rival
Devils–Flyers rivalry
The rivalry between the New Jersey Devils and the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League is a rivalry between two teams in the Atlantic Division...
s, 4–2.
Detroit defeated the Dallas Stars
Dallas Stars
The Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team was founded during the 1967 NHL expansion as the Minnesota North Stars, based in Bloomington, Minnesota. The...
4–1, the San Jose Sharks
San Jose Sharks
The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California, United States. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
4–0 and rival
Blackhawks – Red Wings rivalry
The rivalry between the Chicago Blackhawks and the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League is the most intense rivalry in the Central Division. It has existed since and continued ever since through the Original Six days into the present...
Chicago Blackhawks
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...
4–1.
Game one
The series opened on Saturday, June 17 at the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, MichiganDetroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
. Few gave New Jersey much of a chance against the NHL’s best team. Going into the game, Detroit was a perfect 8–0 at home in the playoffs, and had outscored their opponents 30–11 in their eight home games. In the first three rounds alone the Red Wings had scored 18 power-play goals. Detroit fans, first greeting their opponents with a chorus of boos, then chanted after every Devils name was read during introductions, "Who Cares?"
After a scoreless first period, the underdog Devils got on the board first, when Stephane Richer
Stephane Richer
Stéphane Jean-Jacques Richer is a retired professional ice hockey left winger.-Playing career:Richer was drafted 29th overall by the Montreal Canadiens in the 1984 NHL Entry Draft. He played in 1,054 career NHL games, scoring 421 goals and 398 assists for 819 points. Richer won the Calder Cup in...
blasted a slap shot from the top of the right circle that just squeezed through Detroit goaltender Mike Vernon. The power-play goal came at 9:41 of the second period and gave New Jersey a 1–0 lead. The Red Wings responded less than four minutes later and tied the game on a power-play goal by Dino Ciccarelli
Dino Ciccarelli
.Dino Ciccarelli is a Canadian former professional hockey player who played 19 seasons in the National Hockey League, primarily with the Minnesota North Stars. He scored 1,200 points in his NHL career. His 608 career NHL goals are also the most goals scored by a draft-eligible player who was not...
at 13:08. The Devils would regain the lead on a goal by Claude Lemieux
Claude Lemieux
Claude Percy Lemieux is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player. He last played for the San Jose Sharks before announcing his retirement on July 8, 2009. He is one of only ten players in Stanley Cup history to win the Cup with three different teams. His 80 career playoff goals are the...
, a slapper from the slot at 3:17 of the third period. New Jersey would go on to win the game 2–1 and take a one-game-to-none series lead. They played a solid defensive game, frustrating the Red Wings and holding them to just 17 shots. The win was their ninth road win of the playoffs.
Game two
In game two, Detroit played with a sense of urgency. Vyacheslav KozlovVyacheslav Kozlov
Vyacheslav Anatolevich 'Slava' Kozlov is a Russian professional ice hockey left winger who plays for Dynamo Moscow of the Kontinental Hockey League. He is a two-time Stanley Cup champion from his years playing with the Detroit Red Wings. He has also played for the Buffalo Sabres, Atlanta Thrashers...
scored on the power play at 7:17 of the second period to make the score 1–0 in favor of the Red Wings. Devils forward John MacLean would tie the game at 1–1 less than two and a half minutes later with a goal at 9:40. Then, on a Detroit breakaway, New Jersey defenceman and captain
Captain (ice hockey)
In ice hockey, each team can designate an official captain for each game. The player serving as captain during the game wears a "C" on his or her jersey...
Scott Stevens
Scott Stevens
Ronald Scott Stevens is a retired professional ice hockey defenceman. Stevens played 22 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Washington Capitals, St. Louis Blues, and the New Jersey Devils...
laid a thundering body check on Kozlov as he made a move to the inside past the New Jersey blue line. Although the Red Wings regained the lead on Sergei Fedorov
Sergei Fedorov
Sergei Viktorovich Fedorov is a Russian professional ice hockey forward and occasional defenceman...
's goal at 1:36 of the third period, the Stevens hit seemed to inspire the Devils. With the midway point of the third period approaching, New Jersey defenceman Scott Niedermayer
Scott Niedermayer
Scott Niedermayer is a retired Canadian ice hockey defenceman who played 18 seasons in the National Hockey League for two teams: the New Jersey Devils and the Anaheim Ducks. Niedermayer was known for his skating stride, and ability for leading or joining the offensive rush...
picked up the puck in his own zone and skated up the ice. Once over the Detroit blue line, he got a step on defenceman 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...
and fired a shot towards the Detroit net. Although the puck missed the net, it bounced off the end boards and came right back to Niedermayer who shot it past Mike Vernon to tie the game at 2–2. The game remained tied until late in the third period. Devils defenceman Shawn Chambers
Shawn Chambers
Shawn Randall Chambers is a retired American ice hockey player.A defenceman, Chambers played college hockey at the University of Alaska Fairbanks from 1985-1987...
fired a shot from the point and the rebound came right to Jim Dowd who backhanded the puck into the net to give the Devils a 3–2 lead. Stephane Richer would add an empty-net goal as New Jersey won, 4-2.
Game three
Game three shifted the series back to the Meadowlands in East Rutherford, New Jersey. During Game 1, the Detroit crowd taunted the Devils by collectively jeering, "who cares" after each player was introduced. The Devils fans countered by raining boos down on the visiting Red Wings and delivering chants of "Red Wings suck." The Devils did their talking on the ice, dominating the Red Wings, scoring five consecutive goals. Bruce DriverBruce Driver
Bruce Douglas Driver is a former professional ice hockey defenceman who played 15 seasons in the National Hockey League from 1983–84 until 1997–98. Driver possessed a strong point shot, heady offensive instincts, smart positional defensive play, and a good stick with which he was adept at poke...
, Claude Lemieux, Neal Broten
Neal Broten
Neal LaMoy Broten is a retired American professional ice hockey player who played on the gold medal-winning "Miracle on Ice" hockey team in 1980, and in 1,099 NHL regular season games from 1981 – 1997 with the Minnesota North Stars, Dallas Stars, New Jersey Devils and Los Angeles Kings...
, Randy McKay and Bobby Holik
Bobby Holik
Robert Holík is a retired Czech-American professional ice hockey center who played 18 seasons in the National Hockey League...
all scored to give the Devils a 5–0 lead with 11:46 remaining in the game. Detroit scored twice on power-play goals by Sergei Fedorov and Steve Yzerman at 16:57 and 18:27 of the third period, as New Jersey won 5–2. They now had a commanding three-games-to-none lead in the series.
Game four
The Devils jumped out to a 1–0 lead on Neal Broten's goal just 68 seconds into the game. However, the Red Wings were fighting to stay alive and tied the game on Sergei Fedorov's goal just 55 seconds later. Coffey scored a shorthanded goal at 13:01 to give Detroit a 2–1 lead. New Jersey responded less than five minutes later, at 17:45 on a slap-shot goal by Shawn Chambers that beat Mike Vernon glove side. Then in the second period, Scott Niedermayer fed Broten in front of the net who chipped the puck over Vernon's glove. The goal was Broten's second of the game and it gave the Devils a 3–2 lead. New Jersey would increase its lead with goals by Sergei BrylinSergei Brylin
Sergei Vladimirovich Brylin is a Russian professional ice hockey center currently playing for Metallurg Novokuznetsk of the Kontinental Hockey League...
and Chambers (his second of the game) at 7:46 and 12:32 of the third period. The Devils won the game 5–2 and the series four games to none. It was New Jersey's first Stanley Cup Championship in team history. Devils goaltender
Goaltender
In ice hockey, the goaltender is the player who defends his team's goal net by stopping shots of the puck from entering his team's net, thus preventing the opposing team from scoring...
Martin Brodeur
Martin Brodeur
Martin Pierre Brodeur is a French-Canadian ice hockey goaltender who has played his entire National Hockey League career with the New Jersey Devils. In his 19-year tenure with the Devils, he has won three Stanley Cup championships and has been in the playoffs every year but two...
allowed just seven goals against the Red Wings in the series and Devils forward Claude Lemieux was awarded 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, having led all skaters in playoff goals with 13. He would win the Stanley Cup again the very next season with the Colorado Avalanche.
Broadcasting
In the United States, this was the first year that Fox broadcast the Stanley Cup Finals. Fox broadcast Games 1 and 4, while ESPN had Games 2 and 3.Because the Devils swept the Red Wings and Game 4 of the series was on Fox, their television play-by-play announcer, Mike Emrick
Mike Emrick
Michael "Doc" Emrick, is an American sports commentator noted mostly for his work in ice hockey. Emrick is currently the lead announcer for NHL national telecasts on both NBC and Versus...
, called the win, alongside John Davidson, as they both were the lead broadcast team. That game, the first Stanley Cup clinching game to air on network television in the United States since Game 6 in , drew a 4.7 rating and a 10 share. In the New York City area, the game drew a 10.6 rating and 21 share and in Detroit, 14.1 and 26.
In Canada, Bob Cole
Bob 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...
and Harry Neale
Harry Neale
Harold Watson Neale is a hockey colour commentator, who currently works for the Buffalo Sabres on the Sabres Hockey Network...
were in the broadcast booth as usual.
New Jersey Devils - 1995 Stanley Cup Champions
See also
- 1994–95 NHL season
- 1994–95 Detroit Red Wings season1994–95 Detroit Red Wings seasonThe 1994–95 Detroit Red Wings season was the Red Wings' 72nd season. The Red Wings started the 1994–95 season strong, and finished it strong, going 33–11–4 for 70 points in 48 games. Having the league's best regular-season record, they were awarded the Presidents' Trophy...
- 1994–95 New Jersey Devils season1994–95 New Jersey Devils seasonThe 1994–95 New Jersey Devils season was the franchise's thirteenth season in New Jersey. Although the Devils played an abbreviated 48-game season, shortened by the 1994–95 NHL lockout, the Devils won their first Stanley Cup championship in franchise history....
- 1995 Stanley Cup playoffs1995 Stanley Cup PlayoffsThe 1995 Stanley Cup playoffs, the championship of the National Hockey League was played between May 6 and June 24, 1995. In the Final, the New Jersey Devils swept the favored Detroit Red Wings in four games to win their first championship. The Quebec Nordiques played their last ever playoff series...
- List of Stanley Cup champions