Last 10 Stanley Cup Champions

SI Staff | Jun 14, 2006

Last 10 Stanley Cup Champions /

Last 10 Stanley Cup Champions

Tampa Bay Lightning: 2004

Coach John Tortorella's Lightning won the first Cup in their 12-year history by rallying out of a 3-2 series hole, only the fifth team ever to accomplish that feat in the finals. Conn Smythe Trophy-winner Brad Richards led all playoff scorers with 26 points, assisting on the first of Ruslan Fedotenko's two scores in Tampa Bay's 2-1 win in Game 7.

New Jersey Devils: 2003

The Finals were a goaltending duel that featured four shutouts -- three by Devils' net-minder Martin Brodeur. But the Conn Smythe went to his Mighty Ducks counterpart Jean-Sebastien Giguere, who became only the fifth playoff MVP from a losing team. The Cup was Jersey's third in nine years -- each won by a different coach, this one by Pat Burns.

Detroit Red Wings: 2002

Heavy preseason favorites, the star-laden Wings were labeled the New York Yankees of the NHL. Dominik Hasek, Brett Hull, Sergei Fedorov, Chris Chelios, Nicklas Lidstrom (the Conn Smythe winner), Steve Yzerman and company made short work of the Hurricanes while winning the ninth and final Cup of coach Scotty Bowman's career.

Colorado Avalanche: 2001

Coach Bob Hartley's Avalanche dethroned the defending champs in an emotional series that handed defenseman Ray Bourque his first Cup in his 22nd, and final, NHL season. Goaltender Patrick Roy won the Conn Smythe, getting a 4-0 shutout in Game 6 that staved off elimination. Colorado won its second Cup on the wings of two goals in Game 7 by 21-year old Alex Tanguay.

New Jersey Devils: 2000

Defenseman Scott Stevens was a one-man wrecking crew, dispensing crushing hits and bagging the Conn Smythe Trophy as coach Larry Robinson's Devils denied the Stars a repeat. Martin Brodeur allowed only four goals in the final four contests -- Dallas needed triple overtime to win Game 5 -- and Jason Arnott finished off the Stars in double OT of Game 6, with an assist by Stevens.

Dallas Stars: 1999

Brett Hull's disputed, foot-in-the-crease goal at 14:51 of triple OT in Game 6 is still a source of agony in Buffalo. The series was painful enough, marked at it was by nasty stickwork. Joe Nieuwendyk's six game-winning goals in the playoffs earned him the Conn Smythe as coach Ken Hitchcock's Stars won the first Cup in franchise history and became the NHL's first southern-based champion.

Detroit Red Wings: 1998

Gritty, experienced, and confident, Scotty Bowman's Wings soared to their second straight Cup sweep as goaltender Chris Osgood outplayed the Capitals' celebrated Olaf Kolzig. Wings captain Steve Yzerman won the Conn Smythe by leading all playoff scorers with 24 points. His two goals in Game 2, the second short-handed in the third period, rallied Detroit to a 5-4, Finals-turning win.

Detroit Red Wings: 1997

Coach Scotty Bowman and the offseason addition of Brendan Shanahan helped bring Lord Stanley to Detroit for the first time since 1955. Goaltender Mike Vernon earned the Conn Smythe as the Wings dominated Eric Lindros and the Flyers. Detroit's jubilation was tempered when defenseman Vladimir Konstantinov was gravely injured in a car crash six days after the Cup-clinching victory.

Colorado Avalanche: 1996

The former Quebec Nordiques gave Colorado its first major pro championship in its first season in Denver. Conn Smythe-winner Joe Sakic scored 18 goals and goaltender Patrick Roy (with Cup) was money. Coach Marc Crawford's Avs' battled past Detroit in the Western Conference Final, sparking a bitter rivalry when Claude Lemieux devastated the Wings' Kris Draper with a hit in Game 6. Colorado swept the upstart Panthers as defenseman Uwe Krupp scored the Cup-winner at 4:31 of triple OT in Game 4.

New Jersey Devils: 1995

After a strike-shortened season, the Red Wings were expected to sweep to the Cup, only to have the table turned on them by coach Jacques Lemaire's defense-minded Devils. Claude Lemieux won the Conn Smythe by scoring 13 playoff goals while rugged backliners such as Ken Daneyko (nailing Martin Lapointe in this photo) and goaltender Martin Brodeur never gave the Wings a chance to get into a groove. Neal Broten capped the Devils' rise to NHL power by scoring the franchise's first Cup-winner.

Published Jun 14, 2006

SI STAFF