1949 Stanley Cup Finals

The 1949 Stanley Cup Finals was a best-of-seven series between the Detroit Red Wings and the defending champion Toronto Maple Leafs, the second straight Finals series between Detroit and Toronto. The Maple Leafs swept the Red Wings again to win their third consecutive Stanley Cup and eighth in the history of the franchise.

1949 Stanley Cup Finals
1234Total
Toronto Maple Leafs3*3334
Detroit Red Wings2*1110
* – Denotes overtime period(s)
Location(s)Detroit: Olympia Stadium (1, 2)
Toronto: Maple Leaf Gardens (3, 4)
CoachesToronto: Hap Day
Detroit: Tommy Ivan
CaptainsToronto: Ted Kennedy
Detroit: Sid Abel
DatesApril 8–16, 1949
Series-winning goalCal Gardner (19:45, second)
Hall of FamersMaple Leafs:
Max Bentley (1966)
Turk Broda (1967)
Ted Kennedy (1966)
Harry Watson (1994)
Red Wings:
Sid Abel (1969)
Gordie Howe (1972)
Red Kelly (1969)
Ted Lindsay (1966)
Harry Lumley (1980)
Bud Poile (1990, builder)
Bill Quackenbush (1976)
Jack Stewart (1964)
Coaches:
Hap Day (1961, player)
Tommy Ivan (1974)
← 1948Stanley Cup Finals1950 →

Paths to the Finals

Detroit defeated the Montreal Canadiens 4–2 to advance to the Finals. Toronto defeated the Boston Bruins 4–1 to advance to the Finals.

Game summaries

The Maple Leafs became the first NHL team to win the Stanley Cup in three straight seasons. The Leafs also won nine straight Finals games (beating Montreal in game six of the 1947 Finals, plus consecutive sweeps of the Wings in 1948 and this year).


April 8Toronto Maple Leafs3–2OTDetroit Red WingsOlympia StadiumRecap 
Max Bentley (3) - 13:15First period4:15 - pp - George Gee (1)
Jimmy Thomson (1) - pp - 16:02Second periodNo scoring
No scoringThird period13:56 - Bill Quackenbush (1)
Joe Klukay (2) - 17:13First overtime periodNo scoring
Turk BrodaGoalie statsHarry Lumley
April 10Toronto Maple Leafs3–1Detroit Red WingsOlympia StadiumRecap 
Sid Smith (3) - pp - 8:50
Sid Smith (4) - pp - 9:56
First periodNo scoring
Sid Smith (5) - pp - 17:58Second periodNo scoring
No scoringThird period5:50 - Pete Horeck (1)
Turk BrodaGoalie statsHarry Lumley
April 13Detroit Red Wings1–3Toronto Maple LeafsMaple Leaf GardensRecap 
Jack Stewart (1) - 4:57First periodNo scoring
No scoringSecond periodBill Ezinicki (1) - 11:02
Ted Kennedy (2) - 12:40
Gus Mortson (2) - 16:18
No scoringThird periodNo scoring
Harry LumleyGoalie statsTurk Broda
April 16Detroit Red Wings1–3Toronto Maple LeafsMaple Leaf GardensRecap 
Ted Lindsay (2) - 2:59First periodNo scoring
No scoringSecond period10:10 - pp - Ray Timgren (3)
19:45 - Cal Gardner (2)
No scoringThird period15:10 - Max Bentley (4)
Harry LumleyGoalie statsTurk Broda
Toronto won series 4–0


Stanley Cup engraving

The 1949 Stanley Cup was presented to Maple Leafs captain Ted Kennedy by NHL President Clarence Campbell following the Maple Leafs 3–1 win over the Red Wings in game four.

The following Maple Leafs players and staff had their names engraved on the Stanley Cup

1948–49 Toronto Maple Leafs

Players

Coaching and administrative staff

  • Conn Smythe (President/Manager/Owner),George McGillach (Vice President)
  • John Murdoch (Vice President), Jack Bickell (Director/Owner)
  • Ed Bickle (Director/Owner), George Walker (Chief Scout)
  • William MacBrien (Chairman/Owner), Tim Daly (Trainer)
  • Clarence Hap Day (Coach)
  • Kerry Day (Mascot)
  • Archie Campbell† (Ass't Trainer), Ed Fitkin† (Publicity Director),
  • Norman Delarue†, Robert Galloway†, Horance MacIntyre† (Team Doctors)

Stanley Cup engraving

  • †The following members were engraved on the original Stanley Cup in 1949, but removed from the Stanley Cup when it was redone during 1957-58 season. Bill Ezinicki† (player-by mistake-played in the finals), Archie Campbell†, Ed Finkin†, Norman Delarue†, Horance MacIntyre†, James Murphy† (non players). There is room for 5 more names to be included on the cup.
  • 20 Tod Sloan†† name was not included on the cup in 1949, but was included on the team picture. Sloan only played 29 games, and did not play in the playoffs. Sloan name was engraved on the cup in 1951, 1961.
  • William A.H. MacBrien's last name was spelt wrong. W.A.H. MacBRIAN with an "E" instead of an "A". Mistake was corrected on the Replica Cup created in 1992–93.

See also

References and notes

  • Diamond, Dan (2000). Total Stanley Cup. Toronto: Total Sports Canada. ISBN 978-1-892129-07-9.
  • Podnieks, Andrew; Hockey Hall of Fame (2004). Lord Stanley's Cup. Bolton, Ont.: Fenn Pub. pp 12, 50. ISBN 978-1-55168-261-7
  • "All-Time NHL Results".
Preceded by Toronto Maple Leafs
Stanley Cup Champions

1949
Succeeded by