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.
The event, on paper at least, a stellar possibility, is still 2 nights away, but anticipation grows for the NHL final, to be contested between the defending champion Florida Panthers and the Edmonton Oilers.
It is a rematch of last year’s final, in which Florida claimed their first crown, but only after losing 3 straight games, yielding a 7th game, in which they held on for a (2-1) win and that above cited first title.
Edmonton is a slight favorite (this time they have home advantage, but alas, each team has won all 3 series to become “Cup” finalists sans it, surely a first) in the series, as they bid to become the first Canada based team to win the NHL title, since the once great, Montreal Canadiens did so 32 years ago.
“El” Oilers (one day “re” same nicknames and titles, for now the Houston Oilers won the first two AFL titles but never won an NFL crown or made a Supe. They moved to Tennessee and as the Titans lost a truly tough one, vs the Rams in the ’99 season Supe, their lone final to date) are a little bit larger favorites in game 1, Wednesday night at home.
In previous Oilers or Panthers final round appearances (they total 10, as one was vs each other last season, the #1 winner is (9-1), the lone opener loser to still title being ’85 Edmonton vs Philadelphia. (For the record, in both ’84 and ’85 “Edm” more than seemingly benefitted from a 2-3-2 configuration also present then and not now in the NBA final, (it was the first 2-3-2 in what became many in the NBA), as both seasons they split on the road (in ’84 they won #1 at the 4 time defending champion Islanders, before getting the next 3 at home and winning them. Ditto save a game 1 loss at Philadelphia (Flyers) in ’85, as the Oilers again roared to home wins in games (3-5) to claim a second straight title.
That 2022 Cup Final marked the third straight Florida team appearance in the entity, all by the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Now Florida (Panthers) in their third straight final round makes the Florida team in the NHL final streak 6.
The Indiana Pacers now (2-8) in NBA “semis,” (they were (3-2) in ABA such entities), advanced to their first NBA final in 25 years, where they are huge underdogs vs Oklahoma City (Thunder).
The final round series begins Thursday June 5th, yielding “Indy” and the league 4 days/nights of no games and the Thunder will play for the first time in 8 days.
Pascal Siakam, a big factor in the Pacers’ even number games 2, 4 and 6 wins had 31 points to lead the Pacers (125-108) over the Knicks in game 6.
“Indy” is now (6-3) in ‘offs series vs the Knicks, (6-2) in best of 7’s, and the game 1 winner is (8-1) in such series as last season, ’twas the Pacers, despite losing the road opener.
It was the first “semis” appearance for the Knicks since the Pacers also won in 6 vs them in the above referenced, only other “Indy” semis win.
The Pacers lost the subsequent final, as the Knicks also did after semi-final round victories vs the Pacers in ’94 and ’99.
Finally, it is the first time the Pacers, whose 3 ABA crowns were all clinched on the road, clinched a semis or better, NBA series at home.
Pascal Siakam, pictured above as a Toronto Raptors’ player, was on Toronto’s 2019 NBA title team.
While the Pacers (1-8) in previous semi-final series, and up (3-2) vs the Knicks, play #6 of their semi at home, tonight, (Indiana (Pacers) lost a pair of home #6’s in consecutive years ’94 and ’95 to the Knicks before losing a semi in ’94 and winning a quarter in ’95, each in #7 at New York’s Madison Square Garden), the Oklahoma Thunder having 5’d the Minnesota Timberwolves are in the NBA final and will be sizable series favorites.
“Okl City” eased in all 3 home games vs the Minnesota Timberwolves, who dropped to (0-3) in semis, losing one in 5 games for the second straight season.
The Thunder are in just their second final round (they lost to James and the Miami Heat in 2012) since moving from Seattle, where their final round record was (1-2).
‘Current ‘Sota teams (Minnesota) have a (6-13) semi-final round record and a (2-5) final round such.
The great player, Kirby Puckett, pictured above, who a la Mike Trout and Aaron Judge thus far, defied the “rooting for laundry” trend among so many modern players, and stayed with his team, leading them to the only current teams/Minnesota crowns (The Lakers while there and hence the euphonious nickname as there are no lakes in L.A. won 5) in ’87 and ’91.
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Both NBA semi-final series (for that matter so do both NHL such) stand at (3-1), with two franchises in their 58th seasons, (’68-2025), the (68-14) Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers leading the Minnesota Timberwolves and New York Knicks respectively.
In #4 wins that made the Thunder even more prohibitive and the Pacers now such favorites to reach the final round, “reg” MVP Shai Gilgeous Alexander hit for 40 leading “Okl City” while last night Tyrese Haliburton scored 32, as Indy, just (1-8) in previous “semis,” went up (3-1) for a third consecutive series this season.
Jalen Williams, one of three Thunder players with that surname, (alas a tribute to the great Thunder nee SuperSonics player, a member of the franchise’s lone title team as “Sea,” in ’79, Gus Williams) and Pascal Siakam, himself a title winner with 2019 Toronto (Raptors), made big game 4 contributions.
Williams hit for 34 points while Siakam, he who led Indiana’s #2 win, at New York with 37 points, scored 30 last night.
Jalen Williams on the phone after game 4.
Though Carolina (Hurricanes, one more time that area has an NFL team whose nickname is (also) the Panthers) won last night, the defending champion, Florida Panthers still hold a seemingly commanding 3 games to 1 lead in their “semi.”
The “Caro” win snapped an almost incredible 15 games “semis” loss skein, with 7 of those successive defeats, vs the Panthers.
“Fla” was also up (3-0) vs Edmonton (Oilers) (short schrift to “Edm,” which leads Dallas (Stars) (2-1) making a rematch of last year’s final, (it would be the first since Detroit and then Pittsburgh won the respective ’08 and ’09 crowns vs each other) the most likely of the 4 final round matchup possibilities), in last year’s final, before being forced to a #7 at home, (they won it (2-1) to claim their first NHL crown.
If the Oilers do prevail vs the Stars in their semi-final series, a rematch of a previous 7 games Oilers’ final round series loss will manifest, as Carolina with current coach Rod Brind’Amour their captain won their lone title vs “Edm,” in 2006.
There are a paucity of titles won having been achieved by the 4 teams/franchises that are in the NBA semi-final round this time around.
In that round the (68-14) Oklahoma City Thunder, though obliterated last night at Minnesota vs the Timberwolves in game 3 and Indiana Pacers, who are (1-8) in previous “semis,” have respective (2-1) and (2-0) series leads.
Indiana, for a second straight series won the first two games on the road, something I know the 1995 Houston Rockets did on their way to a repeat title, but know of no other NBA team to have done so. (Anyone with the research and knowledge, please write/type in and be cited).
Neither the Pacers, now in their 49th NBA season or Timberwolves (36 previous seasons) have ever won an NBA title while the Thunder in 24 previous “Okl City” seasons also have not won a crown. (In 57 previous cities, the franchise’s lone crown was in ’79 when the team was located in Seattle).
The New York Knicks, the other semi-finalist, playing the Pacers for the 9th time in the ‘offs all since ’93, have 2 titles, none since ’73 and just the two in 78 previous seasons.
Left to right the great Hakeem Olajuwon and 3 time NBA champion and a vital contributor to both Rockets titles, Sam Cassell are pictured above.
Each player was a member of the above cited ’95 Houston Rockets.
Today marks the 45th anniversary of an eventual great and largely forgotten, certainly underpublicized team, the New York Islanders winning the first of 4 consecutive NHL titles in what were 5 straight final round appearances, (titles ’80-’83 and a loss to Edmonton, one note from 2025–“Edm” won (3-0) at Dallas last night to get even (1-1) in their “semi”), a feat few teams in any major this continent sports league has ever managed.
‘Twas a goal by Bob Nystrom at 7:11 of overtime that lifted the Islanders (5-4) over the Philadelphia Flyers and into a 6 game triumph giving the just 8 year old franchise what turned out to be the first of four straight titles.
Only the (’59-’66) Boston Celtics with 8, the (’56-’60) Montreal Canadiens and (’49-’53) New York Yankees, each with 5 have ever attained more consecutive major North American sports league titles than those (’80-’83) Isles. (Another period of greatness and 4 straight titles manifested for both the Yankees (’36-’39) with among others Joe DiMaggio and Lou Gehrig among the players and Canadiens (’76-’79) who were coached by the great Scotty Bowman.
I think the great broadcaster, Dan Kelly makes the call on the historic goal.
Andy B Sports 