2006 Stanley Cup Finals
Encyclopedia
The 2006 Stanley Cup Final was a best-of-seven playoff series that determined the National Hockey League
(NHL) champion for the 2005–06 season. As a culmination of the 2006 Stanley Cup playoffs
, the Eastern Conference
champion Carolina Hurricanes
defeated the Western Conference
champion Edmonton Oilers
in seven games and were awarded the Stanley Cup
. It was the Hurricanes second appearance in the Final, the other being in when they lost to the Detroit Red Wings
. It was the Oilers first appearance since they won their fifth Stanley Cup in team history in . Carolina defeated Edmonton four games to three to win the franchise's first Stanley Cup
and second league championship (the club, known then as the New England Whalers won the 1973 Avco World Trophy
final when it was a member of the short-lived World Hockey Association
) This is the last Stanley Cup Final, as of 2011, in which the Eastern Conference champion
has had home-ice advantage.
4–2, the New Jersey Devils
4–1 and the Buffalo Sabres
4–3 to advance to the Final.
Edmonton defeated the Western Conference No. 1 seed Detroit Red Wings
4–2, the San Jose Sharks
4–2 and the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim 4–1 to advance to the Final. This marked the first time since the current Conference-based playoff format, debuted in 1994, that a team seeded #8 made it to the Finals.
teams played against each other for the Stanley Cup since they merged with the NHL in 1979. As a result of the new scheduling formula
that was implemented before the 2005–06 NHL season, the Hurricanes and the Oilers did not meet during the regular season.
These were also the first ever Finals contested by two teams that had both missed the playoffs the previous season
(assuming one skips the unplayed 2005 Stanley Cup playoffs). Even more interestingly, it would also prove to be the first Finals contested by teams that would both go on to miss the following years' playoffs
. Prior to these Finals, only the 1938–39 Chicago Black Hawks
had ever missed the playoffs one year, then played in the Stanley Cup Final (win or lose) the following season, and then missed the playoffs again the season after that. Both the Hurricanes and Oilers have now accomplished this dubious feat.
Hurricanes Head Coach Peter Laviolette
joined Ron Wilson as the only people to have head coached in an Olympics and Stanley Cup Finals in the same year, having coached the American ice hockey team during the Torino Olympics
.
. In the second period, Chris Pronger
scored the first penalty shot
goal in Stanley Cup Finals history after defenceman Niclas Wallin
illegally covered the puck inside his own goal crease, and Ethan Moreau
's goal at 16:23 gave the Oilers a 3–0 lead. But at the 17:17 mark, Rod Brind'Amour
scored the Hurricanes' first goal of the game. Carolina then tied the game in the third period with two scores by Ray Whitney
. The Hurricanes jumped ahead, 4–3, on a shorthanded breakaway goal by Justin Williams
, but Edmonton's Ales Hemsky
scored on a power play to tie the game with 6:29 remaining. Late in the final period, Oilers goalie Dwayne Roloson
suffered a series-ending knee injury
in a collision and was replaced with Ty Conklin
. With 32 seconds to go in regulation, Conklin misplayed the puck behind his own net, and it deflected off Jason Smith
's stick to the front of the empty net, allowing Brind'Amour to score the winning goal. Hurricanes' netminder Cam Ward
had to make the last of his 34 saves with 3.8 seconds remaining, robbing Shawn Horcoff for the second time in the third period with a glove save to preserve the victory.
started for the Oilers in game two. Although Markkanen had played 37 games in the regular season - sharing the job with Ty Conklin and Mike Morrison
- he had watched the entire post-season from the press box (Conklin sat on the bench as the backup); he also had not played in a game since March 1, 2006. The Hurricanes shut out the Oilers, 5–0, with five different Carolina players scoring goals. Markkanen was Edmonton's third goaltender in the series. It was the first time three goaltenders had been used in a Cup Finals since May 1970, when the St. Louis Blues employed Jacques Plante
, Glenn Hall
and Ernie Wakely
on their way to being swept by the Boston Bruins
.
With just over a minute to go in regulation, the Oilers pulled the goalie
in hopes of forcing overtime. A loose puck wound up on the stick of Bret Hedican. He fed it to Eric Staal, who threw it down the ice to Justin Williams. Williams sprinted down the ice and tapped the puck into the empty net, sealing the Stanley Cup for the Hurricanes. Cam Ward became the first NHL rookie goalie to win a Stanley Cup Finals series since Patrick Roy
lead the Montreal Canadiens
in , and he was also the first rookie since the Philadelphia Flyers
' Ron Hextall
in to be awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy
as Most Valuable Player in the playoffs.
Cory Stillman
earned a Stanley Cup title for the second straight season, having won in 2004 with the Tampa Bay Lightning
, becoming the first player to win back-to-back titles with different teams since Claude Lemieux
(1995 New Jersey Devils
, 1996 Colorado Avalanche
).
The Hurricanes' victory ended Glen Wesley
's 18-year drought without winning the Cup. He had played close to 1,500 regular season and playoff games before winning the Cup, the longest such drought in the NHL. Wesley was the last player remaining from the franchise's days as the Hartford Whalers
. Other notable veterans to win their first Cup were Rod Brind'Amour, Doug Weight, Ray Whitney, and Bret Hedican
, who was on the losing end of another Game 7 Finals, in , while with the Vancouver Canucks
. Mark Recchi won the second Cup of his career, having won 15 years prior as a member of the 1991 Pittsburgh Penguins
.
The Hurricanes became the third former World Hockey Association franchise to win the Stanley Cup, following the Oilers and Quebec Nordiques
, who won as the Colorado Avalanche
.
The 2006 Stanley Cup playoffs marked the second time in a row that an Alberta
-based team had made it to the NHL finals only to lose in seven games to the Southeast Division champions as the Oilers weren't able to complete their Cinderella
run, having entered the playoffs seeded #8, denying General Manager Kevin Lowe
and Head Coach Craig MacTavish
from joining Lester Patrick
and Frank Boucher
as the only duos to win the Stanley Cup together as players and then as a coach-managerial team, as the two were with the Oilers as players in , , and and the New York Rangers
in 1994; the Calgary Flames
were defeated by the Tampa Bay Lightning
in 2004.
In each game of the Finals, the team that won the opening faceoff
went on to win that game.
This was the first major-league professional championship for the state of North Carolina
by a men's team (the Carolina Courage
of the defunct Women's United Soccer Association
won the 2002 Founders Cup
). It is also, as of 2011, the only world championship by a current North Carolina team in any of the four major league sports.
(now Versus). Games 1 and 2 were on OLN, while the remainder of the series was on NBC. NBC's broadcast of Game 7 drew a 3.3 rating, a 21% drop from ABC's 4.2 for Game 7 in . However, some NBC affiliates didn't air Game 7 live. Overall, NBC had an average rating of 2.3 for its five telecasts of the final, down 12% from ABC's 2004 average.
In Canada, the CBC's broadcast of Game 7 drew 4.739 million viewers. However, it included pre-game and post-game coverage. The game itself drew 5.553 million.
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) champion for the 2005–06 season. As a culmination of the 2006 Stanley Cup playoffs
2006 Stanley Cup Playoffs
The 2006 Stanley Cup playoffs for the National Hockey League championship began on April 21, 2006, following the 2005–06 regular season. The sixteen teams that qualified, seeded one through eight from each conference, played best-of-seven series with re-seeding after the conference quarterfinals...
, the 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 Carolina Hurricanes
Carolina Hurricanes
The Carolina Hurricanes are a professional ice hockey team based in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League , and play their home games at the 18,680-seat RBC Center...
defeated the 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 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 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 the Hurricanes second appearance in the Final, the other being in when they lost to 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...
. It was the Oilers first appearance since they won their fifth Stanley Cup in team history in . Carolina defeated Edmonton four games to three to win the franchise's 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...
and second league championship (the club, known then as the New England Whalers won the 1973 Avco World Trophy
Avco World Trophy
The Avco World Trophy, also known as the Avco Cup, was the championship trophy of the original World Hockey Association . The trophy's naming rights were sold to the former Avco Corporation , a defense contractor who bought the rights to advertise their consumer finance division...
final when it was a member of the short-lived World Hockey Association
World Hockey Association
The World Hockey Association was a professional ice hockey league that operated in North America from 1972 to 1979. It was the first major competition for the National Hockey League since the collapse of the Western Hockey League in 1926...
) This is the last Stanley Cup Final, as of 2011, in which the Eastern Conference champion
Prince of Wales Trophy
The Prince of Wales Trophy, also known as the Wales Trophy, is an award presented by the National Hockey League to the Eastern Conference playoff champions, prior to the final series of games for the Stanley Cup...
has had home-ice advantage.
Paths to the Final
Carolina defeated the Montreal CanadiensMontreal 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 ...
4–2, 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...
4–1 and 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:...
4–3 to advance to the Final.
Edmonton defeated the Western Conference No. 1 seed 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...
4–2, 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...
4–2 and the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim 4–1 to advance to the Final. This marked the first time since the current Conference-based playoff format, debuted in 1994, that a team seeded #8 made it to the Finals.
The series
This series marked the first time that two former World Hockey AssociationWorld Hockey Association
The World Hockey Association was a professional ice hockey league that operated in North America from 1972 to 1979. It was the first major competition for the National Hockey League since the collapse of the Western Hockey League in 1926...
teams played against each other for the Stanley Cup since they merged with the NHL in 1979. As a result of the new scheduling formula
Season structure of the NHL
The structure of the National Hockey League season is divided into the regular season and the Stanley Cup playoffs. In the regular season, teams play 82 games which determine their standings...
that was implemented before the 2005–06 NHL season, the Hurricanes and the Oilers did not meet during the regular season.
These were also the first ever Finals contested by two teams that had both missed the playoffs the previous season
2004 Stanley Cup Playoffs
The 2004 Stanley Cup playoffs for the National Hockey League began on April 7, 2004, following the 2003–04 regular season. The playoffs ended with the Tampa Bay Lightning securing the Stanley Cup with a seven-game series win over the Calgary Flames on June 7. It was Tampa Bay's first Stanley Cup...
(assuming one skips the unplayed 2005 Stanley Cup playoffs). Even more interestingly, it would also prove to be the first Finals contested by teams that would both go on to miss the following years' playoffs
2007 Stanley Cup Playoffs
The 2007 Stanley Cup playoffs of the National Hockey League began on April 11, 2007. The sixteen teams that qualified, eight from each conference, played best-of-7 series for conference quarterfinals, semifinals and championships, and then the conference champions played a best-of-7 series for the...
. Prior to these Finals, only the 1938–39 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...
had ever missed the playoffs one year, then played in the Stanley Cup Final (win or lose) the following season, and then missed the playoffs again the season after that. Both the Hurricanes and Oilers have now accomplished this dubious feat.
Hurricanes Head Coach Peter Laviolette
Peter Laviolette
Peter Laviolette Jr. is an American former professional ice hockey defenseman and is the current head coach of the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League...
joined Ron Wilson as the only people to have head coached in an Olympics and Stanley Cup Finals in the same year, having coached the American ice hockey team during the Torino Olympics
2006 Winter Olympics
The 2006 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XX Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in Turin, Italy from February 10, 2006, through February 26, 2006. This marked the second time Italy hosted the Olympic Winter Games, the first being the VII Olympic Winter...
.
Game one
In game one, Carolina tied the biggest comeback in Stanley Cup Finals history, overcoming a three-goal deficit to win, 5–4. Edmonton scored first, 8:18 into the first period, with a goal from Fernando PisaniFernando Pisani
Fernando Antonio Pisani is a Canadian professional ice hockey right winger who is currently a free agent.-Playing career:...
. In the second period, Chris Pronger
Chris Pronger
Christopher Robert Pronger is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman and captain for the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League . Originally selected 2nd overall by the Hartford Whalers in the 1993 NHL Entry Draft, Pronger has played for Hartford, the St...
scored the first penalty shot
Penalty shot (ice hockey)
In ice hockey, a penalty shot is a type of penalty awarded when a team loses a clear scoring opportunity on a breakaway because of a foul committed by an opposing player. A player from the non-offending team is given an attempt to score a goal without opposition from any defending players except...
goal in Stanley Cup Finals history after defenceman Niclas Wallin
Niclas Wallin
Niclas Wallin is a Swedish professional ice hockey player currently playing for Luleå of the Swedish Elitserien .-Playing career:...
illegally covered the puck inside his own goal crease, and Ethan Moreau
Ethan Moreau
Ethan Byron Moreau is a professional ice hockey left winger who is currently playing with the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League. Prior to this, he was a alternate captain of the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League...
's goal at 16:23 gave the Oilers a 3–0 lead. But at the 17:17 mark, Rod Brind'Amour
Rod Brind'Amour
Roderic Jean Brind'Amour is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre who played 20 seasons in the National Hockey League for the St. Louis Blues, Philadelphia Flyers and Carolina Hurricanes. He captained the Hurricanes to the franchise's first Stanley Cup championship in...
scored the Hurricanes' first goal of the game. Carolina then tied the game in the third period with two scores by Ray Whitney
Ray Whitney (hockey player)
Ray Whitney is a Canadian professional ice hockey player currently with the Phoenix Coyotes of the National Hockey League.-Playing career:...
. The Hurricanes jumped ahead, 4–3, on a shorthanded breakaway goal by Justin Williams
Justin Williams
Justin Williams is a Canadian professional ice hockey right winger who currently plays for the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League...
, but Edmonton's Ales Hemsky
Ales Hemsky
Aleš Hemský is a Czech professional ice hockey forward and alternate captain currently playing for the Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey League .-HC Pardubice:...
scored on a power play to tie the game with 6:29 remaining. Late in the final period, Oilers goalie Dwayne Roloson
Dwayne Roloson
Albert Dwayne Roloson is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the Tampa Bay Lightning in the National Hockey League . He has previously played for the Calgary Flames, Buffalo Sabres, Minnesota Wild, Edmonton Oilers, and New York Islanders during his professional career...
suffered a series-ending knee injury
Knee
The knee joint joins the thigh with the leg and consists of two articulations: one between the fibula and tibia, and one between the femur and patella. It is the largest joint in the human body and is very complicated. The knee is a mobile trocho-ginglymus , which permits flexion and extension as...
in a collision and was replaced with Ty Conklin
Ty Conklin
Ty Curtis Conklin is an American professional ice hockey goaltender currently with the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League....
. With 32 seconds to go in regulation, Conklin misplayed the puck behind his own net, and it deflected off Jason Smith
Jason Smith (hockey)
Jason Matthew Smith is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman. He played in the National Hockey League from 1993–94 to 2008–09.-Playing career:...
's stick to the front of the empty net, allowing Brind'Amour to score the winning goal. Hurricanes' netminder Cam Ward
Cam Ward
Cameron Kenneth Ward is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the Carolina Hurricanes of the National Hockey League . Born in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, he was raised in Sherwood Park, Alberta...
had to make the last of his 34 saves with 3.8 seconds remaining, robbing Shawn Horcoff for the second time in the third period with a glove save to preserve the victory.
Game two
With Roloson's injury, Jussi MarkkanenJussi Markkanen
Jussi Markkanen is an ice hockey goaltender for EV Zug of the National League A .-Playing career:Markkanen has played extensively in various European professional leagues as well as the NHL...
started for the Oilers in game two. Although Markkanen had played 37 games in the regular season - sharing the job with Ty Conklin and Mike Morrison
Mike Morrison
Michael Morrison is an American professional ice hockey player. Morrison is currently playing for Florida Everblades in East Coast Hockey League.-Playing career:...
- he had watched the entire post-season from the press box (Conklin sat on the bench as the backup); he also had not played in a game since March 1, 2006. The Hurricanes shut out the Oilers, 5–0, with five different Carolina players scoring goals. Markkanen was Edmonton's third goaltender in the series. It was the first time three goaltenders had been used in a Cup Finals since May 1970, when the St. Louis Blues employed Jacques Plante
Jacques Plante
Joseph Jacques Omer Plante was a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender. During a career lasting from 1947–1975, he was considered to be one of the most important innovators in hockey...
, Glenn Hall
Glenn Hall
Glenn Henry "Mr. Goalie" Hall is a former professional ice hockey goaltender. During his National Hockey League career with the Detroit Red Wings, Chicago Black Hawks, and St. Louis Blues, Hall seldom missed a game and was a consistent performer, winning the Vezina Trophy three times, and the...
and Ernie Wakely
Ernie Wakely
Ernest Alfred Linton Wakely is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. Wakely was a goaltender in the National Hockey League for the Montreal Canadiens and St. Louis Blues...
on their way to being swept by 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...
.
Game three
Markkanen once again started in net with Roloson still out. Shawn Horcoff scored just over two minutes into the first period. During the second period, a short-handed goal was waved off by the referee, because he had lost sight of the puck and had blown the whistle, despite the fact that the puck had not yet been covered. The Hurricanes responded midway through the third period with their captain, Rod Brind'Amour, taking a rebound off a blocked shot past Markkanen. However, with 2:15 left in the game, Edmonton's Ryan Smyth scored the winning goal after crashing into Ward inside the crease as they both tried to get control of a rebound off of a shot by Ales Hemsky.Game four
Edmonton got off to a good start when Sergei Samsonov opened the scoring at 8:40 of the first period. However, the lead was short-lived as Cory Stillman replied just 29 seconds later to tie the game, 1–1. Stillman also made a sound defensive play on Chris Pronger late in the second period, tipping the puck away in the Edmonton zone to the front of the net, where Eric Staal fed a pass to Mark Recchi, who scored the eventual game-winning goal with 4:08 to go in the period. Once again Edmonton's power-play was ineffective, failing to capitalize on five chances, including a two-man advantage in the first period. When the game ended, the Oilers were 1-for-25 on the power play to this point in the series.Game five
Carolina had a 3–1 lead in the series and a chance to win the Stanley Cup on their home ice. However, Edmonton scored first on Fernando Pisani's redirect of a Pronger slapshot 16 seconds into the game. The Hurricanes then went ahead, 2–1, on two power-play goals by Staal and Whitney before the Oilers scored on the power play with a beautiful one-timer by Ales Hemsky to tie the game. Michael Peca then gave Edmonton a 3–2 lead with 17.4 seconds left in the first period. In the second period, Staal poked a goal between Markkanen and the post to tie the game. Early in the third period, Hurricanes' center Doug Weight got sandwiched by Pronger and Raffi Torres, separating his shoulder and ending his night early. Weight would not return to play for the rest of the series, but would eventually raise the cup. Carolina defenceman Aaron Ward also was injured in the third period, and with Carolina running out of fresh bodies, the Hurricanes were desperate to close out the game. With 7:47 remaining in the third period, Whitney missed what might have been the Hurricanes' best chance to win the series with a shot that just hit the post. The game went to overtime, and Recchi drew a penalty early in the period to put the Hurricanes on the power play. Fernando Pisani picked off a cross-ice pass from Stillman and streaked in short-handed, and beat Cam Ward top right corner (glove side) with a left-handed shot, to score the first short-handed overtime goal in Finals history, giving the Oilers the upset win.Game six
Despite the emotional boost of Carolina winger Erik Cole returning to the ice for the first time since breaking his neck in March, Edmonton dominated for the entire sixty minutes, shutting out Carolina, 4–0, in front of a raucous crowd at Rexall Place, scoring three power-play goals and limiting the Hurricanes to only 16 shots on goal. Edmonton held Carolina to seven shots through 40 minutes of play. Fernando Pisani got his post-season high fifth game winning goal (and 13th in total, also tops amongst scorers in the '06 playoffs). This game also marked Markkanen's first career playoff shutout.Game seven
However, the Hurricanes returned to the RBC Center to defeat the Oilers in game seven, 3–1, to win the Stanley Cup. Aaron Ward and Frantisek Kaberle gave Carolina a 2–0 lead before Pisani scored for Edmonton at 1:03 of the third period to cut the lead.With just over a minute to go in regulation, the Oilers pulled the goalie
Extra attacker
An extra attacker in ice hockey is a forward or, less commonly, a defenceman who has been substituted in place of the goaltender. The purpose of this substitution is to gain an offensive advantage to score a goal...
in hopes of forcing overtime. A loose puck wound up on the stick of Bret Hedican. He fed it to Eric Staal, who threw it down the ice to Justin Williams. Williams sprinted down the ice and tapped the puck into the empty net, sealing the Stanley Cup for the Hurricanes. Cam Ward became the first NHL rookie goalie to win a Stanley Cup Finals series since 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...
lead 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 ...
in , and he was also the first rookie since 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...
' Ron Hextall
Ron Hextall
Ronald Jeffrey Hextall is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender who played 13 National Hockey League seasons for the Philadelphia Flyers, Quebec Nordiques, and New York Islanders...
in to be 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 Most Valuable Player in the playoffs.
Cory Stillman
Cory Stillman
Cory Stillman is a former Canadian professional ice hockey player.- Playing career :Stillman grew up in Peterborough, Ontario playing hockey for the Minor Petes program. He also played competitive baseball. In 1989–90, Stillman played for the Peterborough Roadrunners Jr.B...
earned a Stanley Cup title for the second straight season, having won in 2004 with the 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...
, becoming the first player to win back-to-back titles with different teams since 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...
(1995 New Jersey Devils
1994–95 New Jersey Devils season
The 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....
, 1996 Colorado Avalanche
1995–96 Colorado Avalanche season
The 1995–96 Colorado Avalanche season was the first season of the Nordiques/Avalanche franchise after moving from Quebec City to Denver.The Avalanche played their first game in the McNichols Sports Arena in Denver on October 6, 1995, winning 3–2 against the Detroit Red Wings...
).
The Hurricanes' victory ended Glen Wesley
Glen Wesley
Glen Edwin Wesley is a retired Canadian ice hockey defenceman who played 10 seasons for the Hartford Whalers/Carolina Hurricanes of the National Hockey League. He began his career with the Boston Bruins, and briefly played for the Toronto Maple Leafs...
's 18-year drought without winning the Cup. He had played close to 1,500 regular season and playoff games before winning the Cup, the longest such drought in the NHL. Wesley was the last player remaining from the franchise's days as the Hartford Whalers
Hartford Whalers
The Hartford Whalers were a professional ice hockey team based for most of its existence in Hartford, Connecticut, U.S.A.. The club played in the World Hockey Association from 1972–79 and in the National Hockey League from 1979–97...
. Other notable veterans to win their first Cup were Rod Brind'Amour, Doug Weight, Ray Whitney, and Bret Hedican
Bret Hedican
Bret Michael Hedican is a retired American professional ice hockey player and a two-time US Olympian.-Playing career:Hedican was drafted 198th overall by the St. Louis Blues in the 1988 NHL Entry Draft. A product of St. Cloud State University, Hedican made his NHL debut in the 1991–92 season with...
, who was on the losing end of another Game 7 Finals, in , while with 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,...
. Mark Recchi won the second Cup of his career, having won 15 years prior as a member of the 1991 Pittsburgh Penguins
1990–91 Pittsburgh Penguins season
The 1990–91 Pittsburgh Penguins season was the Penguins 24th season in the NHL, and they were coming off of a disappointing 1989–90 season, when they finished with a 32–40–8 record, recording 72 points, finishing 1 point behind the New York Islanders for the final playoff spot in the Patrick...
.
The Hurricanes became the third former World Hockey Association franchise to win the Stanley Cup, following the Oilers and 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...
, who won as 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...
.
The 2006 Stanley Cup playoffs marked the second time in a row that an Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
-based team had made it to the NHL finals only to lose in seven games to the Southeast Division champions as the Oilers weren't able to complete their Cinderella
Cinderella (sports)
In American and Canadian sports, a Cinderella or "Cinderella Story" refers to a team or player who advances much further in a tournament or career than originally anticipated. Cinderellas tend to gain much media and fan attention as they move closer to the championship game at the end of the...
run, having entered the playoffs seeded #8, denying General Manager Kevin Lowe
Kevin Lowe
Kevin Hugh Lowe is a retired defenceman and coach in the National Hockey League and the current President of Hockey Operations for the Edmonton Oilers. As a defenceman, he played for the Edmonton Oilers and the New York Rangers....
and Head Coach Craig MacTavish
Craig MacTavish
Craig "MacT" MacTavish is the current head coach of the American Hockey League Chicago Wolves and a former ice hockey player and coach in the National Hockey League. He played centre for 19 NHL seasons with the Boston Bruins, Edmonton Oilers, New York Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers and St. Louis...
from joining Lester Patrick
Lester Patrick
Curtis Lester "The Silver Fox" Patrick born in Drummondville, Quebec, Canada, was a professional ice hockey player and coach associated with the Victoria Aristocrats/Cougars of the Pacific Coast Hockey Association , and the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League...
and Frank Boucher
Frank Boucher
François-Xavier "Raffles" Boucher was a Canadian professional ice hockey player and executive. Boucher played the forward position for the Ottawa Senators and New York Rangers in the National Hockey League and the Vancouver Maroons in the Pacific Coast Hockey Association...
as the only duos to win the Stanley Cup together as players and then as a coach-managerial team, as the two were with the Oilers as players in , , and and 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...
in 1994; 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...
were defeated by the 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 2004.
In each game of the Finals, the team that won the opening faceoff
Faceoff
A face-off is the method used to begin play in ice hockey and some other sports. The two teams line up in opposition to each other, and the opposing centres attempt to gain control of the puck after it is dropped between their sticks by an official. One of the referees drops the puck at centre ice...
went on to win that game.
This was the first major-league professional championship for the state of North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
by a men's team (the Carolina Courage
Carolina Courage
Carolina Courage were a professional soccer team that played in the Women's United Soccer Association. The team played at Fetzer Field on the UNC-Chapel Hill campus in 2001, and then at the soccer-specific SAS Stadium in Cary, North Carolina in 2002 and 2003. The team began play in 2001; the...
of the defunct Women's United Soccer Association
Women's United Soccer Association
The Women's United Soccer Association, often abbreviated to the WUSA, was the world's first women's soccer league in which all the players were paid as professionals. Founded in February 2000, the league began its first season in April 2001 with eight teams in the United States...
won the 2002 Founders Cup
Founders Cup
The Founders Cup is the championship trophy of Canada's Junior "B" lacrosse leagues. The custodial duties of this trophy fall upon the Canadian Lacrosse Association. The National Champions are determined through a round robin format with a playdown for the final in a host city...
). It is also, as of 2011, the only world championship by a current North Carolina team in any of the four major league sports.
Carolina Hurricanes - 2006 Stanley Cup champions
Television
In the United States, this was the first Stanley Cup Final to be broadcast on NBC and OLNNHL on Versus
The NHL on Versus was the former branding used for National Hockey League games broadcast on Versus. Versus became the NHL's cable partner in the United States beginning in the 2005-06 season from previous partner ESPN, providing coverage of regular season games, playoff games, and select games...
(now Versus). Games 1 and 2 were on OLN, while the remainder of the series was on NBC. NBC's broadcast of Game 7 drew a 3.3 rating, a 21% drop from ABC's 4.2 for Game 7 in . However, some NBC affiliates didn't air Game 7 live. Overall, NBC had an average rating of 2.3 for its five telecasts of the final, down 12% from ABC's 2004 average.
In Canada, the CBC's broadcast of Game 7 drew 4.739 million viewers. However, it included pre-game and post-game coverage. The game itself drew 5.553 million.