1951 Stanley Cup Finals

Updated on Nov 09, 2023

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Champion Toronto Maple Leafs		Start date April 11, 1951
Location(s) Toronto, ON (Maple Leaf Gardens) (1,2,5) Montreal, QC (Montreal Forum) (3,4) Coaches Toronto: Joe Primeau Montreal: Dick Irvin Captains Toronto: Ted Kennedy Montreal: Emile Bouchard Dates April 11 to April 21, 1951 Series-winning goal Bill Barilko (2:53, OT) Similar 1918 Stanley Cup Finals, 1964 Stanley Cup Finals, 1933 Stanley Cup Finals, 1929 Stanley Cup Finals, 1920 Stanley Cup Finals

The 1951 Stanley Cup Final NHL championship series was contested by the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Montreal Canadiens. The Maple Leafs would win the series 4–1, with all five games going into overtime. It was the Toronto franchise's ninth Stanley Cup win and the last in a series of six wins starting in 1942. It was the first appearance in a string of ten consecutive appearances by the Canadiens.

Paths to the final

Toronto defeated the Boston Bruins 4–1 to reach the final. Montreal defeated the defending champion Detroit Red Wings 4–2 to reach the final.

The series

Every game went into overtime in this series. Bill Barilko scored the Cup-winning goal, his last goal in the NHL as he would die in a plane crash during the summer.

Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Montreal Canadiens

Toronto wins best-of-seven series four games to one

Stanley Cup engraving

† Included on the original ring in 1951. There was no room left for the 3 team doctors the way that the Toronto Maple Leafs 1951 members were engraved on the new ring during the 1957–58 season.

^A played only 13 games, but name is on the cup. ^B played only 12 games, but name is on the cup. Both Hugh Holton, Bob Hassard did not play in the playoff, or and did not qualify to be on the cup.

Joe Primeau was the 7th NHL rookie coach to win the Stanley Cup.

** John McCormack played 46 regular season games, he was sent to the minors to play in the playoffs. McCormack was still included on the Stanley Cup.

Engraving mistakes

Several mistakes happened in the engraving of the names:

Gus Mortson's last name was misspelled WORTSON with a "W" instead a "M".

Danny Lewicki's last name was misspelled LEWESKI, with a "S" instead of a "C".

Ted Kennedy's name was misspelled KENNEDYY with an extra "Y". His position as Captain was also left off the Stanley Cup.

William A. H. MacBrien's last name was misspelled as McBrien, missing an "A"

Elwin "Al" Rollins' first name was misspelled ELVIN with a "V" instead a "W". The Rollins mistake was not corrected on the Replica Cup created in 1992–93. The other 4 mistakes were corrected on the Replica Cup.

Members of Toronto Maple Leafs that won 4 cups in 5 years 1947, 1948, 1949, 1951 dynasty

Bill Barilko, Turk Broda, Ted Kennedy†, Joe Klukay, Howie Meeker, Gus Mortson, Jimmy Thomson, Harry Watson (8 players),

Ed Bickle†, John Bickell†, Conn Smythe†, John Mordoch†, William MacBrien†, Hap Day†, Tim Daly†, George Walker, Ed Finkin, Horance McIntre (10 non-players).

† also won the Stanley Cup in 1945.

References

1951 Stanley Cup Finals Wikipedia

(Text) CC BY-SA