Location(s) Montreal (Forum) (1–4) Dates March 30 – April 6 Start date March 30, 1926 | Format best-of-five Champion Montreal Maroons | |
Coaches Montreal: Eddie Gerard
Victoria: Lester Patrick Series-winning goal Nels Stewart (2:50, second) Similar 1920 Stanley Cup Finals, 1918 Stanley Cup Finals, 1917 Stanley Cup Finals, 1919 Stanley Cup Finals, 1929 Stanley Cup Finals | ||
The 1926 Stanley Cup Final saw the National Hockey League (NHL) champion Montreal Maroons, in their first Final series appearance, defeat the Western Hockey League (WHL) and defending Stanley Cup champion Victoria Cougars three games to one in the best-of-five game series. This was the last time a non-NHL team would contest for the Cup – the WHL folded following the 1926 Finals leaving the Cup to be contested solely by NHL clubs thereafter.
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Paths to the Final
The Cougars finished the 1925–26 WHL regular season in third place, but eventually upset the Edmonton Eskimos in the WHL championship by a combined score of 5–3 to reach the Stanley Cup Finals. Meanwhile, the Maroons finished the NHL regular season in second place. Montreal went on to beat the third seed Pittsburgh Pirates and then defeated the first place Ottawa Senators 2 goals to 1 in a two game total goals series, thus capturing the Prince of Wales Trophy and the right to play Victoria for the Cup.
The series
All of the games in the 1926 Cup Final were played at the Montreal Forum. Aided by three future Hockey Hall of Famers, the Maroons ended up dominating the series. Goaltender Clint Benedict, who previously helped Ottawa in three Cup championships, recorded three shutouts. Rookie Nels Stewart scored 6 of Montreal's 10 overall goals in the 4 games. Punch Broadbent also recorded a goal for the Maroons. The Cougars' lone win came in game three, 3–2.
Nels Stewart scored both goals in the fourth game to win the series. Stewart had given his stick to a fan after the playoff series against Ottawa. He asked for and retrieved the stick back from the fan prior to the fourth game. He then gave back the stick to the fan after game four.
Montreal Maroons 1926 Stanley Cup champions
Dunc Munro became the third player to have won an Olympic gold medal and the Stanley Cup. Munro had been a member of the Toronto Granites who had won gold at the 1924 Winter Olympics.
Stanley Cup engraving
Eddie Gerard's name was misspelled F. GERAD (MGR) instead of E. GERARD (MGR) on the second version of the ring created in 1969. The mistake was repeated on the Replica Cup created in 1992–93.