2001 Stanley Cup
The 2001 Stanley Cup Final saw the Colorado Avalanche defeat the defending champion New Jersey Devils in seven games, marking the first number-one-seed matchup in the Final since 1989.
The 2001 Stanley Cup Final was the championship series of the National Hockey League's (NHL) 2000–01 season, and the culmination of the 2001 Stanley Cup playoffs. It was contested between the Eastern Conference champion and defending Stanley Cup champion New Jersey Devils and the Western Conference champion and Presidents' Trophy-winning Colorado Avalanche. It was Colorado's second appearance in the Final, and the first since the team won the Cup in 1996. It was New Jersey's third appearance in the Final and second straight appearance after winning the Cup in the previous year. Colorado defeated New Jersey in seven games to win their second Stanley Cup in franchise history. Colorado's Patrick Roy was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as the MVP of the 2001 playoffs. This was the first Stanley Cup Final since 1994 that would be decided in the maximum seven games. This was also the first and, as of 2026, most recent Final since 1989 that the number one seeds in each conference met in the Final.
Quick Facts
- Championship
- 2nd Stanley Cup (2001)
- Head coach
- Larry Robinson
- Finals opponent
- New Jersey Devils (defending champions)
- Playoff seed
- 1st (Western Conference)
- Defensive core
- Scott Stevens, Scott Niedermayer
- Key forwards
- Patrik Eliáš
- Petr Sýkora
- Jason Arnott
Lore & Background
This marked the only time in NHL history where two teams who occupied the same market at different times faced off against each other. The Devils were based out of Denver as the Colorado Rockies from 1976 to 1982 and the Avalanche established themselves in the city in 1995 after relocating from Quebec City. With the win, the Avalanche became the fifth team to win the Presidents' Trophy and Stanley Cup in the same season since the former trophy's introduction in 1985–86. To date, only three more Presidents' Trophy winners have gone on to win the Stanley Cup. They are the Detroit Red Wings in both the 2001–02 and 2007–08 seasons, and the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2012–13 season. The Devils' series loss marked the second straight season that the defending Stanley Cup champion lost in the Final, as the Devils themselves defeated the 1999 Stanley Cup champion Dallas Stars in the 2000 Stanley Cup Final. The Devils would appear in the Final again in 2003, when they defeated the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in seven games. This was the first and only Stanley Cup championship for defenceman Ray Bourque, who retired shortly after the series ended. His number 77 would be retired by both the Avalanche and Boston Bruins (the team he played for from 1979 to 2000). To date, he is one of only nine NHL players to have his number retired by more than one team. This was the last major professional sports championship won by a Denver-based team until 2016, when the Denver Broncos won Super Bowl 50 in the 2015 NFL season. This would also be the Avalanche's last Stanley Cup title and Final appearance until 2022, when they defeated the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning in six games.
Reader's Guide
Paths to the Final: New Jersey Devils finished the regular season with 111 points and an Atlantic Division title, good for the first overall seed in the Eastern Conference. In the playoffs, they defeated the Carolina Hurricanes 4–2, the Toronto Maple Leafs 4–3 and the Pittsburgh Penguins 4–1 to advance to the Final. Colorado Avalanche finished the regular season with 118 points and a Northwest Division title, good for the first overall seed in the Western Conference, and the Presidents' Trophy as the team with the league's best regular season record. In the playoffs, they defeated the Vancouver Canucks 4–0, the Los Angeles Kings 4–3 and the St. Louis Blues 4–1 to advance to the Final. Game summaries: Game one – Colorado centre Joe Sakic scored his 10th and 11th goal of the playoffs in the first and second periods. The Avalanche smothered the New Jersey defense and scored five goals. Patrick Roy stopped all 25 shots to record his third shutout of the postseason. Late in the third period, Steven Reinprecht scored to make the game 5–0. Initially, referee Dan Marouelli thought Martin Brodeur had made a save and called no goal, but after video review, it was revealed that the puck slipped through Brodeur's legs and crossed the goal line. Following Reinprecht's initially denied goal, a fistfight broke out between Colorado forward Chris Dingman and New Jersey defenseman Sean O'Donnell. O'Donnell also received a minor penalty for instigating the fight and was given a misconduct. The third period had a total tally of 44 penalty minutes. Game two – The second game began with goals in the first period by Colorado's Sakic and New Jersey's Bob Corkum and Turner Stevenson. The 2–1 lead by the Devils held throughout the game as they defeated the Avalanche to even the series at one game apiece. Game three – Game three was held in New Jersey. Devils centre Jason Arnott scored an early power-play goal, but in the tenth minute, the Avalanche evened through defenceman Martin Skoula. Neither team scored any goals in the second period. Early in the third, Colorado defenceman Ray Bourque scored a power-play goal to break the tie. Five minutes later, Colorado winger Dan Hinote scored the team's third goal, and the Devils did not respond. The win by Colorado marked another road win in the series.
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