The 2002 Stanley Cup Final was the championship series of the National Hockey League's (NHL) 2001–02 season, and the culmination of the 2002 Stanley Cup playoffs. It was contested by the Western Conference champion Detroit Red Wings and the Eastern Conference champion Carolina Hurricanes. It was Detroit's twenty-second appearance in the Finals, their previous appearance being a win in . It was Carolina's first appearance in the Finals in franchise history. The Red Wings defeated the Hurricanes in five games to win their tenth Stanley Cup championship in franchise history. The Red Wings became the third team in NHL history to win 10 or more Stanley Cup titles, joining the Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens. As of , this is the last time the Red Wings won the Stanley Cup at home.
The Red Wings became the first team in NHL history to win the Cup after starting the playoffs with two losses at home. After losing the first two games in the Conference Quarterfinals to the Vancouver Canucks, the Red Wings won 16 of their next 21 games en route to win their third Cup since for coach Scotty Bowman. Bowman won his ninth Cup as a head coach (he had previously won it in that capacity with the Montreal Canadiens in , , , , and , with the Pittsburgh Penguins in , and with Detroit in 1997 and 1998), surpassing the mark he held jointly with Montreal coach Toe Blake. It was his final game as a head coach, as he announced his retirement immediately after the Game 5 victory. It was the last Detroit championship to feature members of the Russian Five, as Sergei Fedorov and Igor Larionov were still with the team.
Paths to the Finals
Carolina Hurricanes The Hurricanes finished the regular season with 91 points, clinching the Southeast Division and the third seed in the Eastern Conference. In the first round, the Hurricanes defeated the two-time defending Eastern Conference champion New Jersey Devils in six games. In the second round, the Hurricanes dispatched the eighth seeded Montreal Canadiens in six games to reach their first Eastern Conference Final since moving from Hartford. In the Eastern Conference Finals, the Hurricanes defeated the fourth seeded Toronto Maple Leafs in six games apiece to advance to the Finals for the first time in franchise history, becoming the first team from North Carolina to ever play for a major professional sports championship.
Detroit Red Wings
After a surprise upset at the hands of the Los Angeles Kings in the first round of the playoffs the previous season, the Red Wings bolstered their roster in the offseason by signing forwards Luc Robitaille and Brett Hull, goaltender Dominik Hašek (the defending Vezina Trophy winner), and Russian prospect Pavel Datsyuk.
Strengthened by their new signings, the Red Wings finished with the league's best record at 116 points, clinching the Presidents' Trophy and the overall #1 seed in the playoffs.
In the first round, the Red Wings survived an early scare against the eighth-seeded Vancouver Canucks as they lost the first two games at home, but recovered to win four straight games and advance to the next round, where they defeated the fourth seed St. Louis Blues in five quick games. In the Western Conference Finals, the Red Wings faced the defending Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche. After dropping Game 5 at home in overtime, it was felt that the Red Wings would be eliminated headed to Denver for Game 6. However, Hašek posted two shutouts in Games 6 and 7, including a 7–0 blowout win in Game 7 at home, to return to the Stanley Cup Final for the fourth time in eight years.
Game summaries Number in parentheses represents the player's total in goals or assists to that point of the entire four rounds of the playoffs
This was the first appearance in the Stanley Cup Final for the Hurricanes (formerly the Hartford Whalers), who made an unlikely run to the Cup. While they were seeded third as a division winner, they actually had the second-lowest point total (91) for a playoff team not only in the Eastern Conference, but also the whole NHL (ahead of only Montreal). In their whole NHL history, they had only won one playoff series prior to this season (as the Whalers in 1986) and had streaks of five and six seasons in which they did not make the playoffs. As the Red Wings won the Presidents' Trophy with 116 points, the 25-point differential was the largest between two teams in a Stanley Cup Final since when there were 27 points between the New York Rangers (112) and the Canucks (85).
The Hurricanes stunned the Red Wings in the first game on the strength of Ron Francis's overtime goal. It was the first time the team had won a game in Detroit since 1989.https://www.espn.com/nhl/playoffs2002/s/hradek0604.html That would be Carolina's only win in the series as the Red Wings won four straight, including a triple overtime win in game three. The Cup win was the first for many veterans on the team, including goaltender Dominik Hašek, forward Luc Robitaille, and defencemen Steve Duchesne (who retired after this season) and Fredrik Olausson. It was the second Cup win for Chris Chelios, sixteen years after he first won the Cup as a member of the Montreal Canadiens in .
Game one
Scoring summary Period Team Goal Assist(s) Time Score 1st DET Sergei Fedorov (5) – pp Steve Yzerman (14) 15:21 1–0 DET 2ndCARSean Hill (4) – ppSami Kapanen (7) and Ron Francis (9) 03:30 1–1 DETKirk Maltby (2)Darren McCarty (4)10:392–1 DETCARJeff O'Neill (6)Aaron Ward (1)19:10 2–2 3rd None OT CARRon Francis (6)Jeff O'Neill (5) and Sami Kapanen (8) 00:58 3–2 CAR Penalty summary Period Team Player Penalty Time PIM 1stCARBret HedicanHigh-sticking08:03 2:00DETLuc RobitailleTripping10:28 2:00CARSean Hill Tripping11:15 2:00CARGlen Wesley Interference15:03 2:00 2ndCARBench (served by Erik Cole)Too many men on the ice00:342:00DETIgor LarionovHigh-sticking 02:07 2:00DETKris Draper Hooking02:44 2:00CARJaroslav SvobodaHigh-sticking04:28 2:00CARNiclas WallinRoughing07:41 2:00DETMathieu DandenaultTripping12:12 2:00 3rdDETBoyd DevereauxHolding the stick05:492:00 DETIgor Larionov High-sticking12:17 2:00CARErik Cole Hooking18:19 2:00 OT None Shots by period Team 1 2 3 OT Total 7 13 5 1 26 8 12 5 0 25
Game two
Scoring summary Period Team Goal Assist(s) Time Score 1stDET Kirk Maltby (3) – shKris Draper (3) and Chris Chelios (11)06:33 1–0 DETCAR Rod Brind'Amour (4) – shUnassisted14:47 1–1 2nd None 3rdDET Nicklas Lidström (5) – pp Sergei Fedorov (11) and Steve Yzerman (15)14:522–1 DETDET Kris Draper (2)Nicklas Lidström (10) and Fredrik Olausson (3)15:053–1 DET Penalty summary Period Team Player Penalty Time PIM1stDETKris DraperBoarding01:252:00DETSteve DuchesneHolding05:212:00CARSean HillSlashing06:332:00CARJaroslav SvobodaRoughing14:032:00CARSean HillHolding16:232:002ndCARBates BattagliaHolding01:052:00DETSteve DuchesneTripping 03:552:00DETBench (served by Boyd Devereaux)Too many men on the ice07:23 2:00CARMartin GélinasInterference10:102:00CARAaron WardHolding18:032:003rdDETJiří FischerHigh-sticking09:382:00CARMartin Gélinas Slashing14:002:00DETJiří Fischer Slashing17:152:00CARBates BattagliaCharging17:452:00CARRod Brind'Amour Roughing19:332:00CARErik ColeRoughing19:332:00DETDarren McCartyRoughing19:332:00DETKirk MaltbyRoughing19:332:00DETChris CheliosRoughing19:332:00DETBrett Hull Tripping19:412:00 Shots by period Team 1 2 3 Total 7 4 6 17 9 8 13 30
Game three
Scoring summary Period Team Goal Assist(s) Time Score 1stCAR Josef Vašíček (3) Martin Gélinas (4) and Glen Wesley (1)14:491–0 CAR 2ndDET Igor Larionov (3)Brett Hull (8)05:331–1 3rdCARJeff O'Neill (7)Ron Francis (10)07:342–1 CARDETBrett Hull (9)Nicklas Lidström (11) and Sergei Fedorov (12)18:462–2 OT None 2OT None 3OT DET Igor Larionov (4)Tomas Holmström (3) and Steve Duchesne (6)14:47 3–2 DET Penalty summary Period Team Player Penalty Time PIM1stCARRod Brind'AmourHolding the stick01:452:00CARBret HedicanBoarding03:322:00CARJeff O'NeillBoarding11:342:00DETNicklas LidströmTripping12:302:00DETBoyd DevereauxSlashing19:152:002ndDETKirk MaltbyUnsportsmanlike conduct 05:132:00CARAaron WardUnsportsmanlike conduct05:132:00DETChris CheliosInterference08:122:00DETSergei FedorovHolding19:442:00CARSean HillHolding19:442:003rdDETBrendan ShanahanRoughing05:252:00CARJosef Vašíček Roughing05:252:00DETSteve DuchesneHolding 09:582:00DETBrendan Shanahan Roughing19:012:00CARSean Hill Roughing19:012:00OTDETSteve DuchesneRoughing18:232:00CARJaroslav SvobodaRoughing18:232:002OTCARErik ColeHolding the stick08:352:00DETFredrik OlaussonHolding13:252:003OTNone Shots by periodTeam123 OT 2OT 3OT T 6 7 16 11 6 7 53 8 6 7 5 8 9 43
Game four
Scoring summary Period Team Goal Assist(s) Time Score 1st None 2ndDETBrett Hull (10)Boyd Devereaux (4) and Fredrik Olausson (4)06:32 1–0 DET3rdDETIgor Larionov (5) Jiří Fischer (3) and Luc Robitaille (5)03:432–0 DETDETBrendan Shanahan (6)Sergei Fedorov (13) and Chris Chelios (12)14:433–0 DET Penalty summary Period Team Player Penalty Time PIM 1stCARGlen WesleyHooking02:052:00DETSergei FedorovHigh-sticking16:542:00CARErik ColeGoaltender interference16:542:002ndDETLuc RobitailleHigh-sticking09:062:00DETSteve DuchesneHolding the stick14:342:003rdCARSean HillBoarding 08:342:00 Shots by period Team 1 2 3 Total 10 6 11 27 6 7 4 17
Game five
Scoring summary Period Team Goal Assist(s) Time Score 1st None 2ndDETTomas Holmström (8)Igor Larionov (6) and Chris Chelios (13)04:07DET 1–0DETBrendan Shanahan (7) – ppSergei Fedorov (14) and Steve Yzerman (16)14:04 DET 2–0CARJeff O'Neill (8) – ppSean Hill (4) and Glen Wesley (2) 18:50 DET 2–1 3rdDETBrendan Shanahan (8) – enSteve Yzerman (17)19:15DET 3–1 Penalty summary Period Team Player Penalty Time PIM 1stCARBench (served by Josef Vašíček)Too many men on the ice12:092:002ndDETJiří Šlégr Holding06:002:00CARJaroslav SvobodaRoughing13:342:00CARErik ColeRoughing16:152:00DETBrendan Shanahan Hooking16:532:003rdDETSergei FedorovCross-checking05:232:00CARJosef VašíčekInterference08:122:00 Shots by period Team 1 2 3 Total 5 7 5 17 12 8 7 27
Team rosters Carolina Hurricanes
Goaltenders # Player Catches Acquired Place of birth Finals appearance 1 Artūrs Irbe L Riga, Soviet Union first 80 Kevin Weekes L Toronto, Ontario first Defencemen # Player Shoots Acquired Place of birth Finals appearance 2 Glen Wesley – A L Red Deer, Alberta third 4 Aaron Ward R Windsor, Ontario third 5 Marek Malík L 1993 Ostrava, Czechoslovakia first 6 Bret Hedican L Saint Paul, Minnesota second 7 Niclas Wallin L 2000 Boden, Sweden first 22 Sean Hill R Duluth, Minnesota second 45 David Tanabe R 1999 White Bear Lake, Minnesota first Forwards # Player Position Shoots Acquired Place of birth Finals appearance 10 Ron Francis – C C L Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario third 11 Jeff Daniels C L Oshawa, Ontario first 12 Craig MacDonald LW L 1996 Antigonish, Nova Scotia first 13 Bates Battaglia LW L Chicago, Illinois first 15 Kevyn Adams C R Washington, D.C. first 16 Tommy Westlund RW R 1998 Fors, Sweden first 17 Rod Brind'Amour – A C L Ottawa, Ontario second 23 Martin Gélinas LW L Shawinigan, Quebec third 24 Sami Kapanen RW L 1995 Vantaa, Finland first 26 Erik Cole RW R 1998 Oswego, New York first 27 Craig Adams RW R 1996 Seria, Brunei first 62 Jaroslav Svoboda LW L 1998 Červenka, Czechoslovakia first 63 Josef Vašíček C L 1998 Havlíčkův Brod, Czechoslovakia first 92 Jeff O'Neill RW R 1994 Richmond Hill, Ontario first
Detroit Red Wings
Goaltenders # Player Catches Acquired Place of birth Finals appearance 34 Manny Legace L Toronto, Ontario first 39 Dominik Hašek L Pardubice, Czechoslovakia third Defencemen # Player Shoots Acquired Place of birth Finals appearance 2 Jiří Fischer L 1998 Hořovice, Czechoslovakia first 5 Nicklas Lidström – A L 1989 Krylbo, Sweden fourth 11 Mathieu Dandenault R 1994 Sherbrooke, Quebec third 24 Chris Chelios R Chicago, Illinois fourth 27 Fredrik Olausson R Nybro, Sweden first 28 Steve Duchesne L Sept-Îles, Quebec first 71 Jiří ŠlégrL Jihlava, Czechoslovakia first