NHL Final Rematch Notes

There are notes in the “vast space,” indicating that 7 times the champion from the year before prevailed in an NHL final redux the next season. 4 times, including the last 2 such, the previous year’s runner-up prevailed.

With a 12th Cup Final rematch beginning tonight at Edmonton, with the home team, Oilers facing the defending champion Florida Panthers, here are the relatively difficult to research, details of the previous 11 NHL final rematches.

The first was in 1933, when the New York Rangers won the best of 5, final round series in 4 games, clinching the crown at hallowed Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto, on an overtime goal by Bill Cook. It was the first time the NHL crown was clinched with an overtime goal.

In ’32 Toronto defeated the Rangers in 3 straight games, winning all 3 by (6-4) scores, thus that final round series is aka “The Tennis Series.”

Three other times, including the above referenced last two (the Pittsburgh Penguins won vs Detroit (Red Wings or “Vogues”) in ’09 after losing to them in ’08 and Edmonton won the first of what would be 4 titles in 5 seasons, 5 in 7 and none since, in ’84 defeating the 4 time champion Islanders after being swept by them in ’83) a team “avenged” the previous year’s defeat in a Cup final redux.

In ’56, the not so arguably, greatest of hockey dynasties began, as the Montreal Canadiens won the first of 5 straight titles, defeating the two time champion Detroit Red Wings, another great team, that had defeated the Habs (Montreal), in both ’54 and ’55.

Keeping score? (ode to Herb), that is one repeat win and four with different results in the redux.

Montreal (6), (winning both 4 times (’57/’58 vs Boston (Bruins) and again 20 years later vs them in ’77 and ’78, and once each vs Toronto ’59 and ’60 and St. Louis (Blues) in the latter’s first two seasons (’68 and ’69 under Scotty Bowman, who would “pilot” the Habs to 5 crowns in subsequent years, losing both in ’54 and ’55 to Detroit as cited and also as cited splitting the ’55 and ’56 final round series, vs those Red Wings), has been involved in the most Cup final rematches.

Detroit is next with 5 (the 2 wins and the win/loss vs Montreal as cited above, the cited split win then loss vs Pittsburgh in the most recent redux, ’08/’09 and 2 losses vs Toronto in both ’48/’49 (each a Maple Leafs sweep) and ’63/’64 (Johnny Bower’s shutout in #7 ’64 after Bob Baun, playing on what was a broken leg, OT goaled “Det” in #6 at Detroit).

I think that covers it. Let’s say the Oilers in 6, in what ought to be a fine NHL final.

Ted “Teeter” Kennedy, shown above, not only did not play on either incarnation of a “Senators” team, but played his entire career with the Toronto Maple Leafs, during which the franchise which has now gone 57 completed seasons with nary a Cup final appearance, won Five/5 NHL crowns.