2003 Stanley Cup Finals
Encyclopedia
The 2003 Stanley Cup Finals was a best-of-seven playoff series that determined the champion of the National Hockey League
(NHL) for the 2002–03 season. As a culmination of the 2003 Stanley Cup playoffs
, the second-seeded Eastern Conference
champion New Jersey Devils
defeated the seventh-seeded Western Conference
champion Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in seven games and were awarded the Stanley Cup
. It was New Jersey's first appearance since 2001
and third in four years. It was Anaheim's first-ever appearance. The Devils defeated the Mighty Ducks in seven games to win their third Stanley Cup in less than a decade.
The Devils win was the last in a series of wins they, along with the Colorado Avalanche
and the Detroit Red Wings
established in the era from 1995
to 2003, as the three teams won a combined eight of nine Stanley Cups during that time. The Devils won in 1995, 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 and Detroit in 2002
.
and Tampa Bay Lightning
in five games, and beating the Ottawa Senators
in the Eastern Conference Finals in seven games. Strong goaltending from Martin Brodeur
, and strong defense from captain Scott Stevens
and Scott Niedermayer
led the way.
The Mighty Ducks of Anaheim entered their first Stanley Cup Finals in franchise history after upsetting two heavily favored teams: sweeping the defending Stanley Cup Champions, the Detroit Red Wings, defeating the Dallas Stars in six games, plus sweeping the upstart Minnesota Wild
in the Western Conference Finals thanks to the stellar goaltending of Jean-Sebastien Giguere
, only allowing one goal during the entire series. Backing up Giguere were players such as Paul Kariya
, Petr Sykora
, Adam Oates
, plus Rob Niedermayer
, brother of then-Devils star defenseman Scott Niedermayer.
This series was memorable for two brothers on different teams competing for the same prize.
that was initially waved off by referees due to a kicking motion dispute with the skates, but replays showed there was no distinct kicking motion from the skates, thus the goal counted. This would prove to deflate the Ducks for the rest of the game, as Jamie Langenbrunner
scored two more goals for the Devils to give New Jersey a 6–3 win and a 3–2 series lead.
during the 2000 playoffs and caused Lindros to miss the next season. Kariya was lying motionless for a few minutes, then was escorted to the locker room. Kariya unexpectedly returned to the bench minutes later. About eleven minutes after the hit, fired a slap shot that found the back of the net. The crowd at the Arrowhead Pond erupted then. This helped the Ducks win the game 5–2 and now put the Ducks within one game of clinching.
. Rupp became the first player in Stanley Cup history to have his first playoff goal be the Stanley Cup winning goal. Jeff Friesen
dominated his former teammates with two goals. The 3–0 win gave the Devils their third Stanley Cup victory as Anaheim could not complete their Cinderella run. However, the Mighty Ducks wouldn't leave empty handed; for his stellar play throughout the playoffs and finals, Jean-Sebastien Giguere for the Ducks was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy
as the MVP of the playoffs. He became only the fifth player, and fourth goaltender, in NHL history to have won the trophy as a member of the losing team. Many were surprised by the Conn Smythe trophy being awarded to the losing team. Martin Brodeur had set modern-day records with his outstanding performance, including three shutouts in the Final, including one in the all-important Cup-clinching game seven. However, many experts felt that the Devils' votes were distributed among many players who had played well in the series.
This was only the third time in NHL history and the first time since that the home team won all the games in the final.
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...
(NHL) for the 2002–03 season. As a culmination of the 2003 Stanley Cup playoffs
2003 Stanley Cup Playoffs
The 2003 Stanley Cup playoffs, the National Hockey League championship, began on April 9, 2003, following the 2002–03 regular season. The playoffs concluded on June 9, 2003, with the New Jersey Devils defeating the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in seven games.The sixteen qualifying teams played...
, the second-seeded Eastern Conference
Eastern Conference (NHL)
The Eastern Conference is one of two conferences in the National Hockey League used to divide teams. Its counterpart is the Western Conference....
champion 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...
defeated the seventh-seeded Western Conference
Western Conference (NHL)
The Western Conference is one of two conferences in the National Hockey League used to divide teams. Its counterpart is the Eastern Conference....
champion Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in seven games and were awarded 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...
. It was New Jersey's first appearance since 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...
and third in four years. It was Anaheim's first-ever appearance. The Devils defeated the Mighty Ducks in seven games to win their third Stanley Cup in less than a decade.
The Devils win was the last in a series of wins they, 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...
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...
established in the era from 1995
1995 Stanley Cup Finals
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 2003, as the three teams won a combined eight of nine Stanley Cups during that time. The Devils won in 1995, 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 and 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...
.
Paths to the Finals
The New Jersey Devils were in the finals for their fourth time (third time in four years) after defeating 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...
and Tampa Bay Lightning
Tampa Bay Lightning
The Tampa Bay Lightning are a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They have one Stanley Cup championship in their history, in 2003–04. They are often referred to as the...
in five games, and beating the Ottawa Senators
Ottawa Senators
The Ottawa Senators are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
in the Eastern Conference Finals in seven games. Strong goaltending from 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...
, and strong defense from captain 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...
and 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...
led the way.
The Mighty Ducks of Anaheim entered their first Stanley Cup Finals in franchise history after upsetting two heavily favored teams: sweeping the defending Stanley Cup Champions, the Detroit Red Wings, defeating the Dallas Stars in six games, plus sweeping the upstart Minnesota Wild
Minnesota Wild
The Minnesota Wild are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
in the Western Conference Finals thanks to the stellar goaltending of Jean-Sebastien Giguere
Jean-Sébastien Giguère
Jean-Sébastien Giguère is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing with the Colorado Avalanche of the National Hockey League . He played major junior with the Verdun Collège Français and Halifax Mooseheads in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League , where he was drafted 13th...
, only allowing one goal during the entire series. Backing up Giguere were players such as Paul Kariya
Paul Kariya
Paul Tetsuhiko Kariya is a Canadian retired professional ice hockey winger who played 15 seasons in the National Hockey League . Known as a skilled and fast-skating offensive player, he played in the NHL for the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, Colorado Avalanche, Nashville Predators and St...
, Petr Sykora
Petr Sýkora
Petr Sýkora is a Czech professional ice hockey right winger for the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League . Sýkora has previously played in the NHL for the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, New York Rangers, Edmonton Oilers, Pittsburgh Penguins and Minnesota Wild. He is a two-time Stanley Cup...
, Adam Oates
Adam Oates
Adam Oates is a retired professional ice hockey and lacrosse player and is currently an assistant coach with the New Jersey Devils.-Playing career:Oates' break came when Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute offered him a scholarship...
, plus Rob Niedermayer
Rob Niedermayer
Robert W. Niedermayer, Jr. is a Canadian professional ice hockey player who currently plays for HC Lugano of the National League A in Switzerland. He also played for the Florida Panthers, Calgary Flames, Anaheim Ducks, New Jersey Devils and Buffalo Sabres...
, brother of then-Devils star defenseman Scott Niedermayer.
This series was memorable for two brothers on different teams competing for the same prize.
Game one
Martin Brodeur kept the Ducks off the score board while the Devils players continually dominated the Ducks. The Devils shut out Anaheim 3-0.Game two
Like in Game one, Brodeur kept the Ducks off the scoreboard and shut out the Ducks 3-0.Game three
Game three was remembered for the clumsy mistake from Martin Brodeur when he accidentally dropped his stick when the puck came to him, the puck deflected off his fallen stick and into the net to give the Ducks a lucky break and a 2–1 lead. The Devils would later tie the game, but lose in overtime. Over the mistake with his stick, Brodeur later claimed, "It was just one of those once in a lifetime things."Game four
Game four had no scoring throughout regulation and was a battle between goaltenders Brodeur and Giguere. But Anaheim again came out on top in overtime, winning 1–0 and tying the series.Game five
Game five, at the Meadowlands saw a continual battle for the first half of the game. With the game tied 3–3 in the second period, the Devils took the lead with a deflection goal by Jay PandolfoJay Pandolfo
Jay Paul Pandolfo is an American professional ice hockey forward currently a member of the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League.He spent most of his career with the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League...
that was initially waved off by referees due to a kicking motion dispute with the skates, but replays showed there was no distinct kicking motion from the skates, thus the goal counted. This would prove to deflate the Ducks for the rest of the game, as Jamie Langenbrunner
Jamie Langenbrunner
James Craig Langenbrunner is an American professional ice hockey player. He's an alternate captain of the St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League . He was the captain of the 2010 United States Olympic Team...
scored two more goals for the Devils to give New Jersey a 6–3 win and a 3–2 series lead.
Game six
With New Jersey looking to clinch the series, game six at Anaheim saw the Mighty Ducks return the favor of game five to the Devils with complete dominance throughout the game. Quite possibly the most remembered moment of the entire series came when the Ducks were winning 3–1 in the second period. Ducks captain Paul Kariya didn't see Scott Stevens coming after he passed the puck and was leveled by the Devils captain in a hit similar to the check that knocked out Eric LindrosEric Lindros
Eric Bryan Lindros is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player. Lindros played junior hockey in the OHL for the Oshawa Generals prior to being selected first overall in the 1991 NHL Entry Draft by the Quebec Nordiques...
during the 2000 playoffs and caused Lindros to miss the next season. Kariya was lying motionless for a few minutes, then was escorted to the locker room. Kariya unexpectedly returned to the bench minutes later. About eleven minutes after the hit, fired a slap shot that found the back of the net. The crowd at the Arrowhead Pond erupted then. This helped the Ducks win the game 5–2 and now put the Ducks within one game of clinching.
Game seven
Game seven on New Jersey home ice saw the Devils once more completely dominate the Ducks. The game winning goal was scored by Michael RuppMichael Rupp
Michael Francis Rupp is an American professional ice hockey player currently playing for the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
. Rupp became the first player in Stanley Cup history to have his first playoff goal be the Stanley Cup winning goal. Jeff Friesen
Jeff Friesen
Jeff Daryl Friesen is a Canadian professional ice hockey player who is currently a Free Agent. He most recently played with Eisbären Berlin of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga.-Playing career:...
dominated his former teammates with two goals. The 3–0 win gave the Devils their third Stanley Cup victory as Anaheim could not complete their Cinderella run. However, the Mighty Ducks wouldn't leave empty handed; for his stellar play throughout the playoffs and finals, Jean-Sebastien Giguere for the Ducks 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 the MVP of the playoffs. He became only the fifth player, and fourth goaltender, in NHL history to have won the trophy as a member of the losing team. Many were surprised by the Conn Smythe trophy being awarded to the losing team. Martin Brodeur had set modern-day records with his outstanding performance, including three shutouts in the Final, including one in the all-important Cup-clinching game seven. However, many experts felt that the Devils' votes were distributed among many players who had played well in the series.
This was only the third time in NHL history and the first time since that the home team won all the games in the final.