1975 Stanley Cup Finals

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The 1975 Stanley Cup Finals was the championship series of the National Hockey League's (NHL) 1974–75 season, and the culmination of the 1975 Stanley Cup playoffs. It was contested between the Buffalo Sabres and the defending champion Philadelphia Flyers. The Flyers defeated the Sabres in six games to repeat as Stanley Cup champions, becoming the first expansion team to accomplish such a feat. This was the first Final to have two non-"Original Six" teams since the 1967 expansion, and also the first contested by any team that had joined the league after 1967 (the Sabres were part of the 1970 expansion). The 1975 Flyers are the last Stanley Cup championship team to be composed solely of Canadian players.[2]

1975 Stanley Cup Finals
123456 Total
Philadelphia Flyers 424*252 4
Buffalo Sabres 115*410 2
* overtime periods
Location(s)Philadelphia: Spectrum (1, 2, 5)
Buffalo: Memorial Auditorium (3, 4, 6)
CoachesPhiladelphia: Fred Shero
Buffalo: Floyd Smith
CaptainsPhiladelphia: Bobby Clarke
Buffalo: Jim Schoenfeld
National anthemsPhiladelphia: Kate Smith
Buffalo: Unknown
RefereesArt Skov (1, 5)
Bruce Hood (2, 6)
Lloyd Gilmour (3)
Wally Harris (4)
DatesMay 15–27, 1975
MVPBernie Parent (Flyers)
Series-winning goalBob Kelly (0:11, third, G6)
Hall of FamersFlyers:
Bill Barber (1990)
Bobby Clarke (1987)
Bernie Parent (1984)
Sabres:
Gilbert Perreault (1990)
Coaches:
Fred Shero (2013)
NetworksCanada:
(English): CBC
(French): SRC
United States:
(National): NBC (2, 5)
(Philadelphia area): WTAF (3–4, 6)
(Buffalo area): WKBW (1, 3–4, 6)
Announcers(CBC) Danny Gallivan (1–2, 6) Jim Robson (3–5), Dick Irvin Jr. (1–2, 4, 6), and Bill Good (Games 3, 5)
(SRC) Rene Lecavalier and Gilles Tremblay
(NBC) Tim Ryan and Ted Lindsay[1]
(WTAF) Don Earle and Gene Hart
(WKBW) Ted Darling and Pat Hannigan
← 1974 Stanley Cup Finals 1976 →

This was the only Final between 1965 and 1979 not to feature either the Boston Bruins or the Montreal Canadiens.

Paths to the Finals

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Buffalo defeated the Chicago Black Hawks 4–1 and the Montreal Canadiens 4–2 to advance to the final.

Philadelphia defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 4–0 and the New York Islanders 4–3 to make it to the final.

Game summaries

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Bernie Parent was the outgunned Flyers' best player, allowing only 12 goals in the six games, capped with a shutout. He became the first player to win the Conn Smythe Trophy for two consecutive years. Since Parent, only two players have also won consecutive Conn Smythe Trophies: the Pittsburgh Penguins' Mario Lemieux in the Penguins' Stanley Cup wins in 1991 and 1992 and Sidney Crosby in the Penguins' 2016 and 2017 Stanley Cup championships. In the deciding game six played in Buffalo, the Sabres' offensive big guns rained shot after shot on Parent in an all-out effort to turn the series around, but Parent remained perfect. He stopped French Connection linemates Gilbert Perreault and Rick Martin on a 2–1 late in period two that had Flyers broadcaster Gene Hart screaming into his microphone:

Out come the Sabres...two on one...Perreault and Martin with just Dupont back...Perrault to Martin...He's in...Shot!....save by Parent...and he hangs on!...Oh baby!

The dramatic stop by Parent took the offensive energy out of the Sabres and the Flyers scored two third-period goals to take the championship.

Fog and the bat

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The third game of the series was the Fog Game. Due to unusual heat in Buffalo in May 1975, and the lack of an air conditioning system in the auditorium, portions of the game were played in heavy fog. During stoppages of play, rink employees skated around the arena ice carrying bed sheets in an attempt to dispel the fog. Players, officials, and the puck were invisible to many spectators. The fog began to form just minutes after another odd incident: A bat in the arena, which flew above and around the players for the majority of the game, until Sabres center Jim Lorentz killed it with his stick. Many superstitious Buffalo fans considered this to be an 'evil omen', pertaining to the result of the series. The game continued and the Sabres won thanks to Rene Robert's goal in overtime.[3]

Series box score

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May 15 Buffalo Sabres 1–4 Philadelphia Flyers The Spectrum Recap  
No scoring First period No scoring
No scoring Second period No scoring
Richard Martin (6) - pp - 11:07 Third period 3:42 - Bill Barber (5)
7:29 - pp - Ross Lonsberry (3)
11:41 - pp - Bobby Clarke (3)
19:02 - Bill Barber (6)
Gerry Desjardins Goalie stats Bernie Parent
May 18 Buffalo Sabres 1–2 Philadelphia Flyers The Spectrum Recap  
No scoring First period No scoring
No scoring Second period 8:24 - Reggie Leach (6)
Jerry Korab (2) - 2:18 Third period 6:43 - pp - Bobby Clarke (4)
Gerry Desjardins Goalie stats Bernie Parent
May 20 Philadelphia Flyers 4–5 OT Buffalo Sabres The Aud Recap  
Gary Dornhoefer (4) - 00:39
Don Saleski (2) - 3:09
Rick MacLeish (11) - 14:13
First period 11:46 - Danny Gare (6)
12:03 - Richard Martin (7)
Reggie Leach (7) - 14:30 Second period 00:29 - Don Luce (4)
No scoring Third period 9:56 - Bill Hajt (1)
No scoring First overtime period 18:29 - Rene Robert (5)
Bernie Parent Goalie stats Gerry Desjardins, Roger Crozier
May 22 Philadelphia Flyers 2–4 Buffalo Sabres The Aud Recap  
Andre Dupont (3) - 11:28 First period No scoring
Ross Lonsberry (4) - 4:20 Second period 3:46 - pp - Jerry Korab (3)
10:07 - pp - Gilbert Perreault (6)
15:07 - Jim Lorentz (6)
No scoring Third period 19:28 - Danny Gare (7)
Bernie Parent Goalie stats Gerry Desjardins
May 25 Buffalo Sabres 1–5 Philadelphia Flyers The Spectrum Recap  
No scoring First period 3:12 - Dave Schultz (1)
12:31 - Gary Dornhoefer (5)
12:50 - Bob Kelly (2)
No scoring Second period 1:55 - pp - Reggie Leach (8)
9:56 - Dave Schultz (2)
Don Luce (5) - 14:02 Third period No scoring
Gerry Desjardins Goalie stats Bernie Parent
May 27 Philadelphia Flyers 2–0 Buffalo Sabres The Aud Recap  
No scoring First period No scoring
No scoring Second period No scoring
Bob Kelly (3) - 00:11
Bill Clement (1) - 17:13
Third period No scoring
Bernie Parent Goalie stats Roger Crozier
Philadelphia won series 4–2


Team rosters

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Philadelphia Flyers

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No. Nat Player Pos S/G Age Acquired Birthplace
1   Bernie Parent G L 30 1973 Montreal, Quebec
2   Ed Van Impe D L 35 1967 Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
3   Tom Bladon D R 22 1972 Edmonton, Alberta
5   Larry Goodenough D R 22 1973 Toronto, Ontario
6   Andre Dupont D L 25 1972 Trois-Rivières, Quebec
7   Bill Barber LW L 22 1972 Callander, Ontario
8   Dave Schultz LW L 25 1969 Waldheim, Saskatchewan
9   Bob Kelly LW L 24 1970 Oakville, Ontario
10   Bill Clement C L 24 1970 Buckingham, Quebec
11   Don Saleski RW R 25 1972 Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan
12   Gary Dornhoefer (A) RW R 32 1967 Kitchener, Ontario
14   Joe Watson (A) D L 31 1967 Smithers, British Columbia
15   Terry Crisp (A) C L 31 1973 Parry Sound, Ontario
16   Bobby Clarke (C) C L 25 1969 Flin Flon, Manitoba
18   Ross Lonsberry LW L 28 1972 Watson, Saskatchewan
19   Rick MacLeish C L 25 1971 Cannington, Ontario
20   Jim Watson D L 22 1972 Smithers, British Columbia
25   Ted Harris D L 38 1974 Winnipeg, Manitoba
26   Orest Kindrachuk C L 24 1972 Nanton, Alberta
27   Reggie Leach RW R 25 1974 Riverton, Manitoba
30   Bobby Taylor G R 30 1968 Calgary, Alberta
35   Wayne Stephenson G L 30 1974 Fort William, Ontario

Buffalo Sabres

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No. Nat Player Pos S/G Age Acquired Birthplace
1   Roger Crozier G R 33 1970 Bracebridge, Ontario
3   Paul McIntosh D R 21 1974 Listowel, Ontario
4   Jerry Korab D L 26 1973 Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario
5   Lee Fogolin Jr. D R 20 1974 Chicago, Illinois
6   Jim Schoenfeld (C) D L 22 1972 Galt, Ontario
7   Rick Martin W L 23 1971 LaSalle, Quebec
8   Jim Lorentz C L 28 1972 Waterloo, Ontario
9   Rick Dudley LW L 26 1972 Toronto, Ontario
10   Craig Ramsay LW L 24 1971 Weston, Ontario
11   Gilbert Perreault C L 24 1970 Victoriaville, Quebec
14   Rene Robert RW R 26 1972 Trois Rivieres, Quebec
15   Michel Deziel LW L 21 1974 Sorel, Quebec
16   Peter McNab C L 23 1972 Vancouver, British Columbia
17   Fred Stanfield LW L 31 1975 Toronto, Ontario
18   Danny Gare RW R 21 1974 Nelson, British Columbia
20   Don Luce C L 26 1971 London, Ontario
21   Brian Spencer LW L 25 1974 Fort St. James, British Columbia
22   Jocelyn Guevremont D R 24 1974 Montreal, Quebec
23   Larry Carriere D L 23 1972 Montreal, Quebec
24   Bill Hajt D L 23 1971 Radisson, Saskatchewan
29   Gary Bromley G L 25 1971 Edmonton, Alberta
30   Gerry Desjardins G L 30 1975 Sudbury, Ontario

Stanley Cup engraving

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The 1975 Stanley Cup was presented to Flyers captain Bobby Clarke by NHL President Clarence Campbell following the Flyers 2–0 win over the Sabres in game six.

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

1974–75 Philadelphia Flyers

Players

  Centres
  Wingers
  Defencemen
  Goaltenders

Coaching and administrative staff

Stanley Cup engraving

  • Edward "Ted" Harris won 5 Stanley Cups. He was engraved on the Stanley Cup with Montreal Canadiens as Edward Harris in 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969. Harris was engraved as Ted Harris with Philadelphia Flyers in 1975.
  • Joe Kadlec^, John Brogan^ (Directors of Public Relations) were included on Philadelphia's Stanley Cup winning pictures in 1974, 1975, but their names do not appear on the Stanley Cup.
  • Bobby Taylor only played 3 regular season games after coming out of retirement. His name was engraved on the Stanley Cup, because he was dressed for games 1 & 2 in Stanely Cup Semi-Finals.
  • Reggie Leach was the first aboriginal born NHL Hockey player to get his name on the Stanley Cup.

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ "Hockey finals on tap". The Day. May 17, 1975. p. 18A.
  2. ^ Weekes, Don (2005). The Big Book of Hockey Trivia. Greystone Books. p. 558. ISBN 1-55365-119-7.
  3. ^ "Sabres, Flyers played 'Fog Game' in Stanley Cup Final 42 years ago". NHL.com. NHL Enterprises, L.P. May 19, 2017. Retrieved January 23, 2024.

References

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  • Diamond, Dan, ed. (2000). Total Stanley Cup. NHL.
  • Podnieks, Andrew; Hockey Hall of Fame (2004). Lord Stanley's Cup. Triumph Books. ISBN 978-1-55168-261-7.
Preceded by Philadelphia Flyers
Stanley Cup Champions

1975
Succeeded by