1985 Stanley Cup Finals

The 1985 Stanley Cup Finals was the championship series of the National Hockey League's (NHL) 1984–85 season, and the culmination of the 1985 Stanley Cup playoffs. It was contested between the defending champion Edmonton Oilers (in their third straight Finals appearance) and the Philadelphia Flyers. The Oilers won the best-of-seven series, four games to one, to win their second Stanley Cup. It was also the sixth straight Finals contested between teams that joined the NHL in 1967 or later. Until 2022, this was also the last time that a team, defending champion, or runner-up appeared in the Finals for the third straight season. This was the fourth of nine consecutive Finales contested by a team from Western Canada, third of eight contested by a team from Alberta (the Oilers appeared in six, the Calgary Flames in 1986 and 1989, and the Vancouver Canucks in 1982), and the second of five consecutive Finals to end with the Cup presentation on Alberta ice (the Oilers won four of those times, the Montreal Canadiens once). Game five of this series was played on May 30, which at the time was the latest finishing date for an NHL season. The record was broken two years later.

1985 Stanley Cup Finals
12345 Total
Edmonton Oilers 13458 4
Philadelphia Flyers 41333 1
Location(s)Edmonton: Northlands Coliseum (3, 4, 5)
Philadelphia: Spectrum (1, 2)
CoachesEdmonton: Glen Sather
Philadelphia: Mike Keenan
CaptainsEdmonton: Wayne Gretzky
Philadelphia: Dave Poulin
National anthemsEdmonton: Paul Lorieau
Philadelphia: Kate Smith
RefereesAndy Van Hellemond (1)
Kerry Fraser (2, 4)
Bryan Lewis (3, 5)
DatesMay 21 – May 30
MVPWayne Gretzky (Oilers)
Series-winning goalPaul Coffey (17:57, first, G5)
Hall of FamersOilers:
Glenn Anderson (2008)
Paul Coffey (2004)
Grant Fuhr (2003)
Wayne Gretzky (1999)
Jari Kurri (2001)
Kevin Lowe (2020)
Mark Messier (2007)
Flyers:
Mark Howe (2011)
Coaches:
Glen Sather (2007)
NetworksCanada:
(English): CBC (1–2), CTV (3–5)
(French): SRC
United States:
(National): USA Network
(Philadelphia area): PRISM (1–2), WTAF (3–5)
Announcers(CBC) Bob Cole and Gary Dornhoefer
(CTV) Dan Kelly, Ron Reusch, and Brad Park
(SRC) René Lecavalier and Gilles Tremblay
(USA Network) Dan Kelly (1–2), Al Albert (3–5), and Gary Green
(PRISM/WTAF) Gene Hart and Bobby Taylor
Stanley Cup Finals

Paths to the Finals
Further information: 1984–85 NHL season
See also: 1984–85 Edmonton Oilers season and 1984–85 Philadelphia Flyers season

Edmonton defeated the Los Angeles Kings 3–0, the Winnipeg Jets 4–0, and the Chicago Black Hawks 4–2 to advance to the finals.

Philadelphia defeated the New York Rangers 3–0, the New York Islanders 4–1, and the Quebec Nordiques 4–2 to make it to the finals.

Game summaries

This was the first Stanley Cup Finals where games were scheduled for June. Had the series reached game six, it would have been played Sunday, June 2, with game seven on Tuesday, June 4. The NHL season would not extend into an actual June game until 1992, due to a players strike.

This was the second and last Stanley Cup Finals to use the 2–3–2 format, long favored by Major League Baseball for its World Series and used from 1985 through 2013 for the NBA Finals. Since Edmonton went 6–0 at home during the 1984 and 1985 Finals, it was able to clinch in game five on home ice each time.

Wayne Gretzky scored seven goals in the five games, tying the record set by Jean Béliveau of the Canadiens in 1956 and Mike Bossy of the Islanders in 1982. Grant Fuhr stopped two penalty shots. Jari Kurri scored 19 goals through the entire playoffs, tying the single-year record set by Reggie Leach of the Flyers in 1976.

This was the last Stanley Cup Finals in which either starting goalie wore the old-style fiberglass mask. Both Fuhr and the Flyers' Pelle Lindbergh wore the face-hugging mask, which was introduced in 1959 by Jacques Plante. The backups, Edmonton's Andy Moog and Philadelphia's Bob Froese, wore the helmet-and-cage combination, similar to the one Billy Smith wore in leading the New York Islanders to four consecutive Cups from 1980 to 1983. The next year, the Calgary Flames' Mike Vernon sported a helmet-and-cage combo, and Montreal Canadiens rookie Patrick Roy wore a modern full fiberglass cage, the second goalie to sport that style in a Finals series after Gilles Meloche with the Minnesota North Stars in 1981. Fuhr switched to a full fiberglass cage the next season.

This was the first Stanley Cup Finals in which the NHL referee wore a helmet (Andy Van Hellemond). This occurred during Game 1.

Game one
Tuesday, May 21 Edmonton Oilers 1–4 Philadelphia Flyers Spectrum

The Flyers posted a 4–1 victory to open the series. Edmonton coach Glen Sather was reportedly so disappointed with his team's performance that he burned the game videotapes after watching them.

Game two
Thursday, May 23 Edmonton Oilers 3–1 Philadelphia Flyers Spectrum

Wayne Gretzky's first goal of the series late in the second period snapped a 1–1 tie, and Dave Hunter added an insurance empty-netter and the Oilers drew even in the series with a 3–1 win.

Game three
Saturday, May 25 Philadelphia Flyers 3–4 Edmonton Oilers Northlands Coliseum

Gretzky almost single-handedly won Edmonton the game. He scored twice within the first 90 seconds of the game, and finished off a hat trick by the end of the first period. Although the Oilers put six shots on net over the final 40 minutes, it was enough to escape with a 4–3 win and 2–1 series lead.

Game four
Tuesday, May 28 Philadelphia Flyers 3–5 Edmonton Oilers Northlands Coliseum

Unbowed, the Flyers leapt out to a 3–1 lead midway through the first period thanks to goals at even strength, on the power play and shorthanded. However, the Oilers roared back with four consecutive goals, including two from Gretzky, to win 5–3 and take a commanding series lead.

Game five
Thursday, May 30 Philadelphia Flyers 3–8 Edmonton Oilers Northland Coliseum

Against backup goaltender Bob Froese, substituting for starter Pelle Lindbergh (who had been playing progressively less well over the course of the Finals), the Oilers blitzed the Flyers with a four-goal first period and sailed to a convincing 8–3 win. Gretzky and Kurri posted a goal and three assists each, while Paul Coffey and Mark Messier scored two goals apiece. Edmonton won its second consecutive Stanley Cup while the Flyers, at the time the youngest team in professional sports, took the lessons from their loss into the clubs' next Stanley Cup Finals; they lost again to the Oilers in 1987, albeit in seven games. Wayne Gretzky won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP, scoring a record 47 points this playoff year.

Broadcasting

In Canada, this was the first of two consecutive years that the English-language rights of the Cup Finals was shared between CBC and CTV. CBC televised games one and two nationally while games 3–5 were televised in Edmonton only. CTV televised games 3–5 nationally while games were blacked out in Edmonton. Had the series gone to a Game 7, then both CBC and CTV would have simultaneously televised it while using their own production facilities and crews. Dan Kelly and Ron Reusch called the games on CTV.

In the United States, this was the fifth and final season that the Cup Finals aired nationally on the USA Network. Under the U.S. TV contracts that would take effect beginning next season, ESPN would take over as the NHL's American television partner. The USA Network would not air NHL games again until 2015, when it became an occasional overflow channel for NBC Sports' national coverage of the first two rounds of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

The USA Network's national coverage of the 1985 Cup Finals was blacked out in the Philadelphia area due to the local rights to Flyers games in that TV market. PRISM aired games one and two while WTXF aired games three, four, and five.

Team rosters

Edmonton Oilers
No. Nat Player Pos S/G Age Acquired Birthplace
2 United States Lee Jr. Fogolin D R 30 1979 Chicago, Illinois
4 Canada Kevin Lowe D L 26 1979 Lachute, Quebec
7 Canada Paul Coffey D L 23 1980 Weston, Ontario
8 Canada Dave Lumley RW R 30 1979 Toronto, Ontario
9 Canada Glenn Anderson RW L 24 1979 Vancouver, British Columbia
10 Czechoslovakia Jaroslav Pouzar LW L 33 1982 Cakovec, Czechoslovakia
11 Canada Mark Messier C L 24 1979 St. Albert, Alberta
12 Canada Dave Hunter LW L 27 1979 Petrolia, Ontario
14 Finland Esa Tikkanen LW L 20 1983 Helsinki, Finland
16 Canada Pat Hughes RW R 30 1981 Calgary, Alberta
17 Finland Jari Kurri RW R 25 1980 Helsinki, Finland
18 Canada Mark Napier RW L 28 1984 North York, Ontario
19 Sweden Willy Lindstrom RW L 34 1983 Grums, Sweden
20 Canada Billy Carroll C L 26 1984 Toronto, Ontario
21 Canada Randy Gregg D L 29 1982 Edmonton, Alberta
22 Canada Charlie Huddy D L 25 1979 Oshawa, Ontario
24 Canada Kevin McClelland C R 22 1983 Oshawa, Ontario
26 Canada Mike Krushelnyski C L 25 1984 Montreal, Quebec
27 Canada Dave Semenko LW L 27 1979 Winnipeg, Manitoba
28 Canada Larry Melnyk D L 25 1983 New Westminster, British Columbia
29 United States Donald Jackson D L 26 1981 Minneapolis, Minnesota
31 Canada Grant Fuhr G R 22 1981 Spruce Grove, Alberta
35 Canada Andy Moog G L 25 1980 Penticton, British Columbia
99 Canada Wayne Gretzky (C) C L 24 1979 Brantford, Ontario

Philadelphia Flyers
No. Nat Player Pos S/G Age Acquired Birthplace
2 United States Mark Howe D L 29 1982 Detroit, Michigan
3 Canada Doug Crossman D L 24 1983 Peterborough, Ontario
5 Canada Steve Smith D L 22 1981 Trenton, Ontario
8 Canada Brad Marsh D L 27 1981 London, Ontario
9 Czechoslovakia Miroslav Dvorak D L 33 1982 Hluboká nad Vltavou, Czechoslovakia
10 Canada Brad McCrimmon D L 26 1982 Dodsland, Saskatchewan
11 Canada Len Hachborn C L 23 1981 Brantford, Ontario
12 Canada Tim Kerr RW R 25 1980 Windsor, Ontario
14 Canada Ron Sutter C R 21 1982 Viking, Alberta
15 Canada Rich Sutter LW R 21 1983 Viking, Alberta
17 United States Ed Hospodar D L 26 1984 Bowling Green, Ohio
18 Canada Lindsay Carson LW L 24 1979 Oxbow, Saskatchewan
19 Canada Ray Allison RW R 26 1981 Cranbrook, British Columbia
20 Canada Dave Poulin (C) C L 26 1982 Timmins, Ontario
21 Canada Dave Brown RW R 24 1982 Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
22 Canada Rick Tocchet RW R 21 1983 Scarborough, Ontario
23 Finland Ilkka Sinisalo RW L 26 1981 Valkeakoski, Finland
24 Canada Derrick Smith LW L 20 1983 Scarborough, Ontario
25 Canada Peter Zezel C L 20 1983 Scarborough, Ontario
26 Canada Brian Propp LW L 26 1979 Lanigan, Saskatchewan
27 Sweden Thomas Eriksson D L 25 1979 Stockholm, Sweden
28 Canada Joe Paterson LW L 24 1984 Toronto, Ontario
31 Sweden Pelle Lindbergh G L 25 1979 Stockholm, Sweden
32 Canada Murray Craven LW L 20 1984 Medicine Hat, Alberta
35 Canada Bob Froese G L 26 1982 St. Catharines, Ontario
42 Canada Todd Bergen C L 21 1982 Prince Albert, Saskatchewan

Stanley Cup engraving

The 1985 Stanley Cup was presented to Oilers captain Wayne Gretzky by NHL President John Ziegler following the Oilers 8–3 win over the Flyers in game five.

The following Oilers players and staff had their names engraved on the Stanley Cup

1984–85 Edmonton Oilers

Players
  Centres

(played left wing during the regular season)

Coaching and administrative staff

Stanley Cup engraving

Garnet "Ace" Bailey, Ed Chadwick, Lorne Davis, Matti Valsanen (Scouts), Gordon Cameron (Team Physician) received rings with Edmonton in 1984. Their names however, were left off the Stanley Cup in 1984, but included in 1985.

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
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