The 1981 Stanley Cup Final was the championship series of the National Hockey League's (NHL) 1980–81 season, and the culmination of the 1981 Stanley Cup playoffs. It was contested by the Minnesota North Stars, making their first Finals appearance, and the defending champion New York Islanders, in their second Finals appearance. The Islanders would defeat the North Stars in five games to repeat as Stanley Cup champions. The Islanders became the sixth franchise to repeat as Stanley Cup champions. This would be the last all-American Finals until , when the North Stars faced the Pittsburgh Penguins. Butch Goring won the Conn Smythe Trophy as Most Valuable Player in the playoffs.

Paths to the Finals

Minnesota defeated the Boston Bruins 3–0, the Buffalo Sabres 4–1 and the Calgary Flames 4–2 to advance to the Final.

New York defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 3–0, the Edmonton Oilers 4–2, and the New York Rangers 4–0 to reach the Final.

Game summaries Dino Ciccarelli of the North Stars set a rookie record (since tied by Ville Leino in ), scoring twenty-one points (14 goals and seven assists) during the year's playoffs. The Islanders' much deeper lineup, however, won the day.

Game one

Anders Kallur and Wayne Merrick each scored twice for New York in game one, giving them a 6–3 victory and a 1–0 lead in the series. Scoring summary Period Team Goal Assist(s) Time Score 1st NYI Anders Kallur (3) Dave Langevin (2) and Butch Goring (9) 02:54 1–0 NYI NYI Bryan Trottier (10) – sh Billy Carroll (7) 14:38 2–0 NYI NYI Anders Kallur (4) – sh Bryan Trottier (14) 15:25 3–0 NYI 2nd NYI Billy Carroll (3) Duane Sutter (1) and Bob Nystrom (5) 09:58 4–0 NYI MNS Kent-Erik Andersson (2) Dino Ciccarelli (6) 13:04 4–1 NYI 3rd NYI Wayne Merrick (4) Unassisted 00:58 5–1 NYI MNS Steve Payne (13) – pp Craig Hartsburg (7) and Bobby Smith (15) 03:08 5–2 NYI NYI Wayne Merrick (5) Dave Langevin (3) and John Tonelli (4) 13:15 6–2 NYI MNS Dino Ciccarelli (12) Tom McCarthy (3) 15:14 6–3 NYI Penalty summary Period Team Player Penalty Time PIM 1st MNS Brad Maxwell High-sticking 06:44 2:00 NYI Bob Bourne Spearing – major 11:12 5:00 MNS Tom McCarthy Slashing 19:45 2:00 2nd MNS Greg Smith Interference 06:06 2:00 NYI John Tonelli High-sticking 14:13 2:00 NYI Bryan Trottier Tripping 17:29 2:00 3rd NYI Gord Lane Cross-checking 02:39 2:00 NYI Bryan Trottier Roughing 18:09 2:00 Shots by period Team 1 2 3 Total 8 8 10 26 10 10 3 23

Game two

In a virtual repeat of game one, Denis Potvin and Mike Bossy both scored two goals and the Islanders won 6–3 over the North Stars again. Scoring summary Period Team Goal Assist(s) Time Score 1st MNS Dino Ciccarelli (13) – pp Craig Hartsburg (10) and Steve Christoff (7) 03:38 1–0 MNS NYI Mike Bossy (14) – pp Mike McEwen (8) and Denis Potvin (14) 04:33 1–1 NYI Bobby Nystrom (5) Wayne Merrick (8) and John Tonelli (5) 14:39 2–1 NYI NYI Denis Potvin (7) Wayne Merrick (9) 17:48 3–1 NYI 2nd MNS Brad Palmer (8) Neal Broten (7) and Greg Smith (5) 09:15 3–2 NYI 3rd MNS Steve Payne (14) Tim Young (12) and Gordie Roberts (5) 00:30 3–3 NYI Denis Potvin (8) – pp Butch Goring (10) 08:00 4–3 NYI NYI Ken Morrow (3) Denis Potvin (15) and Wayne Merrick (10) 11:57 5–3 NYI NYI Mike Bossy (15) Bryan Trottier (15) and Bob Bourne (5) 16:22 6–3 NYI Penalty summary Period Team Player Penalty Time PIM 1st NYI Anders Kallur Holding 01:31 2:00 NYI Bryan Trottier Hooking 02:15 2:00 MNS Fred Barrett Holding 04:08 2:00 NYI Dave Langevin Holding 04:53 2:00 MNS Al MacAdam High-sticking 05:04 2:00 NYI Ken Morrow High-sticking 05:04 2:00 NYI Dave Langevin Elbowing 11:01 2:00 MNS Fred Barrett Roughing 19:15 2:00 NYI Bob Bourne Roughing 19:15 2:00 2nd NYI John Tonelli Roughing 10:26 2:00 3rd NYI Denis Potvin Tripping 03:39 2:00 MNS Neal Broten Hooking 06:22 2:00 MNS Fred Barrett High-sticking 07:01 2:00 NYI Bryan Trottier High-sticking 07:01 2:00 NYI Bryan Trottier Tripping 12:58 2:00 NYI Denis Potvin Closing hand on puck 13:31 2:00 MNS Dino Ciccarelli Roughing 16:44 2:00 MNS Dino Ciccarelli Misconduct 16:44 10:00 MNS Brad Maxwell Fighting – major 16:44 5:00 NYI Bob Bourne Fighting – major 16:44 5:00 NYI Gord Lane Roughing 16:44 2:00 NYI Gord Lane Misconduct 16:44 10:00 Shots by period Team 1 2 3 Total 9 11 8 28 11 11 16 38

Game three

In a back and forth game three, Butch Goring recorded a hat trick and Mike Bossy recorded 4 points after the North Stars had taken a 3–1 after the first period. The Islanders went on to win the game 7–5, giving them a commanding 3–0 lead in the series. Scoring summary Period Team Goal Assist(s) Time Score 1st MNS Steve Christoff (7) – pp Craig Hartsburg (11) and Dino Ciccarelli (7) 03:25 1–0 MNS MNS Steve Payne (15) Tim Young (13) and Al MacAdam (8) 14:09 2–0 MNS NYI Mike Bossy (16) Clark Gillies (7) 14:47 2–1 MNS MNS Bobby Smith (7) – pp Craig Hartsburg (12) and Steve Payne (11) 16:30 3–1 MNS 2nd NYI Bob Nystrom (6) John Tonelli (6) and Wayne Merrick (11) 04:10 3–2 MNS NYI Butch Goring (6) – pp Denis Potvin (16) and Mike Bossy (15) 07:16 3–3 NYI Butch Goring (7) Clark Gillies (8) 11:51 4–3 NYI 3rd MNS Steve Payne (16) Tim Young (14) and Steve Christoff (8) 01:11 4–4 NYI Mike Bossy (17) Bryan Trottier (16) 02:05 5–4 NYI NYI Butch Goring (8) Billy Carroll (8) and Denis Potvin (17) 06:34 6–4 NYI MNS Dino Ciccarelli (14) Bobby Smith (16) 13:35 6–5 NYI NYI Bryan Trottier (11) – en Mike Bossy (16) and Wayne Merrick (12) 19:16 7–5 NYI Penalty summary Period Team Player Penalty Time PIM 1st NYI Bob Nystrom Interference 02:10 2:00 MNS Tom Younghans Interference 03:55 2:00 MNS Steve Payne Holding 06:37 2:00 MNS Tom Younghans Roughing 07:05 2:00 NYI Bob Nystrom Roughing 07:05 2:00 NYI Bryan Trottier Hooking 07:19 2:00 NYI Dave Langevin Boarding 11:26 2:00 NYI Bob Nystrom Interference 15:20 2:00 2nd MNS Bobby Smith Tripping 05:39 2:00 MNS Greg Smith Interference 05:56 2:00 NYI Clark Gillies High-sticking 05:56 2:00 NYI Clark Gillies Interference 09:40 2:00 NYI Bryan Trottier Tripping 16:00 2:00 NYI Mike McEwen Hooking 18:25 2:00 3rd NYI John Tonelli Tripping 04:15 2:00 Shots by period Team 1 2 3 Total 11 8 10 29 8 7 13 28

Game four

Steve Payne scored the game-winning goal in the third period of game four, Brad Maxwell recorded 4 assists, and Don Beaupre made 33 saves to give Minnesota a 4–2 victory to thrive off elimination. Scoring summary Period Team Goal Assist(s) Time Score 1st NYI Gord Lane (1) Mike Bossy (17) and Bryan Trottier (17) 03:47 1–0 NYI MNS Craig Hartsburg (3) – pp Bobby Smith (17) and Brad Maxwell (8) 11:34 1–1 2nd MNS Al MacAdam (9) Steve Payne (12) and Brad Maxwell (9) 05:15 2–1 MNS NYI Mike McEwen (5) – pp John Tonelli (7) and Anders Kallur (2) 07:37 2–2 3rd MNS Steve Payne (17) Brad Maxwell (12) and Al MacAdam (9) 12:26 3–2 MNS MNS Bobby Smith (8) – pp Al MacAdam (10) and Brad Maxwell (11) 18:12 4–2 MNS Penalty summary Period Team Player Penalty Time PIM 1st NYI Clark Gillies Slashing 01:00 2:00 MNS Craig Hartsburg Slashing 04:00 2:00 NYI Dave Langevin Cross-checking 10:03 2:00 MNS Gordie Roberts Hooking 12:23 2:00 NYI Clark Gillies Roughing 13:44 2:00 MNS Curt Giles Tripping 16:21 2:00 2nd NYI Bob Nystrom Charging 03:12 2:00 MNS Brad Palmer Cross-checking 05:47 2:00 NYI Denis Potvin Elbowing 09:13 2:00 MNS Dino Ciccarelli Cross-checking 11:30 2:00 MNS Dino Ciccarelli Fighting – major 11:30 5:00 NYI Bob Lorimer Fighting – major 11:30 5:00 NYI Dave Langevin Tripping 14:54 2:00 3rd NYI Anders Kallur Tripping 06:17 2:00 NYI Denis Potvin Holding 16:39 2:00 Shots by period Team 1 2 3 Total 12 12 11 35 13 10 11 34

Game five

In game five, Billy Smith made 24 saves in a 5–1 victory for New York to win the series and help them win their second consecutive Stanley Cup. Butch Goring, who recorded two goals during the game, was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoffs MVP. Scoring summary Period Team Goal Assist(s) Time Score 1st NYI Butch Goring (9) – pp Bob Bourne (6) 05:12 1–0 NYI NYI Wayne Merrick (6) John Tonelli (8) and Bob Nystrom (6) 05:37 2–0 NYI NYI Butch Goring (10) Clark Gillies (9) and Mike Bossy (18) 10:03 3–0 NYI MNS Steve Christoff (8) Unassisted 16:06 3–1 NYI 2nd NYI Bob Bourne (4) Billy Carroll (9) and Anders Kallur (3) 19:12 4–1 NYI 3rd NYI Mike McEwen (6) Bryan Trottier (18) 17:06 5–1 NYI Penalty summary Period Team Player Penalty Time PIM 1st NYI Bob Nystrom Slashing 00:56 2:00 MNS Brad Palmer Holding 03:52 2:00 NYI Bob Lorimer Slashing 19:00 2:00 2nd MNS Paul Shmyr Elbowing 07:33 2:00 MNS Greg Smith Cross-checking 14:43 2:00 MNS Kevin Maxwell Roughing 19:55 2:00 NYI Gord Lane Roughing 19:55 2:00 3rd NYI Bob Lorimer Holding 03:47 2:00 MNS Brad Maxwell Slashing 07:57 2:00 NYI John Tonelli Slashing 07:57 2:00 NYI Gord Lane High-sticking 11:48 2:00 MNS Kevin Maxwell Slashing 16:42 2:00 NYI Billy Smith Slashing 16:42 2:00 Shots by period Team 1 2 3 Total 15 4 6 25 10 16 7 33

Broadcasting The series aired on CBC in Canada. In the United States, this was the first of five seasons that the Cup Finals aired on the USA Network. For the 1981 Finals only, USA simulcast the CBC feed instead of producing their own coverage. However, USA's national coverage was blacked out in the New York metro and Minnesota area due to the local rights to their respective teams in that markets. In the New York area, SportsChannel New York aired three games at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, and WOR televised two games in Bloomington, Minnesota while KMSP aired every game of the series in the Minnesota area.

Team rosters

Minnesota North Stars

New York Islanders

Stanley Cup engraving The 1981 Stanley Cup was presented to Islanders captain Denis Potvin by NHL President John Ziegler following the Islanders 5–1 win over the North Stars in game five.

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

1980–81 New York Islanders

Aftermath The Islanders successfully returned to the Finals the following year. This time, they played the Vancouver Canucks and swept them to capture their third consecutive Stanley Cup championship.

The North Stars, however, lost in the first round to the Chicago Blackhawks, 3–1. The North Stars would not return to the Stanley Cup Final again until 1991, when they were defeated by the Pittsburgh Penguins, in six games.

See also List of Stanley Cup champions 1980–81 NHL season

References