1999 Stanley Cup Finals

The 1999 Stanley Cup Finals was the championship series of the National Hockey League's (NHL) 1998–99 season, and the culmination of the 1999 Stanley Cup playoffs. It was contested by the Eastern Conference champion Buffalo Sabres and the Western Conference champion Dallas Stars. It was the 106th year of the Stanley Cup being contested.

1999 Stanley Cup Finals
123456 Total
Dallas Stars 2*42122*** 4
Buffalo Sabres 3*21201*** 2
* indicates periods of overtime
Location(s)Dallas: Reunion Arena (1, 2, 5)
Buffalo: Marine Midland Arena (3, 4, 6)
CoachesDallas: Ken Hitchcock
Buffalo: Lindy Ruff
CaptainsDallas: Derian Hatcher
Buffalo: Michael Peca
RefereesTerry Gregson (1, 3, 6)
Bill McCreary (1, 4, 6)
Kerry Fraser (2, 4)
Dan Marouelli (2, 5)
Don Koharski (3, 5)
DatesJune 8 – June 19
MVPJoe Nieuwendyk (Stars)
Series-winning goalBrett Hull (14:51, 3OT, G6)
NetworksCBC (Canada-English)
SRC (Canada-French)
Fox (United States, in Dallas)
ESPN (United States, in Buffalo)
AnnouncersBob Cole and Harry Neale (CBC)
Mike Emrick and John Davidson (Fox)
Gary Thorne and Bill Clement (ESPN)

The Sabres were led by captain Michael Peca, head coach Lindy Ruff and goaltender Dominik Hasek. The Stars were led by captain Derian Hatcher, head coach Ken Hitchcock and goaltender Ed Belfour. The Stars defeated the Sabres four games to two to win their first Stanley Cup, becoming the eighth post-1967 expansion team to earn a championship, and the first team based in the Southern United States to win the Cup.

The series ended with a controversial triple-overtime goal in game six, when replays showed that Stars forward Brett Hull scored with his skate in the crease. Although the Sabres protested later, the league stated that the goal had been reviewed and was judged as a good goal, since Hull had maintained possession of the puck as it exited the crease just before he shot it.

Background
Further information: 1999 Stanley Cup playoffs
See also: 1998–99 Buffalo Sabres season and 1998–99 Dallas Stars season

Buffalo defeated the Ottawa Senators 4–0, the Boston Bruins 4–2 and Toronto Maple Leafs 4–1 to advance to the final.

Dallas defeated the Edmonton Oilers 4–0, the St. Louis Blues 4–2 and the Colorado Avalanche 4–3 to advance to the final.

Game summaries

Game one
June 8Buffalo Sabres3–2 OT
(0–1, 0–0, 2–1, 1–0)		Dallas StarsReunion Arena
Attendance: 17,001

The opening game was in Dallas and it was the visiting Buffalo Sabres who struck first, winning 3–2 in overtime. Dallas led 1–0 on a power play goal by Brett Hull, but Stu Barnes and Wayne Primeau scored 5:04 apart in the third to give Buffalo a 2–1 lead. Jere Lehtinen tied the game in the final minute of the third period, but Jason Woolley scored at 15:30 of overtime to give the Sabres the series lead.

Game two
June 10Buffalo Sabres2–4
(0–0, 1–1, 1–3)		Dallas StarsReunion Arena
Attendance: 17,001

With three seconds left in the period, Dallas center Mike Modano tripped Buffalo goaltender Dominik Hasek, and a number of scrums broke out as time expired. Dallas winger Joe Nieuwendyk fought Buffalo center Brian Holzinger in the circle to the right of Hasek. These were the first fighting majors in three years in the final round, and it was also Nieuwendyk's first fighting major in five years in either the playoffs or regular season.

After the scoreless opening period, the teams traded goals in the middle frame. Craig Ludwig's first goal in 102 playoff games gave Dallas its first lead of the game in the third period, but Alexei Zhitnik tied it 71 seconds later. Brett Hull scored on a slap shot, a one-timer on a pass from Tony Hrkac, from the top of the circle to Hasek's left with 2:50 remaining in the game, but Buffalo had an excellent chance to tie the game with Derian Hatcher being assessed a high-sticking minor 19 seconds later. During the power play, Buffalo pulled Hasek for a 6-on-4 attacking advantage, but the Stars were able to kill the penalty, and Hatcher scored an empty-netter just three seconds after emerging from the penalty box. The empty net goal sealed the win for Dallas, and evened the series at one game apiece. Mike Modano left the game with approximately ten minutes to play after suffering a broken wrist.

Game three
June 12Dallas Stars2–1
(0–0, 1–1, 1–0)		Buffalo SabresMarine Midland Arena
Attendance: 18,595

The series shifted to Buffalo for games three and four. It was the visiting Dallas Stars turn to win one on the road, winning 2–1. With Modano hampered by his wrist injury, and Hull leaving the game with a groin injury, Joe Nieuwendyk's two goals, including his sixth game-winner of the playoffs, led Dallas to the win.

Game four
June 15Dallas Stars1–2
(1–1, 0–1, 0–0)		Buffalo SabresMarine Midland Arena
Attendance: 18,595

Facing a two games to one deficit in the series, the Sabres came through with a 2–1 victory.

Game five
June 17Buffalo Sabres0–2
(0–0, 0–1, 0–1)		Dallas StarsReunion Arena
Attendance: 17,001

With the series tied at two games apiece and returning to Dallas, Ed Belfour made 23 saves to shut out the Sabres, and move Dallas within one win of the Stanley Cup.

Game six
June 19Dallas Stars2–1 3OT
(1–0, 0–1, 0–0, 1–0)		Buffalo SabresMarine Midland Arena
Attendance: 18,595

The series shifted back to Marine Midland Arena for the sixth game on June 19, 1999, where the Dallas Stars would seek their first Stanley Cup, while the Buffalo Sabres would fight for a win to extend the series to a seventh and final game.

Dallas, which allowed the first goal in the earlier two games played at Marine Midland Arena, took a 1–0 lead on one of its few scoring chances in the first period when Lehtinen scored his tenth goal of the playoffs at 8:09. The Sabres tied the game with their first goal since the third period of game four when Barnes' wrist shot eluded Belfour with 1:39 to play in the second period.

The game remained tied at one through the third period and the first two overtime periods, despite several chances by both teams to score. At 14:51 of the third overtime period, Brett Hull scored to end the series and win Dallas their first Stanley Cup.

It was the longest Cup-winning game in Finals history, and the second-longest Finals game overall, after game one of the 1990 Stanley Cup Finals, which ended at 15:13 of the third overtime.

This was the first time since 1994 that the Stanley Cup Finals did not end in a sweep. It is the Stars' only Stanley Cup win, while Buffalo has not returned to the Finals since. It was the Sabres' second Stanley Cup Finals appearance; the first was a loss to Philadelphia in 1975. It was the third appearance for the Stars' franchise, and their first since moving to Dallas from Minnesota in 1993. Minnesota (known at the time as the North Stars) lost in the Finals to the New York Islanders in 1981 and to Pittsburgh in 1991. Dallas returned to the Finals in 2000 but lost to the New Jersey Devils. The Stars would return to the Finals 20 years later in the "Covid-19" marked season 2019-2020; they would lose to the Tampa Bay Lightning in six games.

Hull's series-ending goal

In the third overtime, Jere Lehtinen took a shot from the left circle that was stopped by Dominik Hasek.[1] Brett Hull was not in the crease for the first shot. The rebound came near Hull's left skate, which Hull used to kick the puck to his stick, which was just outside the crease. His left skate entered the crease just before his second shot went in and ended the series.[2]

None of the Sabres players or coaches questioned the legality of the goal in the immediate aftermath. It was not until league commissioner Gary Bettman was on the ice to hand out the trophies that Buffalo coach Lindy Ruff returned to his bench and began screaming at Bettman to explain why the goal had not been reviewed. In the Sabres' locker room, players who had seen the replays were infuriated. Hasek recalled, "My first reaction was 'Let's get back on the ice.' But it's 2 o'clock in the morning and I look at everyone and it's like, 'I'm already out of my pants. It's impossible.'"[3]

The NHL had sent a private memo out earlier in the season with a clarification to the in-the-crease rule. The memo stated that if a player was in control of the puck, a skate could be in the crease even if the puck was not, and a goal in that circumstance would count.[4] NHL Director of Officiating Bryan Lewis said after the game that the goal had been reviewed, just as every goal that season had been, and the officials in the video review booth had determined that since Hull was deemed to have been in possession of the puck throughout the play, he was allowed to shoot and score a goal, even though one skate had entered the crease before the puck.[5]

Among Sabres fans, both the game and the play itself are often simply referred to as "No Goal".[6][7][8]

Team rosters

Bolded years under Finals appearance indicates year won Stanley Cup.

Dallas Stars
Goaltenders
# Player Catches Acquired Place of birth Finals appearance
1 Roman Turek R 1990 Strakonice, Czechoslovakia first (did not play)
20 Ed Belfour L 1997–98 Carman, Manitoba second (1992)
Defensemen
# Player Shoots Acquired Place of birth Finals appearance
2 Derian Hatcher – C L 1990 Sterling Heights, Michigan first
3 Craig Ludwig - A L 1991–92 Rhinelander, Wisconsin third (1986, 1989)
5 Darryl Sydor L 1995–96 Edmonton, Alberta second (1993)
24 Richard Matvichuk L 1991 Edmonton, Alberta first
27 Shawn Chambers L 1995–96 Royal Oak, Michigan third (1991, 1995)
37 Brad Lukowich L 1996–97 Cranbrook, British Columbia first (did not play)
17 Brent Severyn L 1998–99 Vegreville, Alberta first (did not play)
56 Sergei Zubov – A R 1996–97 Moscow, Soviet Union second (1994)
Forwards
# Player Position Shoots Acquired Place of birth Finals appearance
9 Mike Modano – A C L 1988 Livonia, Michigan second (1991)
10 Brian Skrudland C L 1997–98 Peace River, Alberta fourth (1986, 1989, 1996)
11 Blake Sloan RW R 1998–99 Park Ridge, Illinois first
12 Mike Keane RW R 1997–98 Winnipeg, Manitoba fourth (1986, 1989, 1996)
14 Dave Reid LW L 1996–97 Toronto, Ontario first
15 Jamie Langenbrunner RW R 1993 Cloquet, Minnesota first
16 Pat Verbeek RW R 1996–97 Sarnia, Ontario first
18 Derek Plante C L 1998–99 Cloquet, Minnesota first (did not play)
21 Guy Carbonneau C R 1995–96 Sept-Îles, Quebec fourth (1986, 1989, 1993)
22 Brett Hull RW R 1998–99 Belleville, Ontario second (1986)
25 Joe Nieuwendyk – A C L 1995–96 Oshawa, Ontario second (1989)
26 Jere Lehtinen RW R 1992 Espoo, Finland first
29 Grant Marshall RW R 1994–95 Port Credit, Ontario first
33 Benoit Hogue LW L 1998–99 Repentigny, Quebec first
41 Tony Hrkac LW L 1998–99 Thunder Bay, Ontario second (1992)
49 Jon Sim LW L 1996 New Glasgow, Nova Scotia first

Buffalo Sabres
Goaltenders
# Player Catches Acquired Place of birth Finals appearance
30 Dwayne Roloson L 1998–99 Simcoe, Ontario first (did not play)
39 Dominik Hasek L 1992–93 Pardubice, Czechoslovakia second (1992)
Defensemen
# Player Shoots Acquired Place of birth Finals appearance
3 James Patrick – A R 1998–99 Winnipeg, Manitoba first
4 Rhett Warrener R 1998–99 Shaunavon, Saskatchewan second (1996)
5 Jason Woolley L 1994–95 Toronto, Ontario second (1996)
8 Darryl Shannon L 1995–96 Barrie, Ontario first (did not play)
42 Richard Smehlik L 1990 Ostrava, Czechoslovakia first
44 Alexei Zhitnik L 1994–95 Kyiv, Soviet Union second (1993)
74 Jay McKee L 1995 Kingston, Ontario first
Forwards
# Player Position Shoots Acquired Place of birth Finals appearance
9 Erik Rasmussen LW L 1996 Minneapolis, Minnesota first
15 Dixon Ward RW R 1995–96 Leduc, Alberta first
17 Randy Cunneyworth LW L 1998–99 Etobicoke, Ontario first
18 Michal Grosek RW R 1995–96 Vyškov, Czechoslovakia first
19 Brian Holzinger C R 1991 Parma, Ohio first
22 Wayne Primeau C L 1994 Scarborough, Ontario first
25 Vaclav Varada RW L 1993–94 Vsetín, Czechoslovakia first
27 Michael Peca – C C R 1995–96 Toronto, Ontario second (1994)
32 Rob Ray RW L 1988 Stirling, Ontario first (did not play)
37 Curtis Brown – A C L 1994 Unity, Saskatchewan first
41 Stu Barnes C R 1998–99 Spruce Grove, Alberta second (1996)
80 Geoff Sanderson LW L 1997–98 Hay River, Northwest Territories first
81 Miroslav Satan RW L 1996–97 Jacovce, Czechoslovakia first
90 Joe Juneau C L 1998–99 Pont-Rouge, Quebec second (1998)

Stanley Cup engraving

The 1999 Stanley Cup was presented to Stars captain Derian Hatcher by NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman following the Stars 2–1 triple overtime win over the Sabres in game six.

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

1999 Dallas Stars

Players

Coaching and administrative staff

  • Thomas O. Hicks (Chairman/Owner/Governor), Jim Lites (President), Bob Gainey (Vice President/General Manager)
  • Doug Armstrong *Rod Houston (Asst. General Manager), Craig Button (Director of Player Personnel), Ken Hitchcock (Head Coach)
  • Doug Jarvis (Asst. Coach), Rick Wilson (Asst. Coaches), Rick McLaughlin (Vice President-Chief Financial Officer), Jeff Cogen (Vice President-Marketing & Promotions)
  • Bill Strong (Vice President-Marketing & Broadcasting), Tim Bernhardt (Director-Amateur Scouting), Doug Overton (Director-Pro Scouting)
  • Bob Gernader (Chief Scout), Stu McGregor (Western Scout), Dave Suprenant (Medical Trainer)
  • Dave Smith (Equipment Manager), Rick Matthews (Asst. Equipment Manager), Jean-Jacque McQueen (Strength-Conditioning Coach)
  • Rick St. Croix (Goaltending Consultant), Dan Stuchal (Director of Team Services), Larry Kelly (Director of Public Relations)

Stanley Cup engraving
  • † Brent Severyn played only 30 games, missing 22 regular season games due to injuries, and was a healthy scratch for the playoffs. Dallas asked the NHL to include his name, because he spent the entire season with Dallas.
  • †† Derek Plante – played 41 regular season games for Buffalo and 10 for Dallas NHL total 51 games. He also played 6 playoff games. His name was included on the cup, because he spent the whole season in the NHL.
  • Mike Modano and Shawn Chambers were the only players on the roster remaining from 1990-91 Minnesota North Stars. Chambers left the Stars in summer of 1991. for Washington. He joined Tampa Bay in summer of 1992. Chambers won the Stanley Cup first year in New Jersey in 1995, before rejoining the Stars in summer of 1997. The North Stars in 1990-91 were coached by Bob Gainey (who would become general manager in 1992 and hold the position when the team relocated), where they lost in 6 games to the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 1991 Stanley Cup Finals.

Minnesota North Stars moved to Dallas in 1993 to become the Dallas Stars. Chambers was not with the North Stars/Stars for the whole period between 1991 and 1997, as he won the Stanley Cup in 1995 with the New Jersey Devils, before rejoining the Stars.

Included on the team picture, but left off the Stanley Cup.

  • In February, Dallas added #6 Doug Lidster (D) from the Canadian national team, and #37 Brad Lukowich (D), from the minor league Kalamazoo Wings. Lidster played 17 regular season and 4 playoff games. Lukowich played 14 regular season and 8 playoff games (2 games in conference finals). They were left off the cup even though they played in the playoffs.
  • Leon Friedrich† (Video Coordinator), Craig Lowery† (Trainer Asst.), Doug Warner† (Equipment Asst.) – All 5 members were awarded Stanley Cup Rings

Broadcasting

In Canada, the series was televised on CBC. In the United States, this was fifth and final year in which coverage of the Cup Finals was split between Fox and ESPN. Fox aired games one, two, and five; while ESPN had games three, four, and six.[9] Had there been a game seven, it would have aired on Fox. Under the U.S. TV contracts that would take effect beginning next season, ABC would take over for Fox as the NHL's network television partner.

Aftermath

The following year, the Dallas Stars successfully returned to the Stanley Cup Finals. At that time, they faced the New Jersey Devils but lost in six games. As for the Buffalo Sabres, they lost in the first round to the Philadelphia Flyers in five games.

See also

References
  1. Barr, Josh. "Stars Win Stanley Cup in a Thriller". Washington Post. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
  2. Miller, Harry Orbach (10 April 2012). "Five Most Controversial Goals in NHL Playoff History". Bleacher Report. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
  3. Harrington, Mike (18 June 2019). "20 years later, Sabres' No Goal drama is 'huge disappointment' for Hasek". Buffalo News. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
  4. "Most memorable moment of Brett Hull's career still tainted for some". thehockeynews.com. The Canadian Press. 5 November 2009. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
  5. Strachan, Al (2011). Go to the Net: Eight Goals That Changed the Game. Doubleday Canada. p. 163. ISBN 9780385673730. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
  6. Harrington, Mike (1 April 2020). "Buffalo sports' greatest what-ifs: What if 'No Goal' was really no goal?". Buffalo News. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
  7. Boyar, Stu (19 June 2019). "'No goal' will never go away for Sabres fans". WGRZ. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
  8. Kirst, Sean (19 June 2019). "Twenty years beyond No Goal game: Where did you watch it?". Buffalo News. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
  9. "1999 Stanley Cup Finals schedule". NHL.com. Archived from the original on 2000-03-03. Retrieved 2018-09-02.
Preceded by
Detroit Red Wings
1998		 Dallas Stars
Stanley Cup Champions
1999		 Succeeded by
New Jersey Devils
2000
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.