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The
1961 Stanley Cup Final was contested by the
Detroit Red WingsThe Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...
and the
Chicago BlackhawksThe Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10...
. Chicago was making its first appearance since in the Final, and Detroit, their first appearance since . The Blackhawks would win the best-of-seven series four games to two to win their third
Stanley CupThe Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
, their first since 1938. However, this proved to be the last time Chicago won the Cup until , a 49 year drought.
Paths to the Final
Detroit defeated
Toronto Maple LeafsThe Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
to advance to the final and Chicago defeated the defending champion
Montreal CanadiensThe Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
.
The series
Two of some of the most notable athletes in Chicago sports history,
Bobby HullRobert Marvin "Bobby" Hull, OC is a former Canadian ice hockey player. He is regarded as one of the greatest ice hockey players of all time and perhaps the greatest left winger to ever play the game. Hull was famous for his blonde hair, blinding skating speed, and having the hardest shot, earning...
and
Stan MikitaStanislav "Stan" Mikita , is a Slovak-born Canadian retired professional ice hockey player, generally regarded as the best centre of the 1960s. In 1961, he won the Stanley Cup with the Chicago Blackhawks, with whom he played his entire career.-Early life:Mikita was born in Sokolče, Slovak Republic...
made their first Stanley Cup appearances. Hull scored two in the first game including the winner, and Mikita scored the winner in game five.
This was the only Stanley Cup championship in the 1960s not to be won by either the
Toronto Maple Leafs or the Montreal CanadiensThe rivalry between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens is the oldest rivalry in the history of the National Hockey League. From 1944 to 1978, the two teams met each other in the playoffs 15 times, and faced off in five Stanley Cup Finals...
.
| Date |
Visitors |
Score |
Home |
Score |
Notes |
| April 6 |
Detroit |
2 |
Chicago |
3 |
|
| April 8 |
Chicago |
1 |
Detroit |
3 |
|
| April 10 |
Detroit |
1 |
Chicago |
3 |
|
| April 12 |
Chicago |
1 |
Detroit |
2 |
|
| April 14 |
Detroit |
2 |
Chicago |
6 |
|
| April 16 |
Chicago |
5 |
Detroit |
1 |
|
Chicago Blackhawks 1961 Stanley Cup Champions