The1992 Stanley Cup Finals was thechampionship series of theNational Hockey League's (NHL)1991–92 season, and the culmination of the1992 Stanley Cup playoffs. It was contested by thePrince of Wales Conference anddefendingStanley Cup championPittsburgh Penguins and theClarence Campbell Conference championChicago Blackhawks. The Blackhawks were appearing in their first Final since1973. After the Blackhawks jumped to an early 4–1 lead in the first game of the series,Mario Lemieux and the Penguins came back to win the game, sweep the series in four games, and win their second consecutive and second overall Stanley Cup. The fourth and final game of this series was the first time a Stanley Cup playoff game was played in the month of June and at the time it was the latest finishing date for an NHL season. This was also the last Final to be played atChicago Stadium as it closed in 1994.
Pittsburgh defeated theWashington Capitals 4–3, thePresidents' Trophy winningNew York Rangers 4–2, and theBoston Bruins 4–0.
Chicago had to defeat their three biggest rivals,first theSt. Louis Blues 4–2, then theirlong-time Original Six rivalDetroit Red Wings 4–0, and then, theEdmonton Oilers 4–0.
With their co-tenants atChicago Stadium, theBulls, coached byPhil Jackson and led byMichael Jordan, playing in (and winning) theNBA Finals, it was an opportunity for both the Blackhawks and the Bulls to help the city of Chicago become the first city to have both NHL and NBA championships in the same year.[2] (New York also had this opportunity in 1994, when theKnicks andRangers made the finals in their respective sport; however, the result was the same, albeit a reversal of Chicago's ending, asthe Rangers won their first Stanley Cup since 1940, andthe Knicks lost, with both of those series going the full seven games.)
Chicago set an NHL playoff record in winning 11 games in a row to reach the Cup Final.[3][4]
Pittsburgh had won seven in a row entering the finals and swept Chicago in four games to tie Chicago's record.[5] Pittsburgh then extended the playoff winning streak record to 14 with wins in the first three games against theNew Jersey Devils in thefollowing season's first playoff round.[6][7]
Both teams finished the regular season with 87 points. The Penguins earned home-ice advantage by virtue of having 39 wins to the Blackhawks' 36.
The Penguins were led by captainMario Lemieux, coachScotty Bowman, and goaltenderTom Barrasso. The Blackhawks were led by captainDirk Graham, head coachMike Keenan and goaltenderEd Belfour. They also made history in having the first Russian-born player to have a chance to get their name on the Stanley Cup inIgor Kravchuk.[8]
Mario Lemieux won theConn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP for the second consecutive year, becoming only the second player in NHL history to do so:Bernie Parent had won it when thePhiladelphia Flyers won the Cup in the consecutive years of1974 and1975.
May 26 | Chicago Blackhawks | 4–5 | Pittsburgh Penguins | Civic Arena | Recap | |||
Chris Chelios (6) -pp - 06:34 Michel Goulet (3) - 13:17 Dirk Graham (4) - 13:43 | First period | 17:26 -pp -Phil Bourque (3) | ||||||
Brent Sutter (3) - 11:36 | Second period | 15:24 -Rick Tocchet (5) 16:23 -Mario Lemieux (12) | ||||||
No scoring | Third period | 15:05 -Jaromir Jagr (10) 19:47 -pp - Mario Lemieux (13) | ||||||
Ed Belfour 34 saves / 39 shots | Goalie stats | Tom Barrasso 30 saves / 34 shots |
In the opening game of the 1992 Stanley Cup Finals, the Pittsburgh Penguins overcame deficits of 3–0 in the first period and 4–1 halfway through the second period to win by a score of 5–4. This was the first victory from a three-goal deficit in the Final since1944
Six minutes into the game, the Blackhawks' forecheck drew a penalty against Pittsburgh. Right off the subsequent face-off,Chris Chelios scored the first goal of the Stanley Cup Finals on a wrist shot. After surviving a Pittsburgh powerplay, the Blackhawks' aggressive offensive-zone strategy would lead to two more Blackhawks goals within a 26-second window. First,Michel Goulet converted a takeaway on the boards in the Penguins' zone to make it 2–0, thenDirk Graham scored on a rebound with the shot by Chelios. Pittsburgh got on the board afterIgor Kravchuk got penalized for holding andPhil Bourque scored on a wraparound after Blackhawks goalkeeperEd Belfour lost his stick. Chicago subsequently extended their lead to 4–1 via a two-on-one breakaway fromSteve Larmer toBrent Sutter, who beatTom Barrasso under his left leg. Just as their powerplay from Chicago's too-many-men penalty expired,Rick Tocchet deflected a shot fromPaul Stanton into the Chicago net. Then, on the Penguins' next rush, Kevin Stevens drew several Blackhawks on him, which gaveMario Lemieux room to bank the puck off theEd Belfour's leg, decreasing the deficit to 4–3. After fifteen minutes in the third, the Penguins would equalize the score. Aided by a pick on a Pittsburgh defender byShawn McEachern,Jaromir Jagr deked around three Blackhawks, charging into the crease starting from the boards, and beat Belfour on a backhand shot to tie the game at 4–4 with 4:55 remaining in the third period. After both Mike Hudson for the Blackhawks and Lemieux for the Penguins drew penalties while charging the offensive zone against two opposing defenders, almost exactly two minutes apart, the game seemed poised to go into overtime with Pittsburgh playing with a one-man advantage. However, on an offensive-zone face-off to start the Pittsburgh powerplay, Mario Lemieux charged the Blackhawks' net from the weak side and put a rebound off a shot byLarry Murphy past Belfour. Pittsburgh's first lead of the game thus came with thirteen seconds remaining in the game. The Penguins held off the Blackhawks to win game one, 5–4.[9]
May 28 | Chicago Blackhawks | 1–3 | Pittsburgh Penguins | Civic Arena | Recap | |||
No scoring | First period | 09:52 -pp -Bob Errey (3) | ||||||
Bryan Marchment (1) - 10:24 | Second period | 12:55 -pp -Mario Lemieux (14) 15:23 - Mario Lemieux (15) | ||||||
No scoring | Third period | No scoring | ||||||
Ed Belfour 22 saves / 25 shots | Goalie stats | Tom Barrasso 18 saves / 19 shots |
In game two, nearly ten minutes into the game,Bob Errey scored the first goal for Pittsburgh shorthanded. In the second period, after denying Lemieux his scoring chance,Bryan Marchment trailed the subsequent play into the Pittsburgh zone and then won a physical battle againstLarry Murphy. On a seemingly broken play he put the puck pastTom Barrasso into the Pittsburgh goal to tie the game at 1–1. However, Marchment was called for an elbow check and Mario Lemieux scored on a one timer set up by Rick Tocchet, 43 seconds into the ensuing powerplay. Two-and-a-half minutes later, Brian Marchment, who had been the catalyst for Chicago's lone goal, was beaten on the boards by Rick Tocchet. Tocchet again fed Lemieux in the slot, and another one timer extended the Pittsburgh lead to 3–1. The Penguins then limited the Blackhawks shots to four in the third period to take Game 2 3–1.[10]
May 30 | Pittsburgh Penguins | 1–0 | Chicago Blackhawks | Chicago Stadium | Recap | |||
Kevin Stevens (12) - 15:26 | First period | No scoring | ||||||
No scoring | Second period | No scoring | ||||||
No scoring | Third period | No scoring | ||||||
Tom Barrasso 27 saves / 27 shots | Goalie stats | Ed Belfour 19 saves / 20 shots |
In game three, the Blackhawks put up more offensive pressure on the Penguins. Pittsburgh instead shut out the Blackhawks, with Tom Barrasso stopping all 27 shots in the three periods. The lone goal came fromKevin Stevens putting his team into a 3–0 series lead.[11]
June 1 | Pittsburgh Penguins | 6–5 | Chicago Blackhawks | Chicago Stadium | Recap | |||
Jaromir Jagr (11) - 01:37 Kevin Stevens (13) - 06:33 Mario Lemieux (16) -pp - 10:13 | First period | 06:21 -Dirk Graham (5) 06:51 - Dirk Graham (6) 16:18 - Dirk Graham (7) | ||||||
Rick Tocchet (6) - 00:58 | Second period | 15:40 -Jeremy Roenick (11) | ||||||
Larry Murphy (6) - 04:51 Ron Francis (8) - 07:59 | Third period | 11:18 - Jeremy Roenick (12) | ||||||
Tom Barrasso 24 saves / 29 shots | Goalie stats | Ed Belfour 2 saves / 4 shots Dominik Hasek 21 saves / 25 shots |
After the series saw a total of just one goal over the course of 86 minutes of hockey spanning from the second period of game two to the early moments of game four, the two teams erupted for an eleven-goal outburst in game four, which was the first NHL game played in the month of June. There were four goals scored in the first seven minutes of the game, and five in the first eleven, with the first period ending with a score of 3–3. The lasting image of the opening stanza was perhaps the sea of hats on the ice after Blackhawks captainDirk Graham recorded ahat trick by accounting for all three of Chicago's goals. Pittsburgh's goals were scored byJaromir Jagr afterEd Belfour turned over the puck behind his goal; byKevin Stevens on a one-handed backhandwrist shot that was deemed "stoppable" by TV analystBill Clement (and sparked the change in goal);[12] and byMario Lemieux on a rebound off a shot fromLarry Murphy, which had been set up by Lemieux. Graham scored his hat trick to answer each of these I goals on a rebound off his own backhand shot and two one-timers after he was left alone at the Pittsburgh crease in both instances. There were two goals scored in the second period – one on each side – to make the score 4–4. Pittsburgh's tally came just 58 seconds into the period, whenRick Tocchet was left alone after the Blackhawks neglected to defend the area near the crease. With less than five minutes to go in the second period, the Blackhawks immediately scored a goal to tie the game for the fourth time, whenJeremy Roenick deflected a shot byBrian Noonan off Murphy's leg. The proverbial floodgates would, however, open almost exactly five minutes into the final period, when the Penguins scored twice in just over three minutes. At first, a shoulder check by Mario Lemieux againstChris Chelios behind the Chicago goal set up a wrist shot by Larry Murphy through traffic, which went past Hasek for a 5–4 Pittsburgh lead. ThenRon Francis converted a slapshot in a two-on-one situation to give Pittsburgh its first two-goal lead of the game. Chicago would come closer once more, when Jeremy Roenick scored at the 11:18 mark to make it 6–5 Pittsburgh after Larry Murphy tripped behind his own goal, just over three minutes after the second Pittsburgh goal of the period. Just a minute later, Chris Chelios hit the goal post, and the Roenick-Chelios pair would also sustain pressure in the final minute of the game with Chicago playing with an empty net. Overall however, Pittsburgh still controlled most stretches of these final eight minutes, as they didn't have trouble getting out of their zone. Pittsburgh finished the game 6–5 earning their second Stanley Cup. Mario Lemieux was given theConn Smythe Trophy as the MVP of the playoffs.[13]
In Canada, the series was televised in English on theCBC and in French onSRC.
In the United States, this was the last Stanley Cup Finals to air nationally onSportsChannel America.ESPN would pick up the national U.S. contract for the next season.[14]
SportsChannel America's national coverage was blacked out in the Chicago and Pittsburgh areas due to the local rights to Blackhawks and Penguins games in those respective TV markets.SportsChannel Chicago/Hawkvision aired the games in Chicago. In Pittsburgh,KBL televised games one and two whileKDKA aired games three and four.
Years indicated inboldface under the "Cup Final appearance" column signify that the player won the Stanley Cup in the given year.
# | Nat | Player | Position | Hand | Acquired | Place of birth | Finals appearance |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
30 | ![]() | Ed Belfour | G | L | 1988–89 | Carman, Manitoba | first |
4 | ![]() | Keith Brown | D | R | 1979 | Corner Brook, Newfoundland and Labrador | first |
22 | ![]() | Rob Brown | RW | L | 1991–92 | Kingston, Ontario | first |
25 | ![]() | Rod Buskas | D | R | 1991–92 | Wetaskiwin, Alberta | first |
7 | ![]() | Chris Chelios –A | D | R | 1990–91 | Chicago, Illinois | third(1986,1989) |
14 | ![]() | Greg Gilbert | LW | L | 1988–89 | Mississauga, Ontario | fourth(1982,1983,1984) |
16 | ![]() | Michel Goulet | LW | L | 1989–90 | Péribonka, Quebec | first |
33 | ![]() | Dirk Graham –C | RW | R | 1987–88 | Regina, Saskatchewan | first |
23 | ![]() | Stu Grimson | LW | L | 1990–91 | Vancouver, British Columbia | first |
31 | ![]() | Dominik Hasek | G | L | 1983 | Pardubice, Czechoslovakia | first |
34 | ![]() | Tony Horacek | LW | L | 1991–92 | Vancouver, British Columbia | first(did not play) |
11 | ![]() | Tony Hrkac | C | L | 1991–92 | Thunder Bay, Ontario | first(did not play) |
20 | ![]() | Mike Hudson | C | L | 1986 | Guelph, Ontario | first |
3 | ![]() | Igor Kravchuk | D | L | 1991 | Ufa, Soviet Union | first |
6 | ![]() | Frantisek Kucera | D | L | 1983 | Prague, Czechoslovakia | first |
28 | ![]() | Steve Larmer –A | RW | L | 1980 | Peterborough, Ontario | first |
15 | ![]() | Brad Lauer | LW | L | 1991–92 | Humboldt, Saskatchewan | first(did not play) |
26 | ![]() | Jocelyn Lemieux | RW | L | 1989–90 | Mont-Laurier, Quebec | first |
2 | ![]() | Bryan Marchment | D | L | 1991–92 | Scarborough, Ontario | first |
32 | ![]() | Stephane Matteau | LW | L | 1991–92 | Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec | first |
19 | ![]() | Dean McAmmond | C | L | 1991 | Grande Cache, Alberta | first(did not play) |
19 | ![]() | Brian Noonan | RW | R | 1983 | Boston, Massachusetts | first |
44 | ![]() | Mike Peluso | LW | L | 1990–91 | Pengilly, Minnesota | first |
27 | ![]() | Jeremy Roenick | C | R | 1988 | Boston, Massachusetts | first |
8 | ![]() | Cam Russell | D | L | 1987 | Halifax, Nova Scotia | first |
5 | ![]() | Steve Smith | D | L | 1991–92 | Glasgow, Scotland | fourth(1987,1988,1990) |
12 | ![]() | Brent Sutter | C | R | 1991–92 | Viking, Alberta | fifth(1981,1982,1983,1984) |
# | Nat | Player | Position | Hand | Acquired | Place of birth | Finals appearance |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
35 | ![]() | Tom Barrasso | G | R | 1988–89 | Boston, Massachusetts | second(1991) |
29 | ![]() | Phil Bourque | LW | L | 1983–84 | Chelmsford, Massachusetts | second(1991) |
14 | ![]() | Jock Callander | RW | R | 1987–88 | Regina, Saskatchewan | first |
16 | ![]() | Jay Caufield | RW | R | 1988–89 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | second(1991) (did not play) |
6 | ![]() | Jeff Chychrun | D | R | 1991–92 | LaSalle, Quebec | first(did not play) |
43 | ![]() | Jeff Daniels | LW | L | 1990–91 | Oshawa, Ontario | first(did not play) |
12 | ![]() | Bob Errey –A | LW | L | 1983 | Montreal, Quebec | second(1991) |
10 | ![]() | Ron Francis | C | L | 1990–91 | Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario | second(1991) |
38 | ![]() | Jiri Hrdina | C | L | 1990–91 | Prague, Czechoslovakia | third(1989,1991) |
68 | ![]() | Jaromir Jagr | RW | L | 1990 | Kladno, Czechoslovakia | second(1991) |
3 | ![]() | Grant Jennings | D | L | 1990–91 | Hudson Bay, Saskatchewan | second(1991) |
20 | ![]() | Jamie Leach | RW | R | 1991–92 | Winnipeg, Manitoba | first(did not play) |
66 | ![]() | Mario Lemieux –C | C | R | 1984 | Montreal, Quebec | second(1991) |
24 | ![]() | Troy Loney | LW | L | 1982 | Bow Island, Alberta | second(1991) |
15 | ![]() | Shawn McEachern | LW | L | 1987 | Waltham, Massachusetts | first |
34 | ![]() | Dave Michayluk | RW | L | 1991–92 | Wakaw, Saskatchewan | first |
7 | ![]() | Joe Mullen | RW | R | 1990–91 | New York, New York | fourth(1986,1989,1991) |
55 | ![]() | Larry Murphy | D | R | 1989–90 | Scarborough, Ontario | second(1991) |
45 | ![]() | Mike Needham | RW | R | 1991–92 | Calgary, Alberta | first(did not play) |
2 | ![]() | Jim Paek | D | L | 1985 | Seoul, South Korea | second(1991) |
18 | ![]() | Ken Priestlay | C | L | 1990–91 | Vancouver, British Columbia | first(did not play) |
28 | ![]() | Gordie Roberts | D | L | 1990–91 | Detroit, Michigan | third(1981,1991) |
23 | ![]() | Kjell Samuelsson | D | R | 1991–92 | Tingsryd, Sweden | second(1987) |
5 | ![]() | Ulf Samuelsson | D | L | 1990–91 | Fagersta, Sweden | second(1991) |
22 | ![]() | Paul Stanton | D | R | 1985 | Boston, Massachusetts | second(1991) |
25 | ![]() | Kevin Stevens | LW | L | 1983–84 | Brockton, Massachusetts | second(1991) |
32 | ![]() | Peter Taglianetti | D | L | 1990–91 | Framingham, Massachusetts | second(1991) (did not play) |
92 | ![]() | Rick Tocchet | RW | R | 1991–92 | Scarborough, Ontario | third(1985,1987) |
19 | ![]() | Bryan Trottier –A | C | L | 1990–91 | Val Marie, Saskatchewan | seventh(1980,1981,1982,1983,1984,1991) |
31 | ![]() | Ken Wregget | G | L | 1991–92 | Brandon, Manitoba | first |
1 | ![]() | Wendell Young | G | L | 1988–89 | Halifax, Nova Scotia | second(1991) (did not play) |
The 1992 Stanley Cup was presented to Penguins captain Mario Lemieux byNHL PresidentJohn Ziegler following the Penguins 6–5 win over the Blackhawks in game four. It was the last of 15 Stanley Cup presentations presided over by Ziegler; this duty passed to CommissionerGary Bettmanthe next season.
The following Penguins players and staff had their names engraved on the Stanley Cup
1991–92 Pittsburgh Penguins
Pierre McGuire, Les Binkley, John Gill, Charlie Hodge, Ralph Cox were with the team as Scouts in 1990–91, but names were not included on the Stanley Cup that year. All five members have two Stanley Cup rings with Pittsburgh. Team Doctor Charles Burke won cups with Pittsburgh in 1991 and 1992, but his name was left off the Stanley Cup.
The Penguins won a league record 17-straight games en route to thePresidents' Trophy in the1992–93 season, despite Mario Lemieux missing much of the season toHodgkin's lymphoma. Their chances at a three-peat ended when they lost in thePatrick Division final to theNew York Islanders in seven games. The Penguins wouldn't return to the Finals again until2008, when they lost to theDetroit Red Wings in six games. The Penguins would win their next Stanley Cup in2009 in a rematch with the aforementioned Red Wings squad in seven games.
The Blackhawks, however, got swept in the first round to theSt. Louis Blues, 4–0. The Blackhawks would not return to the Stanley Cup Finals until2010, when they defeated the Penguins' cross-state rivals, thePhiladelphia Flyers, in six games.
Certainly you've wondered by now how many times teams from the same city have won NBA and NHL championships in the same season. None...This will be the first. Chicago: City of Champions.
Preceded by | Pittsburgh Penguins Stanley Cup champions 1992 | Succeeded by |