1988 Stanley Cup Finals

Updated on Dec 02, 2024

Edit

Comment

2 4 3 6 2 3 Champion Edmonton Oilers Start date May 18, 1988		6 3 6 4 3 3 MVP Wayne Gretzky

Announcers Dan Kelly, John Davidson, Bob Cole, Harry Neale, Mike Emrick, Bill Clement, Fred Cusick, Derek Sanderson Similar 1990 Stanley Cup Finals, 1987 Stanley Cup Finals, 1985 Stanley Cup Finals, 1984 Stanley Cup Finals, 1989 Stanley Cup Finals

1988 stanley cup finals bruins oilers game 4 highlights 5 24 88

The 1988 Stanley Cup Finals was between the Edmonton Oilers and Boston Bruins. The Oilers would win the series 4–0–1 in five games. This would be the sixth of eight consecutive Finals contested by a team from Alberta (the Oilers appeared in six of them, the Calgary Flames in two), and the last of five consecutive Finals to end with the Cup presentation on Alberta ice (the Oilers won four such Cups, the Montreal Canadiens the other).

1988 stanley cup finals game 4

Paths to the Finals

Edmonton defeated the Winnipeg Jets 4–1, the Calgary Flames 4–0 and the Detroit Red Wings 4–1 to reach the Finals.

Boston defeated the Buffalo Sabres 4–2, the Montreal Canadiens 4–1 and the New Jersey Devils 4–3 to reach the Finals.

The series

The Finals pitted the Oilers' offensive juggernaut against the Bruins' more balanced team. The Oilers showed their defensive prowess, surrendering just nine goals in the four completed games. Ray Bourque was physical in defending against Gretzky, but that would not ground the "Great One" on his way to claiming his second Conn Smythe Trophy and setting playoff records with 31 assists in just 18 games, and 13 points in the Finals series.

Game one

Summary

Game four (The night the lights went out in Massachusetts)

Glenn Anderson set a new record for quickest goal from the start of a Finals game when he scored ten seconds into the contest. That record was tied two years later in the third game of the 1990 Finals by John Byce who, in a twist, was playing for the Bruins against the Oilers. Fog ultimately interfered with the game, and a power failure caused its cancellation midway through the second period with the score tied 3–3. Despite the game being suspended and replayed, Anderson's record is official.

Game four was subsequently rescheduled and moved to Edmonton, which was originally set to be the site of a Game five if necessary. The Oilers won that game, sweeping the series and winning their fourth Stanley Cup in five years.

Series summary

Boston Bruins vs. Edmonton Oilers

Edmonton wins best-of-seven series 4–0–1

Stanley Cup engraving

#29 Daryl Reaugh (backup goalie) joined the team after Andy Moog left in September to play for Team Canada, and at the 1988 Olympics. Reaugh would play 6 games (dressed for 60). After the Olympics, Moog was traded to Boston Bruins for minor leaguer goalie Bill Ranford. Reaugh was sent to the minors, being recalled during the conference finals. His name was left off, because he was playing in the minors after the trade deadline. Reaugh was included on the team picture.

#20 Steve Dykstra played 42 NHL games in 1987–88 season. Dykstra joined Edmonton in a trade from the Buffalo Sabres, playing in 15 of the Oilers last 21 games, but not in the playoffs. He was left off, because he did not play all 42 games with Edmonton.

#32 Jim Wiemer played 12 regular season games and two games in Conference Finals. He was left off the Stanley Cup because he did not play in the finals

This would mark the final time Wayne Gretzky would win the Stanley Cup.

Team picture on the ice, after winning a championship

After the Oilers won the 1988 Stanley Cup, Wayne Gretzky (in what ended up being his last game with the Oilers) requested a picture on the ice with all the players, and all non-playing members including management, coaches, trainers, scouts, locker room assistants. The team honoured his request, and it has remained a tradition followed by each Stanley Cup-winning team. The team picture tradition after winning a championship is also followed by most hockey championship teams at all levels around the world.

Gretzky wanted every member of the Oilers to be included on the team picture. However, when the cup was engraved all five scouts were left off: Garnet Bailey, Ed Chadwick, Lorne Davis, Matti Vaisanen (on the Cup in 1985, 1987, 1990), Bob Freeman (Part time-not on the Cup). The Oilers also left three players off the Stanley Cup: Daryl Reaugh, Steve Dykstra, Jim Weimer. Bill Tuele (Public Relations Director) had his name added to the cup for the first time. He has rings with the Oilers in 1984, 1985, 1987, but his name was not put on the Stanley Cup those seasons.

References

1988 Stanley Cup Finals Wikipedia

(Text) CC BY-SA