1994 Stanley Cup Finals

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1994 Stanley Cup Finals
1234567 Total
New York Rangers 2354313 4
Vancouver Canucks 3112642 3
* overtime periods
Location(s)New York (Madison Square Garden) (1,2,5,7)
Vancouver (Pacific Coliseum) (3,4,6)
CoachesNew York: Mike Keenan
Vancouver: Pat Quinn
CaptainsNew York: Mark Messier
Vancouver: Trevor Linden
DatesMay 31 – June 14
MVPBrian Leetch (New York Rangers)
Series-winning goalMark Messier (13:29, 2nd,G7)
← 1993 Stanley Cup Finals 1995 →

The 1994 Stanley Cup Final was held from May 31 to June 14 between the Vancouver Canucks and the New York Rangers to decide the champion of the National Hockey League (NHL) for the 1993–94 NHL season. The Rangers ended their 54-year drought with a seven-game series win. It was the fourth Stanley Cup championship in franchise history.

Paths to the Final

Both teams took a difficult path to the Final.

The Canucks had faced a 3–1 deficit against the Calgary Flames, but then won the final three games in overtime. The decisive contest ended in double overtime, with Pavel Bure scoring the winning goal on a breakaway. They then beat the Dallas Stars and Toronto Maple Leafs in five games each to capture the Western Conference title.

The Rangers swept the New York Islanders and beat the Washington Capitals in five games, before falling behind 3 games to 2 in the Eastern Conference Final against New Jersey. They then won game six by a 4–2 score after Mark Messier publicly guaranteed a victory and then scored a hat trick, and won game seven 2–1 on Stephane Matteau's goal in double overtime. It was Matteau's second overtime goal of the series.

The series

Game one

Tuesday, May 31 Vancouver Canucks 3 – 2 (1OT) New York Rangers Madison Square Garden

The Rangers scored early and led 2–1 late in the third period before Martin Gelinas tied the game with 1:00 to play in regulation time. It was the third time in eight games that the Rangers had surrendered a last-minute tying goal. The Rangers were all over the Canucks in overtime, but goaltender Kirk McLean played spectacularly, making 52 saves on the night. In the last minute of the first overtime, Brian Leetch pinched and took a shot that hit the cross-bar and the Canucks went back the other way on an odd-man rush and Greg Adams scored to claim the game for the Canucks.

Game two

Thursday, June 2 Vancouver Canucks 1 – 3 New York Rangers Madison Square Garden

The Rangers evened the series with a 3–1 victory before the series shifted west.

Game three

Saturday, June 4 New York Rangers 5 – 1 Vancouver Canucks Pacific Coliseum

The Canucks came storming out in front of their home fans and Pavel Bure scored on his first shift to give them the early lead. But late in the period, with the score tied 1–1, Bure hit Jay Wells in the face with his stick and cut him, leading to a major penalty and Bure's expulsion from the game. Glenn Anderson scored on the ensuing power-play and the Rangers then cruised to a 5–1 victory.

Game four

Tuesday, June 7 New York Rangers 4 – 2 Vancouver Canucks Pacific Coliseum

In game four, the Canucks again jumped out to an early lead, this time 2–0, before Mike Richter and Brian Leetch took over the game. Richter made some key saves to keep the game within reach, including one on a penalty shot against Pavel Bure, and Leetch picked up a goal and three assists as the Rangers won 4–2 and headed back home with a commanding 3–1 series lead.

Game five

Thursday, June 9 Vancouver Canucks 6 – 3 New York Rangers Madison Square Garden

Most who entered Madison Square Garden for the fifth game thought they were going to see the Rangers win the Cup that night, but the Canucks had overcome a 3–1 deficit already in the 1994 playoffs and held a 1–0 lead after two periods. They extended it to 3–0 early in the third before the Rangers stormed back with three goals in six minutes to tie the game. It looked like the momentum had shifted, but just 29 seconds after Mark Messier's tying goal, Dave Babych scored to regain the lead for the Canucks. They added two more in a wild 8-goal third period to win 6–3 and take the series back home with a chance to tie it.

Game six

Saturday, June 11 New York Rangers 1 – 4 Vancouver Canucks Pacific Coliseum

The Canucks fired 14 shots at Mike Richter in the first period and led 1–0 on a Jeff Brown bullet from the point. The score was 2–1 after two periods before another Brown goal gave the Canucks a 3–1 third period lead. Late in the 3rd, Geoff Courtnall appeared to score for the Canucks, but the play continued and the Rangers scored to temporarily make the score 3–2. But, in the ensuing video review, it was confirmed that Courtnall had indeed scored his second goal of the game to clinch the game for the Canucks and send the series to a seventh game.

Game seven

Tuesday, June 14 Vancouver Canucks 2 – 3 New York Rangers Madison Square Garden

The Canucks and Rangers played only the second game seven of a Stanley Cup Final since 1971. The Rangers were all over the Canucks in the first period and took a 2–0 lead on goals by Brian Leetch and Adam Graves. In the second period, the Canucks finally came to life, thanks to a brilliant individual effort from team captain Trevor Linden, who beat two Rangers and Mike Richter on a delayed penalty to cut the deficit to 2–1. But, after a couple of questionable (in the opinion of Canucks coach Pat Quinn) penalty calls against the Canucks by referee Terry Gregson, Mark Messier was credited with scoring a power-play marker late in the 2nd to give the Rangers a 3–1 lead, later review would show that Brian Noonan was the last Ranger to touch the puck before it crossed the goal-line. In the third period, the Canucks really began to attack. Pavel Bure just about broke in alone but was pulled down by Esa Tikkanen and on the ensuing power-play, Trevor Linden scored his second of the night to bring the Canucks back to within a goal. After that, Mike Richter was called upon to make several spectacular saves. With about six minutes to play, Nathan LaFayette hit the goal post, but the Canucks didn't manage to score again, and the Rangers managed to hold on and win the Cup.

Bob Cole's call of the Rangers' win was the very first one by an NHL commentator. He gradually raised his voice, phrase by phrase, as he made the call at the final faceoff, with 1.6 seconds to go:

The New York Rangers have DONE IT HERE ON A HOT JUNE NIGHT IN NEW YORK! THE RANGERS ARE STANLEY CUP CHAMPIONS!

Coverage

Television

Game 7 of the Stanley Cup finals was the most-watched game in NHL history.[1]

Radio

Quotes

...there is going to be that seventh game; we'll hope they can patch Linden up and get him in that one. He will play—you KNOW he'll play; he'd play on crutches! He will play, and he'll play at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night! The game is over!

— Jim Robson, after Trevor Linden got hit by Mark Messier while crawling to the bench at the end of game six.

The waiting is over! Now the biggest hockey game ever played in New York!

— Bob Cole at the beginning of Game seven.

[1]

The New York Rangers have DONE IT HERE ON A HOT JUNE NIGHT IN NEW YORK! THE RANGERS ARE STANLEY CUP CHAMPIONS!

— Cole calling the dying seconds of game seven.

Well New York, after 54 years your long wait is over!

— Gary Bettman right before he presents the Stanley Cup to Messier

And there he is, the Messiah has delivered.

— Sam Rosen as an MSG camera shows Messier celebrate

Lineups

NEW YORK RANGERS

Mark Messier (captain), Brian Leetch, Kevin Lowe, Adam Graves, Steve Larmer, Glenn Anderson, Jeff Beukeboom, Greg Gilbert, Mike Hartman, Glenn Healy, Mike Hudson, Alexander Karpovtsev, Joe Kocur, Alexei Kovalev, Nick Kypreos, Doug Lidster, Stéphane Matteau, Craig MacTavish, Sergei Nemchinov, Brian Noonan, Ed Olczyk, Mike Richter, Esa Tikkanen, Jay Wells, Sergei Zubov.

VANCOUVER CANUCKS

Trevor Linden (Captain),Kirk McLean, Kay Whitmore, Greg Adams (Ass't Captain), Shawn Antoski, Dave Babych, Jeff Brown, Pavel Bure, Jimmy Carson Jose Charbonneau, Geoff Courtnall, Murray Craven, Gerald Diduck, Martin Gelinas, Brian Glynn, Bret Hedican, Tim Hunter, Nathan LaFayette, Jyrki Lumme, John McIntyre, Sergio Momesso (Ass't Capt.), Dana Murzyn, Gino Odjick, Adrien Plavsic Cliff Ronning, Jiri Slegr.

  • Pat Quinn (president, general manager, and coach)

New York Rangers 1994 Stanley Cup champions

Players

  Centres

Coaching and administrative staff

  • Neil Smith (President/General Manager/Governor). Robert Gutkowski (Alternate Governors)
  • Stanley Jaffe (Alternate Governors), Kenneth Munoz (Alternate Governors)
  • Larry Pleau (Ass’t General Manager), Mike Keenan (Head Coach)
  • Colin Campbell (Associate Coach, Dick Todd (Ass’t Coach)
  • Matthew Louhgren (Manager-Team Operations), Barry Watkins (Director of Communications)
  • Christer Rockstrom, Tony Feltrin (Scouts)
  • Martin Madden, Herb Hammond, Darrwin Bennett (Scouts)
  • Dave Smith (Medical Trainer), Joe Murphy (Equipment Trainer)
  • Mike Folga (Equipment Manager), Bruce Lifrieri (Massage Therapist)

Stanley Cup engraving

  • 1991, 1992 Pittsburgh, and 1993 Montreal included at least one player on the Stanley Cup who did not officially qualify. When the New York Rangers submitted their list of names for engraving, Ed Olczyk and Mike Hartman were included. Ed Olczyk played 37 regular-season games, and played 1 game in the conference finals. Mike Hartman played 35 regular-season games, but did not play in the playoffs. Both players spent the entire season with New York Rangers, and missed over 10 games due to injuries. When the Stanley Cup was engraved, Olczyk and Hartman's names were not included. The Rangers protested so the NHL added Olczyk and Hartman to the bottom of the cup. The NHL does not add missing names after the cup has been engraved, but made an exception in this case.
  • NHL now agrees to allows players who do not officially qualify on the Stanley Cup (40 Regular season game, or played in the finals) on the Cup. However, some players who played in playoffs are still left off the Cup. While other players who play less then 10 regular season games and are not dressed in playoff are included.
  • 7 players who won the cup in 1994 were with Edmonton in 1990 when they won their 5th Cup. Mark Messier, Kevin Lowe, Glenn Anderson, Jeff Beukeboom, Adam Graves, Craig MacTavish, and Esa Tikkanen. An 8th player Greg Gilbert also won the Stanley Cup with New York Islanders in 1982 & 1983.
  • Alexander Karpovtsev, Alexei Kovalev, Sergei Nemchinov, and Sergei Zubov became the first four Russian-trained players to have their names engraved on the Stanley Cup. Sergei Priakin played in the playoffs for the 1989 Stanley Cup champion Flames. Anatoli Semenov played in the playoffs for 1990 Stanley Cup champion Oilers. Oleg Petrov played in the playoffs for the 1993 Stanley Cup champion Canadiens. Neither of these 3 Russian-born-trained players qualify for engraved on the Stanley Cup, but were given Stanley Cup Rings.
    Further information: Johnny Gottselig

See also

References & Notes

  1. ^ YouTube - Canucks vs Rangers Game 7 Introduction Part 2
Preceded by New York Rangers
Stanley Cup Champions
1994 		Succeeded by
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