1985 Stanley Cup Championship

Lore & Background

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 Finals contested by a team from Western Canada (the streak began in 1983, not 1982), 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.

In Their Own Story

The air inside Northlands Coliseum was thick with anticipation as the final seconds ticked away on Game Four. The scoreboard read a decisive victory for Edmonton, completing a perfect sweep of the Philadelphia Flyers. Wayne Gretzky stood at center ice, his jersey soaked in sweat and glory, as confetti rained down from the rafters like silver snow. He looked toward the bench where Glen Sather was beaming, then to Mark Messier who was already embracing teammates. The roar of the crowd was a physical force, a collective release of years of hope culminating in this moment. As the Stanley Cup was lifted high above the ice, the light from the arena lamps caught the silver surface, reflecting the faces of thousands of believers who knew that night that the 1980s belonged to Edmonton.

Reader's Guide

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. This was the first Stanley Cup Final in which games were scheduled for June. Game six was scheduled for June 2, and game seven for June 4. The NHL season would not extend into an actual June game until 1992, due to a players strike. The NHL realigned its conferences and divisions based on geographic regions in 1981 and instituted a 2–3–2 schedule format for the Stanley Cup Final, with home ice advantage awarded to the division with the better aggregate record in interdivisional games. 1985 would be the last Final played under this format. Since then, the league has held to a 2–2–1–1–1 format, and home ice has gone to the team with the better regular season record. 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 Final 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 Final 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 Final in which the NHL official (referee or linesman) wore a helmet (Andy Van Hellemond). This occurred during game one.

Did You Know?

• Wayne Gretzky scored seven goals in the five games, tying the record set by Jean Béliveau in 1956 and Mike Bossy in 1982.
• Grant Fuhr stopped two penalty shots in the series.
• Jari Kurri scored 19 goals through the entire playoffs, tying the single-year record set by Reggie Leach in 1976.
• This was the last Stanley Cup Final in which both starting goalies wore the old-style fiberglass mask.
• This was the first Stanley Cup Final in which an NHL official wore a helmet (Andy Van Hellemond in game one).