1950 Stanley Cup Finals

1950 Stanley Cup Finals
Teams 1 2 3 4* 5* 6 7** Games Detroit Red Wings  4 1 4 3* 1* 5 4** 4 New York Rangers  1 3 0 4* 2* 4 3** 3 * – Denotes overtime period(s)
Location: Detroit: Olympia Stadium (1, 4–7) Toronto: Maple Leaf Gardens (2, 3) Format: Best-of-seven Coaches: Detroit: Tommy Ivan New York: Lynn Patrick Captains: Detroit: Sid Abel New York: Frank Eddolls Dates: April 11 – April 23 Series-winning goal: Pete Babando (8:31, second OT)
< 1949 Stanley Cup Finals 1951 >

The 1950 Stanley Cup Finals was contested by the New York Rangers and the Detroit Red Wings. It was the Rangers' first appearance in the Finals since their Stanley Cup victory in 1940. The Red Wings would win the series 4–3 to mark their franchise's fourth Cup win, and first since 1943.

This was the last Stanley Cup Finals to feature a team that did not host any games and also the last to feature neutral site games until 2020. The neutral site games were held in Toronto on account of scheduling conflicts at Madison Square Garden.

Paths to the Finals

New York defeated the Montreal Canadiens 4–1 to reach the Finals. Detroit defeated the three-time defending champion Toronto Maple Leafs (who had swept the Red Wings in the Finals two years running) 4–3 to reach the Finals.

Game summaries

Two games were played in Toronto as the circus had taken over Madison Square Garden in New York. New York's Don Raleigh scored two overtime winners and Pete Babando scored the Cup-winning goal in double overtime of game seven, the first time ever in which the Stanley Cup was won in extra frames in game seven. Detroit won the Cup without Gordie Howe, injured in the first game of the playoffs.

As Stanley Cup runner-up, the Rangers were awarded the O'Brien Cup, and they became the last team to win this trophy, which was retired after the season. Originally, the O'Brien Cup was the championship trophy of the National Hockey Association, the NHL's precursor, and later awarded to the NHL champion before the league took over control of the Stanley Cup in 1927.

Series

April 11	New York Rangers		1–4		Detroit Red Wings	Olympia Stadium	Recap
Buddy O'Connor (2) – 05:58		First period			No scoring
No scoring		Second period			04:43 – pp – Joe Carveth (2) 09:32 – George Gee (2) 10:06 – Jim McFadden (1) 13:56 – pp – Gerry Couture (2)
No scoring		Third period			No scoring
Chuck Rayner		Goalie stats			Harry Lumley

April 13	Detroit Red Wings		1–3		New York Rangers	Maple Leaf Gardens	Recap
No scoring		First period			No scoring
Gerry Couture (3) – 03:05		Second period			10:39 – Pat Egan (3)
No scoring		Third period			03:04 – Edgar Laprade (1) 11:20 – Edgar Laprade (2)
Harry Lumley		Goalie stats			Chuck Rayner

April 15	Detroit Red Wings		4–0		New York Rangers	Maple Leaf Gardens	Recap
Gerry Couture (4) – pp – 14:14 George Gee (3) – pp – 19:08		First period			No scoring
Sid Abel (2) – 19:16		Second period			No scoring
Marty Pavelich (3) – 16:55		Third period			No scoring
Harry Lumley		Goalie stats			Chuck Rayner

April 18	New York Rangers		4–3	OT	Detroit Red Wings	Olympia Stadium	Recap
No scoring		First period			06:31 – Ted Lindsay (1) 16:48 – Sid Abel (3)
Buddy O'Connor (3) – 19:59		Second period			No scoring
Marty Pavelich (4) – 03:32		Third period			08:09 – Edgar Laprade (3) 16:26 – Gus Kyle (1)
Don Raleigh (3) – 08:34		First overtime period			No scoring
Chuck Rayner		Goalie stats			Harry Lumley

April 20	New York Rangers		2–1	OT	Detroit Red Wings	Olympia Stadium	Recap
No scoring		First period			No scoring
Dunc Fisher (2) – 07:44		Second period			No scoring
No scoring		Third period			18:10 – Ted Lindsay (2)
Don Raleigh (4) – 01:38		First overtime period			No scoring
Chuck Rayner		Goalie stats			Harry Lumley

April 22	New York Rangers		4–5		Detroit Red Wings	Olympia Stadium	Recap
Allan Stanley (1) – 03:45 Dunc Fisher (3) – 07:35		First period			19:18 – Ted Lindsay (3)
Pentti Lund (6) – pp – 03:18		Second period			05:38 – Sid Abel (4) 16:07 – Gerry Couture (5)
Tony Leswick (1) – 01:54		Third period			04:13 – Ted Lindsay (4) 10:34 – Sid Abel (5)
Chuck Rayner		Goalie stats			Harry Lumley

April 23	New York Rangers		3–4	2OT	Detroit Red Wings	Olympia Stadium	Recap
Allan Stanley (2) – pp – 11:14 Tony Leswick (2) – pp – 12:18		First period			No scoring
Buddy O'Connor (4) – 11:42		Second period			05:09 – pp – Pete Babando (1) 05:30 – pp – Sid Abel (6) 15:57 – Jim McFadden (2)
No scoring		Third period			No scoring
No scoring		Second overtime period			08:31 – Pete Babando (2)
Chuck Rayner		Goalie stats			Harry Lumley

Detroit won series 4–3

Stanley Cup engraving

The 1950 Stanley Cup was presented to Red Wings captain Sid Abel by NHL President Clarence Campbell following the Red Wings 4–3 double overtime win over the Rangers in game seven.

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

1949–50 Detroit Red Wings

Roster

  Centres

  Wingers

• 7 Ted Lindsay (A)
• 9 Gordie Howe
• 10 Jimmy Peters, Sr.
• 14 Pete Babando
• 15 Marty Pavelich
• 17 Joe Carveth
• 18 Gerry Couture
• 19 Steve Black
• 23 John Wilson
• 27 Doug McKay†^a
• 20 Gordon Haidy†^b

  Defencemen

• 2 Jack Stewart(A)
• 3 Clare Martin
• 4 Leonard Red Kelly
• 5 Leo Reise, Jr. (A)
• 21 Lido Lee Fogolin, Sr.
• 22 Marcel Pronovost
• 22-3 Al Dewsbury

  Goaltenders

• 1 Harry Lumley
• Harry MacQuestion (Spare-did not play)

† Left off the cup, but qualified to be on it.
^a Played his only NHL game in Finals.
^b Played his only NHL game in Semi-Finals.

  Coaching and administrative staff

• James E. Norris Sr. (President/Owner), James D. Norris Jr. (Vice President/Owner)
• Arthur Wirtz Sr. (Secretary-Treasurer/Owner). Jack Adams (Manager)
• Tommy Ivan (Coach), Fred Hubert Jr (Publicity Director)
• Carson Cooper (Chief Scout), Carl Mattson (Trainer)
• Walter Humeniuk (Asst. Trainer)
• Wally Crossman (Stick Boy/Asst. Trainer) (on 1 of 3 team pictures)

Stanley Cup engraving

• #1 Terry Sawchuk played seven NHL games in 1950, because Harry Lumley was injured. Sawchuk was not available for the playoffs, because he was helping the AHL Indianapolis Capitals win the Calder Cup. Instead, Harry MacQuestion was called up as the spare goalie for the playoffs. MacQuestion's name was engraved on the Stanley Cup, but he never played in the NHL. MacQuestion was removed from the Stanley Cup when it was re-done during 1957–58 season.
• Detroit did not engrave Gordon Haidy and Doug McKay on the Stanley Cup, even though they each played one playoff game and qualified to be on the cup. Both players also won the Calder Cup with Al Dewsbury, Terry Sawchuk that season.

See also

• 1949–50 NHL season

References

Preceded by Toronto Maple Leafs 1949

Detroit Red Wings Stanley Cup Champions 1950

Succeeded by Toronto Maple Leafs 1951