1986 Stanley Cup Finals
The 1986 Stanley Cup Finals was the championship series of the National Hockey League's (NHL) 1985–86 season, and the culmination of the 1986 Stanley Cup playoffs. It was contested between the Campbell Conference champion Calgary Flames and the Wales Conference champion Montreal Canadiens. The Canadiens won the best-of-seven series, four games to one, to win their 23rd Stanley Cup, and their 17th in their last 18 Finals appearances dating back to 1956.
It was the first all-Canadian Finals since Montreal lost to the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1967, the last year of the Original Six era. This was the fifth of nine consecutive Finals contested by a team from Western Canada, the fourth of eight contested by a team from Alberta (the Edmonton Oilers appeared in six, the Flames in two, the Vancouver Canucks in one), and the third of five consecutive Finals to end with the Cup presentation on Alberta ice (the Oilers won four, the Canadiens one). This was the only time between 1980 and 1988 that neither the Oilers (four wins) nor the New York Islanders (four wins) won the Stanley Cup.
Although this was the first ever postseason meeting between the two teams, it was not the first Montreal-Calgary Finals. The first Finals between teams from Montreal and Calgary took place in 1924 when the Canadiens defeated the Western Canada Hockey League champion Calgary Tigers. The Canadiens and Flames met again in a rematch in 1989, with Calgary winning in six games.
The format reverted to the 2-2-1-1-1 format that had been in use since the re-alignment which followed the 1981. The previous four Finals had used a 2-3-2 format, although only the latter two of those Finals lasted five games.
Paths to the Finals
Calgary defeated the Winnipeg Jets 3–0, the defending champion and in-province rival Edmonton Oilers 4–3, and the St. Louis Blues 4–3 to advance to the final.
Montreal defeated rival Boston Bruins 3–0, the Hartford Whalers 4–3, and the New York Rangers 4–1 to make it to the final.
Game summaries
Brian Skrudland's game-winning goal in game two ended the shortest overtime in NHL playoff history, at a mere nine seconds. Montreal rookie goaltender Patrick Roy was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoff MVP.
| May 16 | Montreal Canadiens | 2–5 | Calgary Flames | Olympic Saddledome | Recap | |||
| Mats Naslund (6) - pp - 06:04 | First period | 12:08 - John Tonelli (6) 19:11 - Jim Peplinski (5) | ||||||
| No scoring | Second period | No scoring | ||||||
| Chris Chelios (2) - 17:56 | Third period | 02:14 - sh - Dan Quinn (8) 03:33 - Lanny McDonald (10) 19:35 - Doug Risebrough (7) | ||||||
| Patrick Roy 25 saves / 29 shots | Goalie stats | Mike Vernon 22 saves / 24 shots | ||||||
| May 18 | Montreal Canadiens | 3–2 | OT | Calgary Flames | Olympic Saddledome | Recap | ||
| No scoring | First period | 09:06 - John Tonelli (7) | ||||||
| Gaston Gingras (1) – 03:45 | Second period | 00:15 – Paul Reinhart (5) – pp | ||||||
| David Maley (1) - 03:30 | Third period | No scoring | ||||||
| Brian Skrudland (1) - 00:09 | First overtime period | No scoring | ||||||
| Patrick Roy 20 saves / 22 shots | Goalie stats | Mike Vernon 32 saves / 35 shots | ||||||
| May 20 | Calgary Flames | 3–5 | Montreal Canadiens | Montreal Forum | Recap | |||
| Joe Mullen (11) - pp - 05:45 Joel Otto (5) - pp - 17:59 | First period | 06:50 - Mats Naslund (7) 18:25 - Bobby Smith (6) 19:17 - pp - Mats Naslund (8) 19:33 - Bob Gainey (5) | ||||||
| Lanny McDonald (11) - pp - 07:13 | Second period | 19:22 - Kjell Dahlin (2) | ||||||
| No scoring | Third period | No scoring | ||||||
| Rejean Lemelin 12 saves / 13 shots, Mike Vernon 12 saves / 16 shots | Goalie stats | Patrick Roy 23 saves / 26 shots | ||||||
| May 22 | Calgary Flames | 0–1 | Montreal Canadiens | Montreal Forum | Recap | |||
| No scoring | First period | No scoring | ||||||
| No scoring | Second period | No scoring | ||||||
| No scoring | Third period | 11:10 - Claude Lemieux (10) | ||||||
| Mike Vernon 23 saves / 24 shots | Goalie stats | Patrick Roy 15 saves / 15 shots | ||||||
| May 24 | Montreal Canadiens | 4–3 | Calgary Flames | Olympic Saddledome | Recap | |||
| Gaston Gingras (2) - pp - 06:53 | First period | No scoring | ||||||
| Brian Skrudland (2) - 10:49 | Second period | 07:17 - Steve Bozek (1) | ||||||
| Rick Green (1) - 10:11 Bobby Smith (7) - 10:30 | Third period | 16:46 - Steve Bozek (2) 19:14 - Joe Mullen (12) | ||||||
| Patrick Roy 30 saves / 33 shots | Goalie stats | Mike Vernon 29 saves / 33 shots | ||||||
| Montreal won series 4–1 | |
Team rosters
Years indicated in boldface under the "Finals appearance" column signify that the player won the Stanley Cup in the given year.
Calgary Flames
| # | Nat | Player | Position | Hand | Acquired | Place of birth | Finals appearance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | Robin Bartel | D | L | 1985–86 | Drake, Saskatchewan | first | |
| 4 | Paul Baxter | D | R | 1983–84 | Winnipeg, Manitoba | first | |
| 21 | Perry Berezan | C | R | 1983 | Edmonton, Alberta | first | |
| 26 | Steve Bozek | LW | L | 1983–84 | Kelowna, British Columbia | first | |
| 14 | Brian Bradley | C | R | 1983 | Kitchener, Ontario | first | |
| 25 | Yves Courteau | RW | R | 1982–83 | Montreal, Quebec | first | |
| 17 | Mike Eaves | C | R | 1983–84 | Denver, Colorado | first | |
| 22 | Nick Fotiu | LW | L | 1985–86 | Staten Island, New York | second (1979) | |
| 16 | Brett Hull | RW | R | 1984 | Belleville, Ontario | first | |
| 19 | Tim Hunter | RW | R | 1979 | Calgary, Alberta | first | |
| 6 | Terry Johnson | D | L | 1985–86 | Calgary, Alberta | first | |
| 31 | Rejean Lemelin | G | L | 1978–79 | Quebec City, Quebec | first | |
| 12 | Hakan Loob | RW | R | 1980 | Visby, Sweden | first | |
| 2 | Al MacInnis | D | R | 1981 | Inverness, Nova Scotia | first | |
| 34 | Jamie Macoun | D | L | 1982–83 | Newmarket, Ontario | first | |
| 9 | Lanny McDonald – C | RW | R | 1981–82 | Hanna, Alberta | first | |
| 7 | Joe Mullen | RW | R | 1985–86 | New York, New York | first | |
| 29 | Joel Otto | C | R | 1984–85 | Elk River, Minnesota | first | |
| 11 | Colin Patterson | LW | R | 1983–84 | Rexdale, Ontario | first | |
| 24 | Jim Peplinski – C | RW | R | 1979 | Renfrew, Ontario | first | |
| 10 | Dan Quinn | C | L | 1983 | Ottawa, Ontario | first | |
| 23 | Paul Reinhart | D | L | 1979 | Kitchener, Ontario | first | |
| 8 | Doug Risebrough – C | C | L | 1982–83 | Guelph, Ontario | fifth (1976, 1977, 1978, 1979) | |
| 10 | Gary Roberts | LW | L | 1984 | North York, Ontario | first | |
| 5 | Neil Sheehy | D | R | 1983–84 | Fort Frances, Ontario | first | |
| 20 | Gary Suter | D | L | 1984 | Madison, Wisconsin | first | |
| 27 | John Tonelli | LW | L | 1985–86 | Hamilton, Ontario | sixth (1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984) | |
| 30 | Mike Vernon | G | L | 1981 | Calgary, Alberta | first | |
| 33 | Carey Wilson | C | R | 1983–84 | Winnipeg, Manitoba | first |
Montreal Canadiens
| # | Nat | Player | Position | Hand | Acquired | Place of birth | Finals appearance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | Serge Boisvert | RW | R | 1984–85 | Drummondville, Quebec | first | |
| 21 | Guy Carbonneau | C | R | 1979 | Sept-Îles, Quebec | first | |
| 24 | Chris Chelios | D | R | 1981 | Chicago, Illinois | first | |
| 20 | Kjell Dahlin | RW | L | 1981 | Timrå, Sweden | first | |
| 27 | Lucien DeBlois | RW | R | 1984–85 | Joliette, Quebec | second (1979) | |
| 23 | Bob Gainey – C | LW | L | 1973 | Peterborough, Ontario | fifth (1976, 1977, 1978, 1979) | |
| 29 | Gaston Gingras | D | L | 1979 | Témiscaming, Quebec | first | |
| 5 | Rick Green | D | L | 1982–83 | Belleville, Ontario | first | |
| 31 | John Kordic | RW | R | 1983 | Edmonton, Alberta | first | |
| 18 | Tom Kurvers | D | L | 1981 | Minneapolis, Minnesota | first | |
| 38 | Mike Lalor | D | L | 1985–86 | Buffalo, New York | first | |
| 32 | Claude Lemieux | RW | R | 1983 | Buckingham, Quebec | first | |
| 17 | Craig Ludwig | D | L | 1980 | Rhinelander, Wisconsin | first | |
| 8 | David Maley | LW | L | 1982 | Beaver Dam, Wisconsin | first | |
| 35 | Mike McPhee | LW | L | 1980 | Sydney, Nova Scotia | first | |
| 26 | Mats Naslund – A | LW | L | 1979 | Timrå, Sweden | first | |
| 30 | Chris Nilan | RW | R | 1978 | Boston, Massachusetts | first | |
| 44 | Stephane Richer | RW | R | 1984 | Ripon, Quebec | first | |
| 19 | Larry Robinson – A | D | L | 1971 | Winchester, Ontario | sixth (1973, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979) | |
| 28 | Steve Rooney | LW | L | 1981 | Canton, Massachusetts | first | |
| 33 | Patrick Roy | G | L | 1984 | Quebec City, Quebec | first | |
| 39 | Brian Skrudland | C | L | 1985–86 | Peace River, Alberta | first | |
| 15 | Bobby Smith | C | L | 1983–84 | North Sydney, Nova Scotia | second (1981) | |
| 1 | Doug Soetaert | G | L | 1984–85 | Edmonton, Alberta | first | |
| 25 | Petr Svoboda | D | L | 1984 | Most, Czechoslovakia | first | |
| 14 | Mario Tremblay - A | RW | R | 1974 | Alma, Quebec | fifth (1976, 1977, 1978, 1979) | |
| 11 | Ryan Walter | LW | L | 1982–83 | New Westminster, British Columbia | first |
Stanley Cup engraving
The 1986 Stanley Cup was presented to Canadiens captain Bob Gainey by NHL President John Ziegler following the Canadiens 4–3 win over the Flames in game five.
The following Canadiens players and staff had their names engraved on the Stanley Cup
1985–86 Montreal Canadiens
Players
- 15 Bobby Smith
- 21 Guy Carbonneau
- 27 Lucien DeBlois
- 35 Mike McPhee
- 38 Mike Lalor*
- 39 Brian Skrudland*
- 23 Bob Gainey (Captain)
- 8 David Maley
- 11 Ryan Walter
- 12 Serge Boisvert*
- 14 Mario Tremblay (A)
- 20 Kjell Dahlin
- 26 Mats Naslund (A)
- 28 Steve Rooney
- 30 Chris Nilan
- 32 Claude Lemieux
- 44 Stephane Richer*
- 5 Rick Green
- 18 Tom Kurvers
- 19 Larry Robinson (A)
- 24 Chris Chelios
- 17 Craig Ludwig
- 25 Petr Svoboda
- 29 Gaston Gingras*
- 31 John Kordic*
* won the Calder Cup as American Hockey League (AHL) Championship in 1985 with Sherbrooke Canadiens.
Coaching and administrative staff
- Ronald Corey (President), Serge Savard* (Vice President/General Manager)
- Jean Perron (Head Coach), Jacques Laperriere (Ass't Coach)
- Jean Beliveau (Sr. Vice President-Director of Cooperate Affairs), François-Xavier Seingeur (Vice President-Marketing), Fred Steer(Vice President-Finance-Administration)
- Jacques Lemaire (Ass't General Manager/director of player personnel), Andre Boudrias (Ass't General Manager/Director of Scouting), Claude Ruel (Director of Player Development)
- Yvon Belanger (Athletic Therapist), Gaetan Lefebvre (Ass't Athletic Therapist)
- Eddy Palchak (Trainer), Sylvain Toupin (Ass't Trainer)
- Morgan McCammon (chairman)†
Stanley Cup engraving
- Tom Kurvers missed the end of the regular season, and all of the playoffs injured. His name was included on the Stanley Cup because he played 62 regular-seasons games for Montreal.
- Mario Tremblay played only 56 regular-season games. He missed the rest of the season and all the playoffs due to injury. Tremblay still played enough games to qualify for his name to be on the Stanley Cup.
- Four names were not engraved on the Stanley Cup but included in the team picture. #37 Steve Penney was dressed for 30 games, played 18. #36 Sergio Momesso played 24 regular-season games. Both players missed the rest of the season injured. They were not given injury exemption and included on the Stanley Cup.
- #22 Randy Bucyk* played 17 regular-season games and two playoff games, and did not play in the Final. He did not qualify to appear on the Stanley Cup. Also won Calder Cup in 1985.
- †Morgan McCammon was included on the Cup with Montreal in 1979 as a Director. It is a tradition that the Chairman of the Board name is engraved on the Stanley Cup, but Montreal did not submit McCammon's for engravement on the Stanley Cup, but gave him a second Stanley Cup ring.
- Sr. Vice President of Operations Gerry Gundman was also left off the Stanley Cup.
- Starting in 1985–86 season, each NHL team was required to list two alternate captains (along with the team captain) for each game. Some teams may have more than two alternates, but only two can be marked with an 'A' per game.
- The Montreal Canadiens played 11 rookies on their squad: Mike McPhee, Stéphane Richer, Brian Skrudland, Mike Lalor, Patrick Roy, Steve Rooney, John Kordic, Claude Lemieux, David Maley, Sergio Momesso, and Randy Bucyk. In addition, the Canadiens only made 1 trade from Kent Carlson (played 2 games for Montreal) to St. Louis for Graham Herring (never played in the NHL), and 5th round pic on January 31, 1986. All other team's lineup changes were through their minor league team AHL Sherbrooke Canadiens.
- Jean Perron was the 12th NHL rookie coach to win the Stanley Cup. Perron was also the last rookie coach to win the Stanley Cup, who coached the winning team for the whole season. (See 2009 Stanley Cup Finals for the last rookie coach to win the Stanley Cup.)
Riot
Some 5,000 jubilant Montreal fans celebrating the Canadiens' Stanley Cup win over the Calgary Flames rampaged through the city's downtown, causing over CA$1 million worth of damage.[1]
Broadcasting
In Canada, this was the second and final year that the English-language rights of the Cup Finals was shared between CBC and CTV. For games one and two, CBC only had the rights to air them locally in Montreal and Calgary, while CTV broadcast it to the rest of the country. CBC would then have the exclusive rights to televise games three, four and five nationally. Had the series gone to a seventh game, then both CBC and CTV would have simultaneously televised it while using their own production facilities and crews. After the season, CTV pulled the plug on their two-year-long venture with the NHL, and their rights package was eventually given to the Global-Canwest consortium.
In the United States, this was the first of three consecutive seasons that ESPN televised the Cup Finals.
See also
References
- Diamond, Dan (2000). Total Stanley Cup. Toronto: Total Sports Canada. ISBN 978-1-892129-07-9.
- Podnieks, Andrew; Hockey Hall of Fame (2004). Lord Stanley's Cup. Bolton, Ont: Fenn Pub. pp. 12, 50. ISBN 978-1-55168-261-7.