1926 Stanley Cup Finals

Infobox Stanley Cup Final
year=1926
dates=March 30 - April 6
team2=Victoria Cougars
team1=Montreal Maroons
format=best-of-five
team1_1=3
team2_1=0
team1_2=3
team2_2=0
team1_3=2
team2_3=3
team1_4=2
team2_4=0
team1_tot=3
team2_tot=3
location1=Montreal (Montreal Forum) (1-4)
series_winner=Nels Stewart (2:50, 2nd)
coaches=Montreal: Eddie Gerard Victoria: Lester PatrickThe 1926 Stanley Cup Finals saw the National Hockey League (NHL) champion Montreal Maroons defeat the Western Hockey League (WHL) champion Victoria Cougars 3 games to 1 in the best-of-five game series. This was the last Stanley Cup playoffs before the WHL folded, and the last time any non-NHL team would contest for the Cup, leaving the Cup entirely to the NHL.

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 Finals 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.

Montreal Maroons 1926 Stanley Cup champions

Stanley Cup champion
goaltenders=*Clint Benedict
defence=*Duncan Dunc Munro (Captain)
*Albert Toots Holway
*Reg Noble
*Champman Hobie Kitchen†
*Albert Babe Siebert (also played leftwing)
wingers=*Harry Punch Broadbent
*Bernie Brophy†
*Frank Carson
*George Horne †
*Sammy Rothschild
centers=*Charles Dinny Dinsmore
*Merlyn Bill Phillips
*Nels Stewart
non-players=
*James Strachan (President), Eddie Gerard (Manager-Coach)
*Gordon Cushing, Thomas Arnold (Vice Presidents),
*Bill O'Brien (Trainer)
*Donat Raymond (Director), Arthur Cayford (Secretary-Treasurer).
engraving-notes=Eddie Gerard's name was misspelled when the ring was engraved as F. GERAD (MGR) instead of E. GERARD (MGR)on the 2nd verision of the ring created in 1969. The mistake was repeated on the Replica Cup created in 1992–93.

Stanley Cup engravings

*After the series win, a new ring was added directly underneath the original bowl of the Cup with the words "Won/By Montreal 'Maroons' 1925–26". In addition players and Non-players names were added to the trophy.
*† 3 players who qualified were left off the Stanley Cup, because they did not play in the playoffs.

ee also

*1925–26 NHL season
*1925–26 WHL season

References

*cite web | url=http://www.legendsofhockey.net:8080/LegendsOfHockey/jsp/SilverwareTrophyWinner.jsp?tro=STC&year=1925-26 | title=1925–26 Stanley Cup Winner: Montreal Maroons | publisher=Hockey Hall of Fame | accessdate=2006-06-29
*cite book | last=Podnieks | first=Andrew | coauthors=Hockey Hall of Fame | title=Lord Stanley's Cup | year=2004 | publisher=Triumph Books| isbn=1551682613 | pages=12, 58
*cite book | editor=Dan Diamond (ed.) | title=The Official National Hockey League Stanley Cup Centennial Book | year=1992 | publisher=Firefly Books| isbn=1895565154 | pages=67–68