1985 ice hockey championship series
1985 Stanley Cup Finals
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Location(s)
| Edmonton
:
Northlands Coliseum
(3, 4, 5)
Philadelphia
:
Spectrum
(1, 2)
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Coaches
| Edmonton:
Glen Sather
Philadelphia:
Mike Keenan
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Captains
| Edmonton:
Wayne Gretzky
Philadelphia:
Dave Poulin
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National anthems
| Edmonton:
Paul Lorieau
Philadelphia:
Kate Smith
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Referees
| Andy Van Hellemond
(1)
Kerry Fraser
(2, 4)
Bryan Lewis
(3, 5)
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Dates
| May 21?30, 1985
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MVP
| Wayne Gretzky
(Oilers)
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Series-winning goal
| Paul Coffey
(17:57, first, G5)
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Hall of Famers
| Oilers:
Glenn Anderson
(2008)
Paul Coffey
(2004)
Grant Fuhr
(2003)
Wayne Gretzky
(1999)
Jari Kurri
(2001)
Kevin Lowe
(2020)
Mark Messier
(2007)
Flyers:
Mark Howe
(2011)
Coaches:
Glen Sather
(2007)
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Networks
| Canada:
(
English
):
CBC
(1?2),
CTV
(3?5)
(
French
):
SRC
United States:
(National):
USA Network
(Philadelphia area):
PRISM
(1?2),
WTAF
(3?5)
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Announcers
| (CBC)
Bob Cole
and
Gary Dornhoefer
(CTV)
Dan Kelly
,
Ron Reusch
, and
Brad Park
(SRC)
Rene Lecavalier
and
Gilles Tremblay
(USA Network) Dan Kelly (1?2),
Al Albert
(3?5), and
Gary Green
(PRISM/WTAF)
Gene Hart
and
Bobby Taylor
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The
1985 Stanley Cup Finals
was the
championship series
of the
National Hockey League
's (NHL)
1984?85 season
, and the culmination of the
1985 Stanley Cup playoffs
. It was contested between the
defending champion
Edmonton Oilers
(in their third straight Finals appearance) and the
Philadelphia Flyers
. The Oilers won the best-of-seven series, four games to one, to win their second
Stanley Cup
. It was also the sixth straight Finals contested between teams that joined the NHL in
1967
or later. Until
2022
, this was also the last time that a team, defending champion, or runner-up appeared in the Finals for the third straight season. This was the fourth of nine consecutive Finales contested by a team from
Western Canada
, third of eight contested by a team from
Alberta
(the Oilers appeared in six, the
Calgary Flames
in
1986
and
1989
, and the
Vancouver Canucks
in
1982
), and the second of five consecutive Finals to end with the Cup presentation on Alberta ice (the Oilers won four of those times, the
Montreal Canadiens
once). Game five of this series was played on May 30, which at the time was the latest finishing date for an NHL season. The record was broken
two years later
.
Paths to the Finals
[
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]
Edmonton defeated the
Los Angeles Kings
3?0, the
Winnipeg Jets
4?0, and the
Chicago Black Hawks
4?2 to advance to the finals.
Philadelphia defeated the
New York Rangers
3?0, the
New York Islanders
4?1, and the
Quebec Nordiques
4?2 to make it to the finals.
Game summaries
[
edit
]
This was the first Stanley Cup Finals where games were scheduled for June. Had the series reached game six, it would have been played Sunday, June 2, with game seven on Tuesday, June 4. The NHL season would not extend into an actual June game until
1992
, due to a
players strike
.
This was the second and last Stanley Cup Finals to use the 2?3?2 format, long favored by
Major League Baseball
for its
World Series
and used from 1985 through 2013 for the
NBA Finals
. Since Edmonton went 6?0 at home during the 1984 and 1985 Finals, it was able to clinch in game five on home ice each time.
Wayne Gretzky
scored seven goals in the five games, tying the record set by
Jean Beliveau
of the Canadiens in
1956
and
Mike Bossy
of the Islanders in
1982
.
Grant Fuhr
stopped two penalty shots.
Jari Kurri
scored 19 goals through the entire playoffs, tying the single-year record set by
Reggie Leach
of the Flyers in
1976
.
This was the last Stanley Cup Finals in which either starting goalie wore the old-style fiberglass
mask
. Both Fuhr and the Flyers'
Pelle Lindbergh
wore the face-hugging mask, which was introduced in 1959 by
Jacques Plante
. The backups, Edmonton's
Andy Moog
and Philadelphia's
Bob Froese
, wore the helmet-and-cage combination, similar to the one
Billy Smith
wore in leading the
New York Islanders
to four consecutive Cups from 1980 to 1983.
The next year
, the
Calgary Flames
'
Mike Vernon
sported a helmet-and-cage combo, and
Montreal Canadiens
rookie
Patrick Roy
wore a modern full fiberglass cage, the second goalie to sport that style in a Finals series after
Gilles Meloche
with the
Minnesota North Stars
in
1981
. Fuhr switched to a full fiberglass cage
the next season
.
This was the first Stanley Cup Finals in which the
NHL
referee wore a helmet (
Andy Van Hellemond
). This occurred during Game 1.
Game one
[
edit
]
Tuesday, May 21
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Edmonton Oilers
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1?4
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Philadelphia Flyers
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Spectrum
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The Flyers posted a 4?1 victory to open the series. Edmonton coach
Glen Sather
was reportedly so disappointed with his team's performance that he burned the game videotapes after watching them.
Game two
[
edit
]
Thursday, May 23
|
Edmonton Oilers
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3?1
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Philadelphia Flyers
|
Spectrum
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Wayne Gretzky
's first goal of the series late in the second period snapped a 1?1 tie, and
Dave Hunter
added an insurance empty-netter and the Oilers drew even in the series with a 3?1 win.
Game three
[
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]
Gretzky almost single-handedly won Edmonton the game. He scored twice within the first 90 seconds of the game, and finished off a hat trick by the end of the first period. Although the Oilers put only six shots on net over the final 40 minutes, it was enough to escape with a 4?3 win and 2?1 series lead.
Game four
[
edit
]
Tuesday, May 28
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Philadelphia Flyers
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3?5
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Edmonton Oilers
|
Northlands Coliseum
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Unbowed, the Flyers leapt out to a 3?1 lead midway through the first period thanks to goals at even strength, on the power play and shorthanded. However, the Oilers roared back with four consecutive goals, including two from Gretzky, to win 5?3 and take a commanding series lead.
Game five
[
edit
]
Thursday, May 30
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Philadelphia Flyers
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3?8
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Edmonton Oilers
|
Northland Coliseum
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Against backup goaltender
Bob Froese
, substituting for starter
Pelle Lindbergh
(who had been playing progressively less well over the course of the Finals), the Oilers blitzed the Flyers with a four-goal first period and sailed to a convincing 8?3 win. Gretzky and Kurri posted a goal and three assists each, while
Paul Coffey
and
Mark Messier
scored two goals apiece. Edmonton won its second consecutive
Stanley Cup
while the Flyers, at the time the youngest team in professional sports, took the lessons from their loss into the clubs' next Stanley Cup Finals; they lost again to the Oilers in
1987
, albeit in seven games. Wayne Gretzky won the
Conn Smythe Trophy
as playoff MVP, scoring a record 47 points this playoff year.
Broadcasting
[
edit
]
In Canada, this was the first of two consecutive years that the English-language rights of the Cup Finals were shared between
CBC
and
CTV
. CBC televised games one and two nationally while games 3?5 were televised in Edmonton only. CTV televised games 3?5 nationally while games were blacked out in Edmonton. Had the series gone to a Game 7, then both CBC and CTV would have simultaneously televised it while using their own production facilities and crews.
Dan Kelly
,
Ron Reusch
, and
Brad Park
called the games on CTV.
In the United States, this was the fifth and final season that the Cup Finals aired nationally on the
USA Network
. Under the U.S. TV contracts that would take effect beginning next season,
ESPN
would take over as the NHL's American television partner. The USA Network would not air NHL games again until 2015 when it became an occasional overflow channel for
NBC Sports
' national coverage of the first two rounds of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
The USA Network's national coverage of the 1985 Cup Finals was blacked out in the Philadelphia area due to the local rights to Flyers games in that TV market.
PRISM
aired games one and two while
WTXF
aired games three, four, and five.
Team rosters
[
edit
]
Edmonton Oilers
[
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]
Philadelphia Flyers
[
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]
Stanley Cup engraving
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]
The 1985 Stanley Cup was presented to Oilers captain Wayne Gretzky by
NHL President
John Ziegler
following the Oilers 8?3 win over the Flyers in game five.
The following Oilers players and staff had their names engraved on the Stanley Cup
1984?85 Edmonton Oilers
Players
-
Centres
(played left wing during the regular season)
-
Wingers
(played Centre during the regular season)
Coaching and administrative staff
Stanley Cup engraving
Garnet "Ace" Bailey, Ed Chadwick, Lorne Davis, Matti Valsanen (Scouts), Gordon Cameron (Team Physician) received rings with Edmonton in 1984. Their names however, were left off the Stanley Cup in 1984, but included in 1985.
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
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Stanley Cup awarded on challenge basis 1893?1914, by prearranged inter-league competitions 1915?1926, to NHL playoff champion since 1927
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1890s?1900s
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1910s?1920s
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1930s?1940s
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1950s?1960s
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1970s?1980s
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1990s?2000s
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2010s?2020s
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See also
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Patrick
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Adams
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Norris
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Smythe
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See also
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Franchise
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History
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Personnel
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Arenas
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Rivalries
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Affiliates
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Media
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Culture and lore
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Franchise
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History
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Personnel
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Arenas
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Rivalries
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Affiliates
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Media
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Culture and lore
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Related programs
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Related articles
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Commentators
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Key figures
| Play-by-play announcers
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Color commentators
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Studio hosts
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Studio analyst
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Stanley Cup Finals
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All-Star Game
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Lore
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Related programs
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Related articles
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Commentators
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Key figures
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Stanley Cup Finals
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Lore
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Related programs
| Reality programs
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Non-NHL programs
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Related articles
| Television coverage
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Production companies
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Radio coverage
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American simulcasters
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Coverage by decade
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Commentators
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Commentators by season
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Stanley Cup Finals
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All-Star Game
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Outdoor games
| Heritage Classic
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Winter Classic
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Stadium Series
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Music
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Sponsors
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Culture
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Lore
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