2004 Stanley Cup Finals
Encyclopedia
The 2004 Stanley Cup Finals was a best-of-seven playoff series that determined the National Hockey League
(NHL) champion for the 2003–04 season. As a culmination of the 2004 Stanley Cup playoffs
, the Eastern Conference
champion Tampa Bay Lightning
defeated the Western Conference
champion Calgary Flames
in seven games and were awarded the Stanley Cup
. It was Tampa's first-ever appearance in the final. For Calgary, it was the team's third appearance, and first since their championship season of 1989
, as well as the first Finals appearance by a Canadian team since 1994
, when the Vancouver Canucks
lost to the New York Rangers
. Lightning owner William Davidson
became the first owner in sports history to win two championships in one year. Eight days later, the other team that Davidson owned, the Detroit Pistons
of the NBA
won the NBA title
in five games over the Los Angeles Lakers
.
4-1, the Montreal Canadiens
4-0 and the Philadelphia Flyers
4-3 to advance to the Finals.
Calgary had beaten the Western Conference's top three seeded teams, the Vancouver Canucks 4-3, the Detroit Red Wings
4-2 and the San Jose Sharks
4-2, in that order.
, saw the Flames win the game, 4–1. Calgary only got 19 shots off against the Lightning defense, but more than one-fifth found the net. Martin Gelinas
got Calgary on the board early, and they extended the lead to 3–0 in the second period on goals by Jarome Iginla
, his 11th of the postseason, and Stephane Yelle
. Chris Simon
added the fourth and final Calgary goal after Tampa Bay's Martin St. Louis
scored the lone Lightning goal.
's 10th goal of the postseason got the Lightning on the board first, and Tampa Bay used three third-period goals, coming from Brad Richards
, Dan Boyle, and St. Louis, respectively, to blast the game open. The lone Calgary goal was scored by Ville Nieminen
.
in Calgary, where Flames goalie Miikka Kiprusoff
and the Calgary defense completely stonewalled the Tampa Bay attack, which only took 21 shots in a 3–0 Flames victory. Simon scored the first Calgary goal in the second period, and Shean Donovan
and Iginla added goals to ice the game.
This was the first Stanley Cup Finals game in Canada since Game 6 of the 1994 Finals
, when the Vancouver Canucks
won at home against the New York Rangers
.
, who recorded his fifth shutout of the postseason, a 29-save shutout, in a 1–0 Tampa Bay victory, with the game's lone goal being scored by Brad Richards three minutes into the game on a two-man advantage.
With 4:13 left in the game, Ville Nieminen checked Vincent Lecavalier
into the boards from behind, drawing a five-minute major penalty for boarding, a game misconduct penalty, and an eventual Game 5 suspension. Meanwhile, fans at the Pengrowth Saddledome
angrily booed referees Kerry Fraser and Brad Watson throughout most of the contest. They were originally also scheduled to work Game 6 in Calgary but the league eventually decided to replace them.
tied the game for the Lightning 37 seconds into the third period. The 2–2 score held until after 14:40 had gone by in overtime, when Oleg Saprykin
's first goal since the first round won the game for the Flames.
and Marcus Nilson
for the Flames. In the third period, there was a dispute over a Martin Gelinas redirect that appeared to have gone in off of his skate. A review from one camera angle appeared to show the puck crossing the goal line before Khabibulin's pad dragged it out, though some (including Lightning assistant captain Tim Taylor) argue that the puck had not only been knocked several inches above the goal line in front of Khabibulin's pad, but that it was also "kicked" by Gelinas. The play was never reviewed. The game entered overtime with the Flames needing only a single goal to win the Stanley Cup. Thirty-three seconds into the second overtime, St. Louis put in the game-winner for the Lightning to force a winner-take-all Game 7 in Tampa Bay.
scored to narrow the deficit to 2–1, Calgary barraged Khabibulin after taking only seven shots in the first two periods. After the Conroy goal, Khabibulin stopped 16 Calgary shots. The series ended as Flames center Marcus Nilson
missed a last-second opportunity to force overtime. Tampa Bay won the game, 2–1, and the Stanley Cup.
The Tampa Bay Lightning are currently the southern-most hockey team to ever win the Stanley Cup in history. This was the final NHL game played for almost a year and a half, due to the lockout
.
suspended play for the next season. NBC and Versus
(formerly OLN) would pick up the NHL for the season.
In Canada, the CBC's broadcast of Game 7 of the Finals drew 4.862 million viewers, making it the fourth-highest rated NHL game on the CBC, behind Game 5 of the Final, which drew 6.1 million viewers, Game 1 of the Final, which drew 5.6 million viewers and Game 7 of the 1994 Final, which drew 4.957 million viewers. However, those numbers include both pre-game and post-game coverage. The game itself drew 5.560 million viewers, up from 5.404 in 1994.
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
(NHL) champion for the 2003–04 season. As a culmination of the 2004 Stanley Cup playoffs
2004 Stanley Cup Playoffs
The 2004 Stanley Cup playoffs for the National Hockey League began on April 7, 2004, following the 2003–04 regular season. The playoffs ended with the Tampa Bay Lightning securing the Stanley Cup with a seven-game series win over the Calgary Flames on June 7. It was Tampa Bay's first Stanley Cup...
, the Eastern Conference
Eastern Conference (NHL)
The Eastern Conference is one of two conferences in the National Hockey League used to divide teams. Its counterpart is the Western Conference....
champion Tampa Bay Lightning
Tampa Bay Lightning
The Tampa Bay Lightning are a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They have one Stanley Cup championship in their history, in 2003–04. They are often referred to as the...
defeated the Western Conference
Western Conference (NHL)
The Western Conference is one of two conferences in the National Hockey League used to divide teams. Its counterpart is the Eastern Conference....
champion Calgary Flames
Calgary Flames
The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is the third major-professional ice hockey team to represent the city of Calgary, following the...
in seven games and were awarded the Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The 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...
. It was Tampa's first-ever appearance in the final. For Calgary, it was the team's third appearance, and first since their championship season of 1989
1989 Stanley Cup Finals
The 1989 Stanley Cup Final was between the Calgary Flames and the Montreal Canadiens, the top two teams during the 1988–89 NHL regular season. , this is the most recent time that the first two seeds met in the Stanley Cup Final, as the New Jersey Devils had one win less than the Detroit Red Wings...
, as well as the first Finals appearance by a Canadian team since 1994
1994 Stanley Cup Finals
The 1994 Stanley Cup Final was a best-of-seven playoff series contested between the Eastern Conference champion New York Rangers and Western Conference champion Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League...
, when the Vancouver Canucks
Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,...
lost to the New York Rangers
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
. Lightning owner William Davidson
William Davidson
William Morse "Bill" Davidson, J. D. was an American businessman who was President, Chairman and CEO of Guardian Industries, one of the world's largest manufacturers of architectural and automotive glass...
became the first owner in sports history to win two championships in one year. Eight days later, the other team that Davidson owned, the Detroit Pistons
Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons are a franchise of the National Basketball Association based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The team's home arena is The Palace of Auburn Hills. It was originally founded in Fort Wayne, Indiana as the Fort Wayne Pistons as a member of the National Basketball League in 1941, where...
of the NBA
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
won the NBA title
2004 NBA Finals
The 2004 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 2003–04 National Basketball Association season. The Finals were between the Los Angeles Lakers of the Western Conference and the Detroit Pistons of the Eastern Conference; the Lakers held home court advantage...
in five games over the Los Angeles Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
.
Paths to the Finals
Tampa Bay defeated the New York IslandersNew York Islanders
The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
4-1, the Montreal Canadiens
Montreal Canadiens
The 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 ...
4-0 and the Philadelphia Flyers
Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
4-3 to advance to the Finals.
Calgary had beaten the Western Conference's top three seeded teams, the Vancouver Canucks 4-3, the Detroit Red Wings
Detroit Red Wings
The 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...
4-2 and the San Jose Sharks
San Jose Sharks
The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California, United States. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
4-2, in that order.
Game 1
The first game, at St. Pete Times ForumSt. Pete Times Forum
The St. Pete Times Forum is an arena in Tampa, Florida, that has been used for ice hockey, basketball, and arena football games, as well as concerts....
, saw the Flames win the game, 4–1. Calgary only got 19 shots off against the Lightning defense, but more than one-fifth found the net. Martin Gelinas
Martin Gelinas
Martin Gélinas is a former professional ice hockey forward and the current director of player development with the Nashville Predators.-Playing career:Gelinas made a splash in 1987–88 with the Hull Olympiques of the QMJHL with a 63-goal, 131-point campaign...
got Calgary on the board early, and they extended the lead to 3–0 in the second period on goals by Jarome Iginla
Jarome Iginla
Jarome Arthur-Leigh Adekunle Tig Junior Elvis Iginla is a Canadian professional ice hockey player for the Calgary Flames of the National Hockey League . A six-time NHL All-Star, he is the Flames' all-time leader in goals, points, and games played, and is second in assists to Al MacInnis...
, his 11th of the postseason, and Stephane Yelle
Stephane Yelle
Stéphane Yelle is a former Canadian professional ice hockey centre. He won two Stanley Cups with the Colorado Avalanche, and also played in the National Hockey League with the Calgary Flames, Boston Bruins and the Carolina Hurricanes....
. Chris Simon
Chris Simon
Chris Simon is a former Canadian professional ice hockey left winger whose last club was UHC Dynamo of the Kontinental Hockey League . He played 15 seasons in the NHL.-Minor hockey:...
added the fourth and final Calgary goal after Tampa Bay's Martin St. Louis
Martin St. Louis
Martin St. Louis is a Canadian professional ice hockey right winger and alternate captain currently playing for the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
scored the lone Lightning goal.
Game 2
Game two saw the same final score, but this time, it was Tampa Bay winning a clutch game to tie the series, 1–1, headed to Calgary. Ruslan FedotenkoRuslan Fedotenko
Ruslan Viktorovych Fedotenko is a Ukrainian American professional ice hockey winger who is currently playing for the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League . A two-time Stanley Cup champion, in his NHL career he has played for the Philadelphia Flyers, Tampa Bay Lightning, New York...
's 10th goal of the postseason got the Lightning on the board first, and Tampa Bay used three third-period goals, coming from Brad Richards
Brad Richards
Bradley Glenn Richards is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre and alternate captain for the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League .-Early career:Born and raised in Murray Harbour, Prince Edward Island...
, Dan Boyle, and St. Louis, respectively, to blast the game open. The lone Calgary goal was scored by Ville Nieminen
Ville Nieminen
Ville Nieminen is a Finnish professional ice hockey forward currently playing for Dinamo Riga of the Kontinental Hockey League.-Playing career:...
.
Game 3
The series shifted to the Pengrowth SaddledomePengrowth Saddledome
The Scotiabank Saddledome is the primary indoor arena of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It has a seating capacity of 19,289 people.Located on the Stampede Grounds, on the east end of downtown Calgary, the Saddledome was built in 1983 to replace the Stampede Corral as the home of the Calgary Flames of...
in Calgary, where Flames goalie Miikka Kiprusoff
Miikka Kiprusoff
Miikka Sakari Kiprusoff is a Finnish professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the Calgary Flames of the National Hockey League . He was selected in the fifth round, 116th overall by the San Jose Sharks in the 1995 NHL Entry Draft. He has also played for TPS of the Finnish SM-liiga...
and the Calgary defense completely stonewalled the Tampa Bay attack, which only took 21 shots in a 3–0 Flames victory. Simon scored the first Calgary goal in the second period, and Shean Donovan
Shean Donovan
Shean Donovan is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey Forward. A veteran of the National Hockey League, he played in 951 games spanning over seven clubs.-Playing career:...
and Iginla added goals to ice the game.
This was the first Stanley Cup Finals game in Canada since Game 6 of the 1994 Finals
1994 Stanley Cup Finals
The 1994 Stanley Cup Final was a best-of-seven playoff series contested between the Eastern Conference champion New York Rangers and Western Conference champion Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League...
, when the Vancouver Canucks
Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,...
won at home against the New York Rangers
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
.
Game 4
With a chance to take a commanding 3–1 series lead, Calgary was shut out by Lightning goalie Nikolai KhabibulinNikolai Khabibulin
Nikolai Ivanovich Khabibulin is a Russian professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey League...
, who recorded his fifth shutout of the postseason, a 29-save shutout, in a 1–0 Tampa Bay victory, with the game's lone goal being scored by Brad Richards three minutes into the game on a two-man advantage.
With 4:13 left in the game, Ville Nieminen checked Vincent Lecavalier
Vincent Lecavalier
Vincent Lecavalier is a Canadian professional hockey center and captain of the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League .-Rimouski Océanic:...
into the boards from behind, drawing a five-minute major penalty for boarding, a game misconduct penalty, and an eventual Game 5 suspension. Meanwhile, fans at the Pengrowth Saddledome
Pengrowth Saddledome
The Scotiabank Saddledome is the primary indoor arena of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It has a seating capacity of 19,289 people.Located on the Stampede Grounds, on the east end of downtown Calgary, the Saddledome was built in 1983 to replace the Stampede Corral as the home of the Calgary Flames of...
angrily booed referees Kerry Fraser and Brad Watson throughout most of the contest. They were originally also scheduled to work Game 6 in Calgary but the league eventually decided to replace them.
Game 5
The series returned to Tampa Bay tied, 2–2, for a critical Game 5, and Calgary pulled off a 3–2 overtime victory to move within one win from the Stanley Cup. After Gelinas and St. Louis traded goals in the first period, Iginla scored for Calgary late in the second period. However, Fredrik ModinFredrik Modin
Fredrik "Freddy" Modin is a Swedish former professional ice hockey left winger, who played 14 seasons in the National Hockey League and most notably won the Stanley Cup with the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2003–04 season....
tied the game for the Lightning 37 seconds into the third period. The 2–2 score held until after 14:40 had gone by in overtime, when Oleg Saprykin
Oleg Saprykin
Oleg Dmitrievich Saprykin is a Russian professional ice hockey player. Saprykin currently plays for the Ufa Salavat Yulayev of the Kontinental hockey league-Playing career:...
's first goal since the first round won the game for the Flames.
Game 6
Back to Calgary for Game 6, each team scored two second-period goals, with Richards scoring two for the Lightning and Chris ClarkChris Clark (hockey player)
Chris Clark is a professional ice hockey right winger who plays for the Providence Bruins of the AHL.-College career:Clark played four years for the Clarkson Golden Knights in the ECAC , posting 128 points and 392 penalty minutes in 142 games...
and Marcus Nilson
Marcus Nilson
Marcus Nilson is a Swedish professional ice hockey player currently playing for Djurgårdens IF of the Elitserien.-Playing career:...
for the Flames. In the third period, there was a dispute over a Martin Gelinas redirect that appeared to have gone in off of his skate. A review from one camera angle appeared to show the puck crossing the goal line before Khabibulin's pad dragged it out, though some (including Lightning assistant captain Tim Taylor) argue that the puck had not only been knocked several inches above the goal line in front of Khabibulin's pad, but that it was also "kicked" by Gelinas. The play was never reviewed. The game entered overtime with the Flames needing only a single goal to win the Stanley Cup. Thirty-three seconds into the second overtime, St. Louis put in the game-winner for the Lightning to force a winner-take-all Game 7 in Tampa Bay.
Game 7
In a tense Game 7, Fedotenko scored goals for Tampa Bay late in the first period and late in the second period for a 2–0 lead. After ConroyCraig Conroy
Craig Conroy is an American former professional ice hockey player and currently the Special Assistant to the General Manager of the Calgary Flames. A sixth round selection of the Montreal Canadiens at the 1990 National Hockey League Entry Draft, Conroy played 1,009 NHL games for the Canadiens, St...
scored to narrow the deficit to 2–1, Calgary barraged Khabibulin after taking only seven shots in the first two periods. After the Conroy goal, Khabibulin stopped 16 Calgary shots. The series ended as Flames center Marcus Nilson
Marcus Nilson
Marcus Nilson is a Swedish professional ice hockey player currently playing for Djurgårdens IF of the Elitserien.-Playing career:...
missed a last-second opportunity to force overtime. Tampa Bay won the game, 2–1, and the Stanley Cup.
The Tampa Bay Lightning are currently the southern-most hockey team to ever win the Stanley Cup in history. This was the final NHL game played for almost a year and a half, due to the lockout
2004-05 NHL lockout
The 2004–05 NHL lockout was a lockout that resulted in the cancellation of what would have been the 88th season of play of the National Hockey League . It was the first time the Stanley Cup was not awarded since 1919, and the first time a major professional sports league in North America canceled a...
.
Tampa Bay Lightning - 2004 Stanley Cup champions
Stanley Cup engraving
- Darren Rumble† played only 5 regular season games, and did not play in the playoffs. Rumble was a healthy reserve the rest of the season. Stanislav Neckar† played 2 playoff games. Neckar was on Nashville PredatorsNashville PredatorsThe Nashville Predators are a professional ice hockey team based in Nashville, Tennessee. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
injury reserve list majority of the season, before joining Tampa Bay in a trade on March 9, 2004. Tampa Bay was given permission to include both players on the Stanley Cup even though they did not qualify.
Broadcasting
In the United States, this was the last Stanley Cup Final to air on the ABC/ESPN family of networks, as the 2004-05 NHL lockout2004-05 NHL lockout
The 2004–05 NHL lockout was a lockout that resulted in the cancellation of what would have been the 88th season of play of the National Hockey League . It was the first time the Stanley Cup was not awarded since 1919, and the first time a major professional sports league in North America canceled a...
suspended play for the next season. NBC and Versus
NHL on Versus
The NHL on Versus was the former branding used for National Hockey League games broadcast on Versus. Versus became the NHL's cable partner in the United States beginning in the 2005-06 season from previous partner ESPN, providing coverage of regular season games, playoff games, and select games...
(formerly OLN) would pick up the NHL for the season.
In Canada, the CBC's broadcast of Game 7 of the Finals drew 4.862 million viewers, making it the fourth-highest rated NHL game on the CBC, behind Game 5 of the Final, which drew 6.1 million viewers, Game 1 of the Final, which drew 5.6 million viewers and Game 7 of the 1994 Final, which drew 4.957 million viewers. However, those numbers include both pre-game and post-game coverage. The game itself drew 5.560 million viewers, up from 5.404 in 1994.