Nuggets, tidbits, facts and figures relating to the Chicago Blackhawks cup run. Prior to winning last last night, the Hawks had lost each of their past five Final series, in 1962 (to Toronto), 1965, 1971 and 1973 (to Montreal) and 1992 (to Pittsburgh).
Stanley Cup Wins Since NHL’s Founding in 1917-18
23 – Montreal Canadiens *
13 – Toronto Maple Leafs *
11 – Detroit Red Wings
5 – Boston Bruins, Edmonton Oilers
4 – Chicago Blackhawks (1934, 1938, 1961, 2010), New York Islanders, New York Rangers
3 – Pittsburgh Penguins, New Jersey Devils
2 – Colorado Avalanche, Philadelphia Flyers
1 – Anaheim Ducks, Carolina Hurricanes, Calgary Flames, Dallas Stars, Tampa Bay Lightning
* Canadiens and Maple Leafs each won one Stanley Cup prior to the formation of the NHL in 1917
BLACKHAWKS’ TOEWS WINS CONN SMYTHE TROPHY
Blackhawks center Jonathan Toews has won the Conn Smythe Trophy, awarded to “the most valuable player to his team in the playoffs.” The winner is selected in a vote by a panel of the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association at the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Final.
Toews tied a Blackhawks franchise record in the 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs with 29 points (seven goals, 22 assists) in 22 games, matching the total of Denis Savard (9-20–29) in 1985. Toews’ 22 assists is a franchise record, eclipsing Savard’s 20.
The 22-year-old Winnipeg, Manitoba native is the second-youngest captain to win the Stanley Cup, following the 2009 winning captain Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins, who was 21. The pair edge Wayne Gretzky, who was 23 when he captured the first of his four Stanley Cups as captain of the Edmonton Oilers in 1984.
Toews posted a 13-game point streak from Apr. 22 to May 23, recording 25 points (seven goals, 18 assists) in that span. Toews’ streak was a franchise record for a single playoff year, surpassing the mark of Hall of Fame center Stan Mikita, who compiled an 11-game streak for Chicago in 1962. Toews’ streak was the longest in the 2010 playoffs and the longest since Carolina’s Eric Staal recorded a 15-game streak in 2006.
Toews also was dominant in the face-off circle, posting a 60.2% winning percentage during the 2010 playoffs, including a 65.1 winning percentage in the Final (97-52).
HISTORY OF STANLEY CUP WON ON OVERTIME GOAL
Tonight marked the 16th time that the Stanley Cup has been won on an overtime goal.
Year OT Goal-Scorer Club Game Result OT
1933 Bill Cook NY Rangers 4 NY Rangers 1 at Toronto 0 7:33
1934 Mush March Chicago 4 Detroit 0 at Chicago 1 30:05
1940 Bryan Hextall NY Rangers 6 NY Rangers 3 at Toronto 2 2:07
1944 Toe Blake Montreal 4 Chicago 4 at Montreal 5 9:12
1950 Pete Babando Detroit 7 NY Rangers 3 at Detroit 4 28:31
1951 Bill Barilko Toronto 5 Montreal 2 at Toronto 3 2:53
1953 Elmer Lach Montreal 5 Boston 0 at Montreal 1 1:22
1954 Tony Leswick Detroit 7 Montreal 1 at Detroit 2 4:29
1966 Henri Richard Montreal 6 Montreal 3 at Detroit 2 2:20
1970 Bobby Orr Boston 4 St. Louis 3 at Boston 4 0:40
1977 Jacques Lemaire Montreal 4 Montreal 2 at Boston 1 4:32
1980 Bob Nystrom NY Islanders 6 Philadelphia 4 at NY Islanders 5 7:11
1996 Uwe Krupp Colorado 4 Colorado 1 at Florida 0 44:31
1999 Brett Hull Dallas 6 Dallas 2 at Buffalo 1 54:51
2000 Jason Arnott New Jersey 6 New Jersey 2 at Dallas 1 28:20
2010 Patrick Kane Chicago 6 Chicago 4 at Philadelphia 3 4:06
HOSSA’S QUEST REALIZED: FIRST CAREER STANLEY CUP RING
Blackhawks forward Marian Hossa, who became the first player in League history to appear in the Stanley Cup Final for three consecutive seasons with different clubs — Pittsburgh (2008), Detroit (2009) and Chicago (2010) — has captured his first career Stanley Cup ring.
The crowning achievement in Hossa’s acclaimed career came in his 952nd career NHL game (832 regular-season, 120 playoff) at the end of his 12th NHL season.
MAGIC COMBINATION: GOLD AND SILVER
Blackhawks center Jonathan Toews and defensemen Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook, who represented Canada at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in February, have achieved the acclaimed double of winning an Olympic gold medal and the Stanley Cup in the same season. The Blackhawks’ trio joins Ken Morrow (USA-New York Islanders in 1980), Steve Yzerman (Canada-Detroit Red Wings in 2002) and Brendan Shanahan (Canada-Detroit Red Wings in 2002) in this exclusive club.
Blackhawks RW Patrick Kane achieved double silver in 2009-10, capturing an Olympic silver medal with Team USA and the Stanley Cup.
BLACKHAWKS SNAP LENGTHY WINLESS STREAK AT PHILADELPHIA
Prior to Game 6 the Blackhawks had lost their past 10 games in Philadelphia (eight regular-season, two playoff), a streak that began in 1997-98. The last Blackhawks victory at Wachovia Center had occurred on Nov. 9, 1996, during the building’s inaugural NHL season.
KEITH SHOWS TRUE GRIT IN BLACKHAWKS’ WIN
Proving the adage that the Stanley Cup is the toughest trophy to win in sports, Blackhawks defenseman was a key performer in the Blackhawks’ series win over Philadelphia despite having lost seven teeth when struck by a puck during Game 4 of the Western Conference Final against San Jose. Keith ranked second on the club in scoring in the Stanley Cup Final with seven points (one goal, six assists) and led the club in ice time in the Final, averaging 29:01 per game.
STANLEY CUP CAPS SEASON OF ACHIEVEMENT FOR BLACKHAWKS
The Blackhawks’ triumph tonight caps a season in which the club registered franchise records of 52 wins and 112 points (52-22-8) in capturing their first division title since 1992-93. They completed back-to-back 100-point seasons for the first time in 38 years (1970-71 and 1971-72) and consecutive appearances in the Western Conference Final for the first time in 20 years (1989, 1990).
Chicago is the only team to improve on its record in each of the past five seasons – 59 points in 2003-04; 65 in 2005-06; 71 in 2006-07; 88 in 2007-08, 104 in 2008-09 and 112 in 2009-10.
HIGHEST SCORING STANLEY CUP FINAL SERIES SINCE 1980
There were 47 goals scored in this series (Chicago 25, Philadelphia 22), the most in a Stanley Cup Final since 1980 when the Flyers and New York Islanders combined for 52 in a six-game series win for the Islanders.
Most Goals in a Stanley Cup Final
58 – Montreal, Chicago in 1971 (seven games)
56 – Montreal, Chicago in 1973 (six games)
52 – NY Islanders, Philadelphia in 1980 (six games)
47 – Chicago, Philadelphia in 2010 (six games)
47 – Detroit, Montreal in 1955 (seven games)
LATE BLOOMER NIEMI A STANLEY CUP CHAMPION
Blackhawks goaltender Antti Niemi signed his first Finnish Elite League contract in 2005 with Pelicans Lahti at age 23, having spent the previous three seasons in the Finnish second-tier league with Kiekko-Vantaa. He signed with the Blackhawks as a free agent in May 2008 and made his North America debut in 2008-09, appearing in three NHL games and the rest with AHL Rockford. The Blackhawks re-signed him to a one-year deal over the summer. Niemi had a dream start to the 2009-10 regular season, posting a shutout in front of family, friends and 12,000 cheering fans in Helsinki in a 4-0 victory over Florida.
Niemi, 26, won the starting job during the regular season, posting a 26-7-4 record. He started all 22 games in the 2010 playoffs, going 16-6 with a 2.63 goals-against average, .910 save percentage and two shutouts. He is the first Finnish-born goaltender to capture the Stanley Cup.
FOR SECOND CONSECUTIVE SEASON, CUP CAMPAIGN BEGAN IN EUROPE
The Blackhawks are the second consecutive Stanley Cup champion that opened the regular season in Europe. The 2009 Pittsburgh Penguins played a pair of games against the Ottawa Senators in Stockholm, Sweden, while the Blackhawks met the Florida Panthers twice in Helsinki, Finland last October.
PRONGER TIES FLYERS FRANCHISE RECORD
Philadelphia’s Chris Pronger tallied one assist in Game 6, finishing the 2010 playoffs as the NHL scoring leader among defensemen with 18 points (four goals, 14 assists). Pronger tied the Flyers’ playoff record for a defenseman set by Doug Crossman in 1987 (4-14–18 in 26 games).
BRIERE FINISHES FIRST IN PLAYOFF SCORING, SETS FRANCHISE RECORD
Daniel Briere recorded three points in Game 6 (one goal, two assists), finishing as the leading scorer in the 2010 playoffs with 30 points (12 goals, 18 assists). Briere also set the Flyers’ franchise record for postseason scoring, eclipsing the total recorded by Brian Propp in 1987 (12-16–28).
BRIERE SCORES MOST POINTS IN FINAL SINCE 1994
Daniel Briere recorded 12 points in this series (three goals, nine assists), the most in a Stanley Cup Final since Mario Lemieux had 12 in 1991 and one point shy of Wayne Gretzky’s NHL record set in 1988.
NAME YEAR GP G A PTS
Gretzky, Wayne, Edm. 1988 5 3 10 13
Briere, Daniel, Phi. 2010 6 3 9 12
Lemieux, Mario, Pit. 1991 5 5 7 12
Lemaire, Jacques, Mtl. 1973 6 3 9 12
Cournoyer, Yvan, Mtl. 1973 6 6 6 12
Howe, Gordie, Det. 1955 7 5 7 12
LEINO TIES NHL RECORD FOR PLAYOFF SCORING BY A ROOKIE
Flyers forward Ville Leino recorded two assists in Game 6 to increase his playoff points total to 21 (seven goals, 14 assists), tying the NHL record for points by a rookie in one postseason set by Dino Ciccarelli with Minnesota in 1981.
Most points by a rookie, one playoff year
GP G A PTS
1981 Dino Ciccarelli, Minnesota 19 14 7 21
2010 Ville Leino, Philadelphia 19 7 14 21
1979 Don Maloney, NY Rangers 18 7 13 20
1990 Jeremy Roenick, Chicago 20 11 7 18
1982 Joe Mullen, St. Louis 10 7 11 18
1982 Barry Pederson, Boston 11 7 11 18
BLACKHAWKS IMPROVE PLAYOFF ROAD RECORD TO 8-3
The Blackhawks improved to 8-3 on the road in the 2010 playoffs, becoming the first club since the 2002 Detroit Red Wings to register eight playoff road wins. Only three clubs in League history have posted more in one postseason: the 1995 New Jersey Devils, 2000 Devils and 2004 Calgary Flames, all with 10.
BOWMAN YOUNGEST GM TO CAPTURE STANLEY CUP
The Blackhawks’ Stan Bowman, 36, is the youngest GM on record to win the Stanley Cup. The Montreal native eclipsed the mark of owner/manager Conn Smythe of the Toronto Maple Leafs, who was 37 in 1932. Bowman is the fourth GM to win the Cup in his first year in that capacity since NHL clubs exclusively began competing for the Stanley Cup in 1927, joining Sam Pollock (Montreal, 1965), Irving Grundman (Montreal, 1979) and Ken Holland (Detroit, 1998).
THE BLACKHAWKS’ ROAD TO THE STANLEY CUP
Western Conference Quarterfinals
The second-seeded Blackhawks defeated the #7 Nashville Predators in six games in their Conference Quarterfinal series. Rallying from 1-0 and 2-1 deficits in the series, the ‘Hawks rode two Antti Niemi shutouts to get even through four games. They took their first lead in the series with a wild Game 5 victory in which they needed a Patrick Kane shorthanded goal with 14 seconds left in regulation to get to overtime, where Marian Hossa scored upon emerging from the penalty box. Chicago settled down to salt away the series upon emerging from a dizzying first period of Game 6 with a 4-3 lead.
Western Conference Semifinals
For the second consecutive year the Blackhawks posted a six-game series victory over the Vancouver Canucks in the Conference Semifinals, clinching the series one year to the day after doing so in 2009. Captain Jonathan Toews was the series’ dominant figure, leading all scorers with 12 points (four goals, eight assists) in six games, highlighted by a five-point performance (3-2–5) in a 7-4 win at Vancouver in Game 4. The Blackhawks’ 6-4, 257-lb. Dustin Byfuglien was a fixture in front of the Vancouver goal, tallying four goals to match Toews for the club goal-scoring lead.
Western Conference Final
The Blackhawks advanced to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 1992 by defeating the top-ranked San Jose Sharks in four games in the Western Conference Final. Byfuglien provided the heroics with three game-winning goals, including the overtime strike in Game 3 that gave the ‘Hawks a stranglehold on the series and the series-clincher in the third period of Game 4. Toews again led the Blackhawks with six points (one goal, five assists), extending his playoff point streak to 13 games, and Niemi posted a 1.67 GAA and .949 save percentage.
Stanley Cup Final
The Blackhawks captured their first Stanley Cup since 1961 with a 4-2 series victory over the Philadelphia Flyers. Patrick Kane, the 21-year-old Buffalo native who was the first player selected in the 2007 Entry Draft, scored the Stanley Cup-winning goal at 4:06 of overtime in Game 6. Kane led all Blackhawks in scoring during the Stanley Cup Final with eight points (three goals, five assists). Playing minus seven teeth that were shattered when struck by a puck in the closing game of the Western Conference Final, defenseman Duncan Keith ranked second on the club with seven points (one goal, six assists) and led the club in ice time in the Final series (29:01). Chicago took full advantage of the ‘Madhouse on Madison’ by winning all three games played at United Center. The League’s third-ranked offense during the regular season was in peak form in the Final, tallying 25 times in six games, an average of 4.2 per contest.