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 defeated the Flyers in five games to repeat as Stanley Cup champions. It was also the sixth straight Finals contested between teams that joined the NHL in 1967 or later.

Until Template:Scfy, 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 Template:Scfy and Template:Scfy, and the Vancouver Canucks in Template:Scfy), 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.

Paths to the Finals

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 Template:Scfy, 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 Template:Scfy and Mike Bossy of the Islanders in Template:Scfy. 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 Template:Scfy.

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 official (referee or linesman) 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 only 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 Template:Scfy, 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 were 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, Ron Reusch, and Brad Park 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

#	Nat	Player	Position	Hand	Age	Acquired	Place of birth	Finals appearance
9	Template:Flagicon		RW	L	Template:Hs24	1979	Vancouver, British Columbia	third (Template:Scfy, Template:Scfy)
20	Template:Flagicon		C	L	Template:Hs26	Template:NHL Year	Toronto, Ontario	fifth (Template:Scfy, Template:Scfy, Template:Scfy, Template:Scfy)
7	Template:Flagicon		D	L	Template:Hs23	1980	Weston, Ontario	third (Template:Scfy, Template:Scfy)
2	Template:Flagicon		D	R	Template:Hs30	Template:NHL Year	Chicago, Illinois	third (Template:Scfy, Template:Scfy)
31	Template:Flagicon		G	R	Template:Hs22	1981	Spruce Grove, Alberta	third (Template:Scfy, Template:Scfy)
21	Template:Flagicon		D	L	Template:Hs29	Template:NHL Year	Edmonton, Alberta	third (Template:Scfy, Template:Scfy)
99	Template:Flagicon	– C	C	L	Template:Hs24	Template:NHL Year	Brantford, Ontario	third (Template:Scfy, Template:Scfy)
22	Template:Flagicon		D	L	Template:Hs25	Template:NHL Year	Oshawa, Ontario	third (Template:Scfy, Template:Scfy)
16	Template:Flagicon		RW	R	Template:Hs30	Template:NHL Year	Calgary, Alberta	fourth (Template:Scfy, Template:Scfy, Template:Scfy)
12	Template:Flagicon		LW	L	Template:Hs27	Template:NHL Year	Petrolia, Ontario	third (Template:Scfy, Template:Scfy)
29	Template:Flagicon		D	L	Template:Hs28	Template:NHL Year	Minneapolis, Minnesota	third (Template:Scfy, Template:Scfy)
26	Template:Flagicon		C	L	Template:Hs25	Template:NHL Year	Montreal, Quebec	first
17	Template:Flagicon		RW	R	Template:Hs25	1980	Helsinki, Finland	third (Template:Scfy, Template:Scfy)
19	Template:Flagicon		RW	L	Template:Hs34	Template:NHL Year	Grums, Sweden	third (Template:Scfy, Template:Scfy)
4	Template:Flagicon		D	L	Template:Hs26	1979	Lachute, Quebec	third (Template:Scfy, Template:Scfy)
8	Template:Flagicon		RW	R	Template:Hs30	Template:NHL Year	Toronto, Ontario	third (Template:Scfy, Template:Scfy)
24	Template:Flagicon		C	R	Template:Hs22	Template:NHL Year	Oshawa, Ontario	second (Template:Scfy)
28	Template:Flagicon		D	L	Template:Hs25	Template:NHL Year	Saskatoon, Saskatchewan	second (Template:Scfy)
11	Template:Flagicon		C	L	Template:Hs24	1979	Edmonton, Alberta	third (Template:Scfy, Template:Scfy)
35	Template:Flagicon		G	L	Template:Hs25	1980	Penticton, British Columbia	third (Template:Scfy, Template:Scfy)
18	Template:Flagicon		RW	L	Template:Hs28	Template:NHL Year	North York, Ontario	second (Template:Scfy)
10	Template:Flagicon		LW	L	Template:Hs33	1982	Cakov, Czechoslovakia	third (Template:Scfy, Template:Scfy)
27	Template:Flagicon		LW	L	Template:Hs27	Template:NHL Year	Winnipeg, Manitoba	third (Template:Scfy, Template:Scfy)
14	Template:Flagicon		LW	L	Template:Hs20	1983	Helsinki, Finland	first

Philadelphia Flyers

#	Nat	Player	Position	Hand	Age	Acquired	Place of birth	Finals appearance
19	Template:Flagicon		RW	R	Template:Hs26	Template:NHL Year	Cranbrook, British Columbia	first
42	Template:Flagicon		C	L	Template:Hs21	1982	Prince Albert, Saskatchewan	first
21	Template:Flagicon		RW	R	Template:Hs22	1982	Saskatoon, Saskatchewan	first
18	Template:Flagicon		LW	L	Template:Hs24	1979	Oxbow, Saskatchewan	first
32	Template:Flagicon		LW	L	Template:Hs20	Template:NHL Year	Medicine Hat, Alberta	first
3	Template:Flagicon		D	L	Template:Hs24	Template:NHL Year	Peterborough, Ontario	first
9	Template:Flagicon		D	L	Template:Hs33	1982	Hluboká nad Vltavou, Czechosloavkia	first
27	Template:Flagicon		D	L	Template:Hs25	1979	Stockholm, Sweden	first
35	Template:Flagicon		G	L	Template:Hs26	Template:NHL Year	St. Catharines, Ontario	first
11	Template:Flagicon		C	L	Template:Hs23	1981	Brantford, Ontario	first
17	Template:Flagicon		D	L	Template:Hs26	Template:NHL Year	Bowling Green, Ohio	first
2	Template:Flagicon		D	L	Template:Hs30	Template:NHL Year	Detroit, Michigan	first
12	Template:Flagicon		RW	R	Template:Hs25	Template:NHL Year	Windsor, Ontario	first
27	Template:Flagicon		G	L	Template:Hs26	1979	Stockholm, Sweden	first
8	Template:Flagicon		D	L	Template:Hs27	Template:NHL Year	London, Ontario	first
10	Template:Flagicon		D	L	Template:Hs26	Template:NHL Year	Dodsland, Saskatchewan	first (did not play)
28	Template:Flagicon		LW	L	Template:Hs24	Template:NHL Year	Toronto, Ontario	first
20	Template:Flagicon	– C	C	L	Template:Hs26	Template:NHL Year	Timmins, Ontario	first
26	Template:Flagicon		LW	L	Template:Hs26	1979	Lanigan, Saskatchewan	second (Template:Scfy)
23	Template:Flagicon		RW	L	Template:Hs26	Template:NHL Year	Valkeakoski, Finland	first
24	Template:Flagicon		LW	L	Template:Hs20	1983	Scarborough, Ontario	first
15	Template:Flagicon		LW	R	Template:Hs21	Template:NHL Year	Viking, Alberta	first
14	Template:Flagicon		C	R	Template:Hs21	1982	Viking, Alberta	first
22	Template:Flagicon		RW	R	Template:Hs21	1983	Scarborough, Ontario	first
25	Template:Flagicon		C	L	Template:Hs20	1983	Scarborough, Ontario	first

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

• 99 Wayne Gretzky (Captain)
• 26 Mike Krushelnyski
• 24 Kevin McClelland
• 11 Mark Messier*
• 20 Billy Carroll*

  Wingers

• 8 Dave Lumley
• 9 Glenn Anderson
• 10 Jaroslav Pouzar
• 12 Dave Hunter
• 14 Esa Tikkanen
• 16 Pat Hughes
• 17 Jari Kurri
• 18 Mark Napier
• 19 Willy Lindstrom
• 27 Dave Semenko

  Defencemen

• 2 Lee Fogolin Jr.
• 4 Kevin Lowe
• 7 Paul Coffey
• 21 Randy Gregg
• 22 Charlie Huddy
• 29 Don Jackson
• 28 Larry Melnyk

  Goaltenders

• 31 Grant Fuhr
• 35 Andy Moog

* Played both centre and wing.

Coaching and administrative staff

• Peter Pocklington (Owner),
• Glen Sather (President/General Manager/Head Coach)
• Bruce MacGregor (Asst. General Manager)
• John Muckler (Asst. Coach), Edward Ted Green (Asst. Coach)
• Barry Fraser (Director of Player Personnel/Chief Scout)
• Garnet "Ace" Bailey (Scout), Ed Chadwick (Scout), Lorne Davis (Scout), Matti Valsanen (Scout)
• Peter Millar (Athletic Therapist), Dr. Gordon Cameron (Team Physician)
• Barrie Stafford (Trainer), Lyle Kulchisky (Asst. Trainer)

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

• List of Stanley Cup champions
• 1984–85 NHL season

References

• Podnieks, Andrew; Hockey Hall of Fame (2004). Lord Stanley's Cup. Bolton, Ont.: Fenn Pub. pp 12, 50. Template:ISBN