2008 Stanley Cup Final
Detroit defeated Pittsburgh in six games for their 11th Cup.
The 2008 Stanley Cup Final decided the NHL champion for the 2007–08 season, pitting the Western Conference champion Detroit Red Wings against the Eastern Conference champion Pittsburgh Penguins. Detroit made its 23rd Finals appearance, its first since winning the Cup in 2002, while Pittsburgh appeared for the third time, its first since back-to-back titles in 1991 and 1992. The Red Wings won the series in six games, capturing their 11th Stanley Cup. Detroit forward Henrik Zetterberg earned the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP. As of 2026, this remains the most recent major professional sports championship for a Detroit-based team.
This was the first all-U.S. Stanley Cup Final since 2003, and the last in which neither team had played a Game 7 in any earlier round that postseason. In the U.S., Versus aired games one and two, with NBC covering the rest. CBC (English) and RDS (French) broadcast in Canada. In the U.K., Five and cable channel NASN showed all games, and NHL Radio via Westwood One carried the series.
**Paths to the Finals**
The Detroit Red Wings entered as Presidents' Trophy winners for the best regular-season record. Forwards Henrik Zetterberg, Pavel Datsyuk, and Johan Franzen led the team, which scored 54 goals over the first three rounds. After struggling goaltender Dominik Hasek was replaced mid-series by Chris Osgood, Detroit beat division rival Nashville in six games in the Western Conference quarterfinals. They swept the Colorado Avalanche in the semifinals, with Franzen scoring nine goals—matching the entire Avalanche team's total. The Red Wings then defeated the Dallas Stars in six games to win their fifth Clarence S. Campbell Bowl.
- Series winner
- Detroit Red Wings
- Games played
- 6
- Conn smythe trophy winner
- Henrik Zetterberg (Detroit)
- First meeting in postseason
- Yes
- Broadcasters (us)
- Versus (games 1–2), NBC (games 3–6)
- Broadcasters (canada)
- CBC (English), RDS (French)
Lore & Background
The Detroit Red Wings entered the Finals after winning the Presidents' Trophy as the team that had the best record during the regular season. Led by forwards Henrik Zetterberg, Pavel Datsyuk, and Johan Franzen, Detroit scored 54 goals in the first three rounds of the playoffs. With struggling goaltender Dominik Hasek being replaced mid-series by Chris Osgood, the Red Wings defeated their division rival Nashville Predators in the Western Conference quarterfinals, in six games. The team swept the Colorado Avalanche in the Western Conference semifinals, in which Franzen scored nine goals – tying with the entire Avalanche squad, who also scored nine goals in the series. The Red Wings then defeated the Dallas Stars in six games to win their fifth Clarence S.
Reader's Guide
The 2008 Stanley Cup Final marked the first time that the Detroit Red Wings and the Pittsburgh Penguins met in postseason play, and the first time since the 1909 World Series that professional sports teams from Detroit and Pittsburgh met in a postseason series or game. The Red Wings and Penguins did not play each other during the 2007–08 regular season. This was also the first Cup Finals between two United States–based NHL teams since 2003, and the last one until 2026 in which neither team played a Game 7 in an earlier round of that season’s playoffs. The series featured notable performances: Detroit's Chris Osgood recorded two consecutive shutouts in games one and two; Pittsburgh's Petr Sykora scored the game-winning goal in triple overtime of game five, forcing a game six. As of 2026, this remains the most recent major professional sports championship won by a Detroit-based team.
Did You Know?
- Detroit's Henrik Zetterberg was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as the Most Valuable Player of the playoffs.
- This was the first Cup Finals between two U.S.-based NHL teams since 2003.
- Chris Osgood recorded shutouts in games one and two of the series.
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