Stanley Cup (1998)

Lore & Background

Just six days after sweeping the Philadelphia Flyers in the 1997 Finals, Red Wings defenceman Vladimir Konstantinov and masseur Sergei Mnatsakanov sustained serious brain injuries when the limousine in which they were riding crashed. Viacheslav Fetisov was also in the limousine but was not seriously injured. The Red Wings subsequently dedicated their 1997–98 season to the two injured members and wore a patch on their jerseys bearing the players' initials. When the Red Wings were presented with the Stanley Cup, they wheeled Konstantinov onto the ice and placed the Cup in his lap. They also took him for a victory lap around the rink.

In Their Own Story

The air inside Joe Louis Arena was thick with anticipation, a tangible electricity that seemed to vibrate through the concrete floor. It was May 1998, and the fourth game against Washington hung in the balance. The scoreboard read 2-1 late in the third period. Brett Hull, the veteran sniper who had waited years for this moment, found himself alone near the blue line. He deked a defender with a move so sharp it seemed to defy physics, skated into the slot, and buried the puck past Olaf Kolzig. The net rippled, the horn blared, and chaos erupted. Steve Yzerman was mobbed by his teammates as confetti began to fall, not just celebrating a win, but acknowledging that this team had finally reached the very top of the mountain.

Reader's Guide

Detroit advanced to the Finals by defeating the Phoenix Coyotes, St. Louis Blues, and Dallas Stars in six games each. Washington defeated the Boston Bruins 4–2, the Ottawa Senators 4–1, and the Buffalo Sabres 4–2. In the Final, Detroit won Game 1 at home 2–1. In Game 2, Detroit rallied from a 4–2 third-period deficit to tie the game and won 5–4 in overtime on a goal by Kris Draper. In Game 3, Detroit scored in the first 35 seconds, and Sergei Fedorov scored the go-ahead goal in the third period for a 3–0 series lead. In Game 4, Detroit won 4–1 to complete the sweep. Steve Yzerman was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP.

Did You Know?

• The Red Wings became the fourth franchise to win the Stanley Cup in back-to-back sweeps, joining the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, and New York Islanders, and remain the most recent team to accomplish this fea
• Detroit coach Scotty Bowman won his eighth Stanley Cup as a coach, tying Toe Blake for the record of most Cups won by a coach (a record he would break in 2002).
• Capitals head coach Ron Wilson became the first person to head coach in both an Olympics and a Stanley Cup Final in the same year, having coached Team USA at the Nagano Olympics.
• Though the Red Wings famously wheeled Vladimir Konstantinov onto the ice in his wheelchair to share in the celebration, his name was not engraved on the Stanley Cup in 1998.
• The 1998 Stanley Cup Final was the Capitals' first Stanley Cup Final appearance in franchise history.