The Sports Archives – Stanley Cup Memories and Fun Facts

Posted on May 7, 2011 by thesportsarchives

Lord Stanley’s Cup goes to the last NHL team standing after a series of four playoff rounds where each round is best-of-seven.  The playoffs usually run mid-April to early June and are, in my opinion, the toughest 7-8 weeks of any sporting event for the teams that continue on.  For all cuts, bruises, hits and stitches taken on over the season, you can expect twice that in the playoffs.

The following are some interesting facts about the Stanley Cup and the Stanley Cup playoffs.

  • The Stanley Cup is unique in that it has the names of all the previous winning players, coaches, management and staff engraved on it.
  • The first woman to have her name engraved on the cup is Marguerite Norris, president of the 1954 Detroit Red Wings.
  • Still the only team to win the Stanley Cup after being down 3-0 and coming back to win 4 straight in the finals is the Toronto Maple Leafs over the Detroit Red Wings in 1942.
  • From 1995 to 1998 the broom was taken out by the New Jersey Devils, the Colorado Avalanche, and twice by the Detroit Red Wings as these teams swept their opponents in the Stanley Cup finals.  (The NHL must have lost a lot of money those years!)
  • The St. Louis Blues were in the Stanley Cup finals in 1968, 1969 and 1970, but did not win a game.
  • Speaking of shutouts, goalie Frank McCool of the Toronto Maple Leafs scored 3 consecutive shutouts in the 1945 Stanley Cup finals and did not allow a goal in 192 minutes.
  • Last minute heroics were demonstrated in the 1964 Stanley Cup finals between the Detroit Red Wings and the Toronto Maple Leafs.  The first three games were decided by a goal in the final minute.
  • Every game of the 1951 Stanley Cup finals went into overtime with Montreal losing 4 of 5 to the Toronto Maple Leafs.
  • Before the New York Rangers won the Stanley Cup in 1994, opposing fans (especially Islander fans) would shout “1940” at them as a reminder of the last time they had won the cup!

Posted: 5/7/2011

Frank McCool

Toronto goalie Frank McCool cooled off the Detroit Red Wings with 3 consecutive shutouts in the 1945 Stanley Cup Finals.

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The Sports Archives – More Kentucky Derby Memories and Fun Facts

Posted on May 2, 2011 by thesportsarchives

The 137th Kentucky Derby is scheduled to take place at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky on May 7th, 2011.

We would like to provide more interesting facts and notes that occurred in Derby history:
(See first article: The Sports Archives – Kentucky Derby Memories and Fun Facts ).

  • Swale won the 1984 Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes; unfortunately the horse succumbed to a heart attack in June of that year.
  • The first female jockey to ride in the Kentucky Derby was Diane Crump in 1970.
  • Willie Shoemaker is the oldest jockey to win the Kentucky Derby when he rode Ferdinand to first place in 1986.  Willie was 54 years young!
  • Affirmed won the Kentucky Derby in 1978 and was ridden by jockey Steve Cauthen who had never raced in the Kentucky Derby before.
  • One of the biggest upsets in Kentucky Derby history was Dark Star’s victory over Native Dancer in the 1953 Derby which was the only defeat suffered by Native Dancer.
  • One of the most successful studs of all time was the horse known as Lexington.  Lexington sired 236 winners who won 1,176 races and was directly and indirectly responsible for 51 of 62 Derby winners!  (This a good name for your next son!)
  • Exterminator won the 1918 Kentucky Derby against 30-1 odds after replacing Sun Briar.  Iron Liege won the 1957 Kentucky Derby after replacing the favorite General Duke who had become lame.
  • Iron Liege won the 1957 Kentucky Derby after passing Gallant Man ridden by jockey Willie Shoemaker who pulled up about 100 yards short of the finish line.

Posted: 05/02/2011

Lexington

Lexington - "The Stud"

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The Sports Archives – Kentucky Derby Memories and Fun Facts

Posted on April 30, 2011 by thesportsarchives

The 137th Kentucky Derby is scheduled to take place at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky on May 7th, 2011.   The “Run for the Roses” (named for the blanket of 554 roses draped over the winner) is the first leg of the US Triple Crown event and is the most attended and considered the most prestigious of the stake races.  It has been labeled as “The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports”.

We would like to provide some interesting facts and notes that occurred in Derby history:

  • The 1905 Kentucky Derby had only 3 horses running.
  • Broker’s Tip won the 1933 Kentucky Derby; it was the only race the horse ever won!
  • After the 1933 Kentucky Derby, winning jockey Don Meade was suspended for 30 days for engaging in a fist fight with jockey Herb Fisher.
  • Dancer’s Image won the 1968 Kentucky Derby but was disqualified for illegal use of the drug phenylbutazone which is now regarded as legal to use.
  • Secretariat holds the record by running the 1973 Kentucky Derby in 1.59.4.
  • The traditional drink of the Derby is the Mint Julep served over ice.
  • The song “Run for the Roses” was composed by Dan Fogelberg for the 1980 run.
  • Persistence pays off; Jockey Eddie Arcaro lost his first 250 races but then went on to win 5 Kentucky Derbys and almost 5,000 races.
  • The last horse to win the Triple Crown was Affirmed in 1978.

Posted: 04/30/2011

Kentucky Derby

America's Kentucky Derby

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The Sports Archives – 1971 Stanley Cup MVP and then 1972 Rookie of the Year!

Posted on April 27, 2011 by thesportsarchives

Winning the Stanley Cup MVP and then being awarded the Rookie of the Year in the following year is something that no one can boast about except goaltender Ken Dryden of the Montreal Canadiens.

It was 1971 and once again the Montreal Canadiens were a dominate force; however, they finished third in the East Division behind the Boston Bruins and New York Rangers.  They needed something more to beat the hot-flying Bobby Orr and the Bruins in the playoffs.  That something more came in the form of rookie goalie, Ken Dryden, who was called up late-season and won all six games he played for the Canadiens with a 1.65 goals against average.  His performance earned him a start in the playoffs and the Canadiens never looked back as they upset the Bruins in seven, handled the Minnesota North Stars in six and overcame deficits of 2-0 and 3-2 in the finals to defeat the Chicago Blackhawks 4-3 for the Stanley Cup.

Ken Dryden out-dueled Chicago’s Tony Esposito and won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the series MVP.  The following year Dryden won 39 games and had a 2.24 GAA which earned him the Calder Trophy as Rookie of the Year.  Although, the Habs did not win the Stanley Cup that year, Dryden would help the Canadiens to five more including four in a row from 1976 to 1979.

Ken Dryden

6 ft. 4 in. Ken Dryden and his trademark pose in front of the goal!

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The Sports Archives – Are the Sedins like the Stastnys of the 80s?

Posted on April 25, 2011 by thesportsarchives

They say history has a way of repeating itself.  Back in the 1980s, three Slovak brothers, Peter, Anton and Marian Stastny, played for the Quebec Nordiques.  Marian Stastny was traded in 1985; however, Peter and Anton had contributed greatly to the Nordiques offense throughout the entire 1980s and helped move Quebec from bottom to top during that time.

In similar fashion, the Swedish Sedin brothers, Daniel and Henrik of the Vancouver Canucks, have been an offensive powerhouse during the first decade of the 21st century and have also assisted in making Vancouver a top contender in the Western Conference.

Daniel Sedin can be compared to Peter Stastny, a consistent and prolific goal scorer with a knack for finishing the play.  Henrik Sedin can be compared to Anton Stastny, a playmaker who racks up a ton of assists.  But the similarities don’t stop there, during the Stastny era, Quebec just couldn’t make it over the top during the playoffs and to-date, the same can be said of the Sedins and the Canucks.  The Chicago Blackhawks have been a thorn in Vancouver’s side and once again, Vancouver is in danger of an early exit to the 2011 playoffs after an amazing season.

The Sedins need a game like the Stastnys had on February 22, 1981 when Peter had 4 goals and 4 assists and Anton had 3 goals and 5 assists for a total 16 points as Quebec defeated the Washington Capitals 11 to 7!

What is different about the Sedins?  Nothing, they are identical twins!

The Stastny Brothers

Marian, Peter and Anton...the brothers Stastny!

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The Sports Archives – Stanley Cup Memories – Boston and Montreal Rivalry Fires Up Again

Posted on April 23, 2011 by thesportsarchives

What has proven to be one of the greatest rivalries in sports archives history is the ongoing battle between the Montreal Canadiens and Boston Bruins.  They have been fighting it out since the days of the ‘original six’ of the NHL.

Montreal can boast that they have owned the Bruins for most of the 20th century having defeated them in 20 of 22 Stanley Cup playoffs series through 1987.  That run includes victories in 18 straight playoff series from 1946 to 1987.

The modern-day Bruins have performed better winning 6 of the last 10 series since 1987 including a sweep of their last meeting in the 2009 quarter-finals.  Montreal edged them 4-3 in 2004 and 2008.

So far 2011 has proven just as exciting and the series is tied 2-2 at the time of this post.  The last time Beantown won the Stanley Cup was in 1972 when Phil Esposito and Bobby Orr brought the coveted prize to the Boston Garden.

Posted: 04/23/2011

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The Sports Archives – 1936 Stanley Cup Memories – The Longest Game

Posted on April 20, 2011 by thesportsarchives

If someone were to tell us that their goaltender had not given up a goal in 176 minutes and 30 seconds; a quick tally in our heads would conclude that this goalie had been perfect for almost 3 consecutive games.  This is exactly what Normie Smith of the 1936 Detroit Red Wings and Lorne Chabot of the Montreal Maroons did during a single playoff game

The longest NHL overtime game to date was played in the 1936 Stanley Cup championships between the Montreal Maroons and the Detroit Red Wings.   The puck was dropped in the Montreal Forum at 8:30 PM and the match wasn’t over until 2:25 AM when Detroit’s Mud Bruneteau scored the only goal of the game against Chabot at 116:30 of the sixth overtime period!  Smith set an NHL record stopping all 92 shots at him.

To add insult to injury, Smith shut out the Maroons in the following game and Detroit went on to sweep the series 3-0 and ultimately win the 1936 Stanley Cup defeating the Toronto Maple Leafs 3 games to 1 in a best-of-five.

Now, these are the kind of hockey games I don’t mind spending over $100 a ticket to go and see!  The last overtime game that went into 4 overtime periods was played between the Dallas Stars and the San Jose Sharks on 5/4/2008.  Dallas beat the Sharks 2-1 on Brenden Morrow’s goal at 69:03 of  the fourth overtime stanza.

Posted: 04/20/2011

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The Sports Archives – 1976-1983 Stanley Cup Memories – Canadiens, Islanders Reign Supreme

Posted on April 19, 2011 by thesportsarchives

Will there ever be another time in NHL history where 2 teams win back-to-back 4 consecutive year terms of Stanley Cup championships?  The first question that needs to be answered is ‘Will there ever be another team that will win the Stanley Cup championship for 4 consecutive years?’

If you think about it, the Montreal Canadiens of the late 1970s and the New York Islanders of the early 1980s were truly magnificent teams coached by the best in the business, Scotty Bowman and Al Arbour, respectively.  Yes, the Habs have won the Cup many times including 5 in a row back in the late 50s, but this was when the NHL consisted of only 6 teams.  After the expansion of 1967, and when the Canadiens started their 4 time championship run in 1975, the league consisted of 18 teams; that’s 3 times the number of teams and certainly less of a chance of winning the Cup 4 consecutive years.

The Islanders may have been even more amazing; having joined the NHL in 1972 and winning just 12 games that first year, they started their 4 year term of Stanley Cup ownership in 1980, and immediately after Montreal had ended their reign.  It took the Islanders only 8 years to go from bottom to top and then have the experience and composure to maintain that position for 4 consecutive years!

Since the end of the Islander reign, no team has won more than 2 consecutive Stanley Cup championships.  The last team to achieve this honor was the Detroit Red Wings in 1997 and 1998.  Nowadays, your franchise maybe considered a dynasty if your team wins two consecutive championships or perhaps three in four years.

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The Sports Archives – 1950 Stanley Cup Memories – The Greatest Show on Earth

Posted on April 16, 2011 by thesportsarchives

When are the Stanley Cup finals NOT the greatest show on Earth?  The 1950 New York Rangers would answer:  “When the circus comes to town”.  The Rangers lost their home ice at Madison Square Garden during the 1950 Stanley Cup playoffs to a bunch of clowns (no, not the Harlem Globetrotters)!   Because the Garden had booked the circus, the Rangers had to move their home games to Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto.

In 1950, 6 NHL teams squared off for the coveted trophy.  The original six were the Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens, Toronto Maple Leafs, New York Rangers, Boston Bruins and Chicago Black Hawks.  Four of the 6 teams would make the playoffs, so your odds were very good that you would move ahead.  The Rangers lost the Stanley Cup finals to the Detroit Red Wings 4-3 after beating the Canadiens in 5.  They came into the playoffs with a losing record.

In 1950, fans welcomed a change in ice color surface as the NHL added white paint to water before freezing.  This changed the color from concrete gray to white so the puck could be picked up better by players, fans and especially TV.

Also in 1950, NHL president Clarence Campbell fined Chicago coach Charlie Conacher $200 for punching a sports writer after his team was routed 9 to 2.  He also made Canadiens Ken Reardon post a $1000 bond to ensure that he didn’t carry out a retribution threat against Cal Gardner.  Reardon was refunded the money when he did not make good on his threat!  Today, the equivalent would probably be a suspension and a hefty fine.

1950 NY Rangers

1950 NY Rangers?

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The Sports Archives – Stanley Cup Memories – 1969 and the Montreal Canadiens

Posted on April 14, 2011 by thesportsarchives

The year 1969 was not just another ordinary year in the NHL.  We saw a lot of ‘firsts’ come out of 1969.  What wasn’t a ‘first’ was the Montreal Canadiens winning the Stanley Cup for the 16th time and second year in a row.  It was an exact replay of 1968 when they swept the St. Louis Blues 4 games to 0.

In 1969, there were only 2 divisions, East and West.  Six teams in each and to even it out, you had Pittsburgh and Philadelphia in the West and Detroit and Chicago in the East!  To give you an idea of just how strong the East was, the leader of the West, the St. Louis Blues, which finished almost 20 points ahead of the Oakland Seals would have placed 4th in the East!  Nonetheless, there was some “good ol’ time” hockey played with the likes of Gordie Howe and Bobby Hull.

1969 did have it share of ‘firsts’, however.  It was the first time any NHL player ever achieved 100 points in a single season.  Phil Esposito blazed a new record with 126 points followed by Bobby Hull with 107 and Gordie Howe with 103.  Bobby Hull also set a new record for goals with 58 at a time when teams played only 76 games.

1969 was the year that Blues’ Red Berenson tied an NHL record by scoring 6 goals in a game and rookies Danny Grant of the Minnesota North Stars and Norm Ferguson of the Oakland Seals tied a 40-year-old record of most goals by a rookie with 34 each.   Superstar Bobby Orr of the Boston Bruins would begin his takeover of the NHL proving that defensemen can play offense too by scoring a record 21 goals which would precipitate his numerous offensive records he would set as a defenseman.

Did we mention how dominant the East was over the West?  The St. Louis Blues swept both the Philadelphia Flyers and the Los Angeles Kings and were then swept by the Montreal Canadiens in the Stanley Cup finals!

Bobby Orr

Bobby Orr scoring "The Goal" against the St. Louis Blues. Orr would set many records as a defenseman.

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