Wikipedia

2021 Stanley Cup Finals

The 2021 Stanley Cup Finals was the championship series of the National Hockey League's (NHL) 2020–21 season and the culmination of the 2021 Stanley Cup playoffs. The series was between the Montreal Canadiens and the defending Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning. The Lightning won the best-of-seven series, four games to one, for their second consecutive and the third overall championship in franchise history. Tampa Bay had home-ice advantage in the series with the better regular season record.

2021 Stanley Cup Finals
12345 Total
Montreal Canadiens 1133*0 1
Tampa Bay Lightning 5362*1 4
* – Denotes overtime period(s)
Location(s)Montreal: Bell Centre (3, 4)
Tampa: Amalie Arena (1, 2, 5)
CoachesMontreal: Dominique Ducharme (interim)
Tampa Bay: Jon Cooper
CaptainsMontreal: Shea Weber
Tampa Bay: Steven Stamkos
RefereesFrancis Charron (1, 3)
Gord Dwyer (3, 5)
Eric Furlatt (2, 4)
Dan O'Rourke (1, 5)
Kelly Sutherland (2, 4)
DatesJune 28 – July 7, 2021
MVPAndrei Vasilevskiy (Lightning)
Series-winning goalRoss Colton (13:27, Second, G5)
Hall of FamersCanadiens:
Shea Weber (2024)
NetworksCanada:
(English): CBC/Sportsnet
(French): TVA Sports
United States:
(English): NBCSN (1–2), NBC (3–5)
Announcers(CBC/SN) Chris Cuthbert and Craig Simpson[1]
(TVA) Felix Seguin and Patrick Lalime
(NBC/NBCSN) Kenny Albert, Eddie Olczyk (1, 3–5), Brian Boucher (1–2, 4–5), and Pierre McGuire (2–3)[2][3]
(NHL International) E.J. Hradek and Kevin Weekes
← 2020 Stanley Cup Finals 2022 →

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic that both shortened and delayed the start of the regular season, the series began on June 28, 2021, and concluded on July 7, 2021, marking the first time that games in the Stanley Cup Finals were held in July. The cross-border travel restrictions under the pandemic also forced the league to temporarily realign this season into four divisions with no conferences, putting all seven Canadian teams into one of those divisions. Consequently, a divisional-based postseason format was held, featuring intra-divisional matchups in the first two rounds. The four divisional playoff champions were then re-seeded by regular season points in the Stanley Cup Semifinals, with the winners of the Semifinals advancing to the Stanley Cup Finals.[4] Under a normal playoff format, this finals matchup would be impossible, as both the Lightning and Canadiens compete in the NHL's Eastern Conference. However, under the temporarily realigned divisions, some had mixed conferences, which enabled this scenario.

This was the first Finals since 2009 to be played entirely in the Eastern Time Zone, the first since 2011 to feature a Canadian-based team, the first since 2015 to end in a team winning the Stanley Cup at home, and the first since 2018 to require less than six games.

This Finals matchup broke the Stanley Cup Finals record for highest combined seed between teams, with twenty-six (Tampa Bay eighth, and Montreal eighteenth).[5] This record was previously held by the 1991 Stanley Cup Finals, which had a combined seed of twenty-three.[6]

Paths to the Finals

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Impact of COVID-19

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Main articles: 2020–21 NHL season § Impact of COVID-19 and temporary realignment, and 2021 Stanley Cup playoffs

The COVID-19 pandemic impacted the league for the second straight year with the Government of Canada maintaining its cross-border travel restrictions. Consequently, the league temporarily realigned for this season into four regional divisions with no conferences, putting all seven Canadian teams into one of those divisions. Each team played 56 regular season games, all intra-divisional matchups. The league returned to the traditional 16-team playoff format, with the first two rounds of the playoffs also featuring intra-divisional matchups. This format delayed any possibility of cross-border travel until the third round.[7] The league explored the possibility of having the Canadian team that advanced to the third round hold their home games in a neutral NHL city in the U.S. but were granted a cross-border travel exemption approved by the Public Health Agency of Canada.[8][9]

Due to local COVID-19 health protocols during the regular season, all 24 American teams hosted a limited amount of in-person spectators while all seven Canadian teams played behind closed doors. During the first three rounds of the playoffs, a number of U.S. teams further increased their capacity, and three of the Canadian playoff teams admitted spectators for the first time.[10] The Canadiens were the first team from Canada to offer tickets to the general public.[11] By the time the Finals started, Florida health officials had allowed the Lightning to admit 16,300 fans (85 percent of full capacity) at Amalie Arena for game one, then allowed up to 100% capacity for game two and beyond.[12][13] The Canadiens were permitted to issue 3,500 tickets for the Bell Centre after Quebec health officials denied the team's request to increase it to 10,500 fans (50 percent of capacity) before game three.[14]

Montreal Canadiens

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Main article: 2020–21 Montreal Canadiens season

This was the thirty-fifth Stanley Cup Finals appearance for this team. They have won the Stanley Cup a record twenty-four times (the second most championships in major North American sports behind the New York Yankees' twenty-seven World Series victories). They are the most recent Canadian team to win the Stanley Cup, doing so in 1993 (their most recent Finals appearance) against the Los Angeles Kings, winning in five games.[15] They were also the first Canadian team since the 2011 Vancouver Canucks to reach the Finals.[16]

 
Montreal's Stanley Cup Finals patch

During the offseason, the Canadiens traded left wing Max Domi and a third-round pick for right wing Josh Anderson.[17] They also picked up forwards Tyler Toffoli, Michael Frolik, and Corey Perry in free agency.[18][19][20] The team also re-signed goaltender Jake Allen and forward Brendan Gallagher.[21][22] During the season, Hobey Baker Award winner and rookie Cole Caufield made his debut with the Canadiens.[23] The team traded for forward Eric Staal as well as defencemen Jon Merrill and Erik Gustafsson.[24][25][26]

On February 24, 2021, head coach Claude Julien was fired after coaching the team through parts of five seasons during his second stint as head coach of the Canadiens, which had registered a 9–5–4 record to start the season. Assistant coach Dominique Ducharme was named interim head coach.[27]

The team finished with a record of 24–21–11 to finish fourth in the North Division. In the playoffs, the Canadiens came back from a 3–1 deficit in their series with their rival Toronto Maple Leafs to win in seven games,[28] swept the Winnipeg Jets in the second round, and knocked off the Vegas Golden Knights in the Stanley Cup semifinals in six games.[29][30]

As they have done in the past, the Canadiens chose to use the French version of the Stanley Cup Finals logo patch on their jerseys.[31]

Tampa Bay Lightning

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Main article: 2020–21 Tampa Bay Lightning season

This was Tampa Bay's second consecutive and fourth overall Finals appearance. They won the previous year's Finals against the Dallas Stars in six games.[32]

Tampa Bay made very few transactions to gain players in the offseason. They traded away Braydon Coburn and Cedric Paquette and let Zach Bogosian, Kevin Shattenkirk and Carter Verhaeghe walk via free agency. They re-signed Anthony Cirelli, Patrick Maroon, Luke Schenn, and Mikhail Sergachev.[33][34][35] During the season, Tampa Bay traded for defenceman David Savard[36] and traded away forward Alexander Volkov. Forward Nikita Kucherov, who had hip surgery prior to the regular season, returned for the playoffs.

Tampa Bay finished with a 36–17–3 record to finish third in the Central Division. In the playoffs, the Lightning defeated their intrastate rival, the Florida Panthers, in six games in the first round.[37] The Lightning then triumphed over the Carolina Hurricanes in five games and in the Stanley Cup semifinals, in a rematch of the previous year's Eastern Conference final, they defeated the New York Islanders in seven games.[38]

Game summaries

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Note: The numbers in parentheses represent each player's total goals or assists to that point of the entire playoffs.

Game one

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Nikita Kucherov scored two goals and three points in game one.

The Lightning took the lead early in the first period. With Tampa Bay defenseman Erik Cernak joining the rush with Ondrej Palat, Palat passed to an open Cernak who fired a wrist shot past Carey Price resulting in a 1–0 lead for Tampa Bay. In the second period, the Lightning grabbed a 2–0 lead when Blake Coleman's shot through traffic deflected off of Yanni Gourde and into the net. The Canadiens then halved the Lightning's lead as their offensive-zone coverage swept Tampa Bay's end setting up Ben Chiarot for a one-timer and Montreal's first goal of the game. The Lightning regained their two-goal lead in the third period when Nikita Kucherov's shot across the net got swatted by Chiarot and into his own net. After Brayden Point won a faceoff, the puck was picked up by Kucherov who fired a wrist shot past Price to gain a 4–1 lead. Towards the end of the third period and with frustrations boiling over for Montreal, Joel Edmundson took a roughing penalty with 2:40 left in the period. On the ensuing power-play, Kucherov passed to captain Steven Stamkos whose shot got past Price for a 5–1 lead, sealing the victory for the Lightning. The goal ended Montreal's penalty-killing streak at 32.[39]


June 28 Montreal Canadiens 1–5 Tampa Bay Lightning Amalie Arena Recap
Scoring summary
Period Team Goal Assist(s) Time Score
1st TBL Erik Cernak (1) Ondrej Palat (7), Brayden Point (7) 06:19 1–0 TBL
2nd TBL Yanni Gourde (6) Blake Coleman (7), Barclay Goodrow (2) 05:47 2–0 TBL
MTL Ben Chiarot (3) Jesperi Kotkaniemi (3), Shea Weber (4) 17:40 2–1 TBL
3rd TBL Nikita Kucherov (6) Mikhail Sergachev (3) 02:00 3–1 TBL
TBL Nikita Kucherov (7) Brayden Point (8) 11:25 4–1 TBL
TBL Steven Stamkos (8) – pp Nikita Kucherov (23), Brayden Point (9) 18:50 5–1 TBL
Penalty summary
Period Team Player Penalty Time PIM
1st TBL Barclay Goodrow Cross checking 15:21 2:00
MTL Ben Chiarot Roughing 19:14 2:00
2nd None
3rd TBL Erik Cernak Roughing 06:30 2:00
MTL Eric Staal Roughing 06:30 2:00
TBL Blake Coleman Roughing 13:42 2:00
MTL Jesperi Kotkaniemi High-sticking 15:51 2:00
MTL Joel Edmundson Roughing 17:20 2:00
Shots by period
Team 1 2 3 Total
MTL 5 9 5 19
TBL 7 12 8 27

Game two

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Ondřej Palát's goal helped to secure Tampa Bay's win in game two.

In game two, the Canadiens poured off more shots than in the first game. The first period saw Montreal make thirteen shots compared to Tampa Bay's six. However, neither team was able to score in the opening frame. In the second period, Montreal had more than double the shots of Tampa Bay, yet the Lightning ended up with two goals in contrast to the Canadiens' one. The first Lightning goal came from Anthony Cirelli, whose point shot pinballed in off of Carey Price's blocker and into the net. After Lightning defenceman Mikhail Sergachev committed an interference penalty on Artturi Lehkonen, Montreal tied the score on a power-play when Nick Suzuki floated a backhand shot through traffic and under Andrei Vasilevskiy's pads. With 1.1 seconds left in the second period, Tampa Bay forward Barclay Goodrow got past Ben Chiarot forcing a two-on-one with Blake Coleman. Goodrow passed it to Coleman who shot it past Price for the buzzer-beater. In the third period, Montreal continued to pressure the Lightning and Vasilevskiy, however, after a dump-in by Tampa Bay ended up in the Canadiens' zone, an errant pass off the boards by Joel Edmundson gave the puck away to Ondrej Palat, scoring the goal that made it 3–1. At the end of the game, both Corey Perry and Cirelli each received misconducts after an altercation.[40]


June 30 Montreal Canadiens 1–3 Tampa Bay Lightning Amalie Arena Recap
Scoring summary
Period Team Goal Assist(s) Time Score
1st None
2nd TBL Anthony Cirelli (5) Tyler Johnson (2), Jan Rutta (1) 06:40 1–0 TBL
MTL Nick Suzuki (6) – pp Unassisted 10:36 1–1
TBL Blake Coleman (2) Barclay Goodrow (3), Ryan McDonagh (6) 19:58 2–1 TBL
3rd TBL Ondrej Palat (5) Unassisted 15:42 3–1 TBL
Penalty summary
Period Team Player Penalty Time PIM
1st MTL Jeff Petry Tripping 05:29 2:00
MTL Paul Byron Slashing 09:57 2:00
MTL Paul Byron Slashing 17:27 2:00
TBL Erik Cernak Cross checking 17:27 2:00
TBL Ryan McDonagh High-sticking 17:32 4:00
2nd TBL Mikhail Sergachev Interference 10:03 2:00
MTL Joel Armia High-sticking 16:38 2:00
3rd TBL Anthony Cirelli Cross checking 20:00 2:00
TBL Anthony Cirelli Misconduct 20:00 10:00
MTL Corey Perry Roughing 20:00 2:00
MTL Corey Perry Misconduct 20:00 10:00
Shots by period
Team 1 2 3 Total
MTL 13 16 14 43
TBL 6 7 10 23

Game three

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Tyler Johnson scored two goals, including the game-winning goal, in game three.

In the first four minutes of the first period, the Lightning grabbed a 2–0 lead. The first goal came from a point shot through traffic by Jan Rutta. After Eric Staal shot the puck over the glass causing a power-play for Tampa Bay, Victor Hedman scored the second goal when his point shot bounced off of Carey Price and into the net. The Canadiens were able to score a goal within their seventeen shots as a two-on-one with captain Shea Weber and Phillip Danault allowed the latter's wrist shot to rip off both posts and past Andrei Vasilevskiy. In the second period, the Lightning followed the same momentum from the first period with another two goals in the first four minutes. When an errant change by Montreal created an opening for Ondrej Palat and Nikita Kucherov, Kucherov fired the puck past Price. At 3:33, the Lightning began another two-on-one rush during which Mathieu Joseph's shot rebounded to Tyler Johnson who scored to give Tampa Bay a 4–1 lead. However, just like the first period, Montreal scored which brought their deficit to two. Nick Suzuki, who drove down the right side of Tampa Bay's defensive zone, shot the puck under Vasilevskiy's pads. In the third period, the Lightning mainly held a defensive strategy. In the final five minutes, the Lightning gained a three-goal lead again when defenceman Erik Gustafsson gave the puck away to Johnson and he scored his second goal of the game. The Canadiens quickly rebounded after pulling their goalie and Corey Perry scored top-shelf over Vasilevskiy. However, with the empty net, the Lightning took advantage as Blake Coleman backhanded the puck into the net and the game ended 6–3.[41]


July 2 Tampa Bay Lightning 6–3 Montreal Canadiens Bell Centre Recap
Scoring summary
Period Team Goal Assist(s) Time Score
1st TBL Jan Rutta (2) Ondrej Palat (7), Victor Hedman (16) 01:52 1–0 TBL
TBL Victor Hedman (2) – pp Nikita Kucherov (24), Anthony Cirelli (7) 03:27 2–0 TBL
MTL Phillip Danault (1) Shea Weber (5) 11:16 2–1 TBL
2nd TBL Nikita Kucherov (8) Ondrej Palat (8), Erik Cernak (9) 01:40 3–1 TBL
TBL Tyler Johnson (3) Mathieu Joseph (1), David Savard (4) 03:33 4–1 TBL
MTL Nick Suzuki (3) Jeff Petry (6), Cole Caufield (6) 18:04 4–2 TBL
3rd TBL Tyler Johnson (7) Unassisted 15:19 5–2 TBL
MTL Corey Perry (4) Brendan Gallagher (4), Ben Chiarot (1) 15:58 5–3 TBL
TBL Blake Coleman (7) – en Barclay Goodrow (4) 16:48 6–3 TBL
Penalty summary
Period Team Player Penalty Time PIM
1st MTL Eric Staal Delay of game (puck over glass) 02:54 2:00
TBL Mikhail Sergachev Interference 17:29 2:00
2nd None
3rd None
Shots by period
Team 1 2 3 Total
TBL 12 9 9 30
MTL 17 8 10 35

Game four

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Josh Anderson, shown with Lake Erie, scored twice in game four, including the overtime-winning goal.

In the first period, the Canadiens scored first, taking their first lead in the series, as Nick Suzuki made a pretty passing play to Josh Anderson who fired it past Andrei Vasilevskiy. The Lightning were able to continue pressuring the Canadiens into the second period. This pressure led to a backhand pass by Ryan McDonagh to Barclay Goodrow as he fired the puck into an open net. In the third period, Alexander Romanov fired a wrist shot from the blue line, scoring to make it 2–1 for Montreal. The Lightning tied it five minutes later when Mathieu Joseph sprung a two-on-one with Patrick Maroon and the latter scored, ending his goal-scoring drought. With the game tied 2–2 after the third period, both teams headed to overtime. In overtime, the Canadiens killed a double-minor penalty caused by Shea Weber and less than a minute later, Anderson put the puck past Vasilevskiy, preventing the first four-game sweep in the Finals since 1998, and winning the game 3–2.[42]


July 5 Tampa Bay Lightning 2–3 OT Montreal Canadiens Bell Centre Recap
Scoring summary
Period Team Goal Assist(s) Time Score
1st MTL Josh Anderson (4) Nick Suzuki (9), Cole Caufield (7) 15:39 1–0 MTL
2nd TBL Barclay Goodrow (2) Ryan McDonagh (7), Blake Coleman (8) 17:20 1–1
3rd MTL Alexander Romanov (1) Jake Evans (1) 08:48 2–1 MTL
TBL Patrick Maroon (2) Mathieu Joseph (2), Tyler Johnson (3) 13:48 2–2
OT MTL Josh Anderson (5) Cole Caufield (8) 03:57 3–2 MTL
Penalty summary
Period Team Player Penalty Time PIM
1st MTL Jake Evans Interference 16:33 2:00
TBL Brayden Point Roughing 16:33 2:00
MTL Joel Edmundson Slashing 17:59 2:00
TBL Patrick Maroon Unsportsmanlike conduct 20:00 2:00
MTL Joel Edmundson Unsportsmanlike conduct 20:00 2:00
2nd TBL Brayden Point High-sticking 05:50 2:00
MTL Corey Perry Hooking 09:43 2:00
MTL Joel Armia Tripping 14:28 2:00
3rd MTL Jeff Petry Roughing 07:42 2:00
MTL Ben Chiarot Roughing 07:42 2:00
MTL Josh Anderson Roughing 07:42 2:00
TBL Barclay Goodrow Roughing 07:42 2:00
TBL Blake Coleman Roughing 07:42 2:00
TBL Yanni Gourde Roughing 07:42 2:00
MTL Shea Weber High-sticking 18:59 4:00
OT None
Shots by period
Team 1 2 3 OT Total
TBL 12 8 10 4 34
MTL 5 9 5 2 21

Game five

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Andrei Vasilevskiy recorded his fifth-straight shutout in a series-clinching game in game five.

Tampa Bay dominated during the first period of game five, recording thirteen shots on target to the Canadiens' four, but neither team scored. The second period had the opposite trend, with the Canadiens getting ten shots compared to the Lightning's six shots. Nevertheless, it was Tampa Bay who scored the opening goal, when Ryan McDonagh set up a David Savard shot that was tipped in by Ross Colton. It would prove to be the only goal of the contest. Tampa Bay held onto their one-goal lead throughout the third period, with Andrei Vasilevskiy recording a shutout. The 1–0 victory won the series for Tampa Bay and their second consecutive Stanley Cup.[43]

Vasilevskiy was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as most valuable player during the playoffs. With their victory, the Lightning became the first team since the 1983 New York Islanders to win the Stanley Cup without winning an overtime game during the playoffs. Patrick Maroon won the Stanley Cup in three consecutive seasons, a feat which hadn't occurred since multiple members of the 1983 New York Islanders accomplished it.[44] Maroon was the first player since Ed Litzenberger in 1963 to win the Stanley Cup in three consecutive years with two different teams.[45]


July 7 Montreal Canadiens 0–1 Tampa Bay Lightning Amalie Arena Recap
Scoring summary
Period Team Goal Assist(s) Time Score
1st None
2nd TBL Ross Colton (4) David Savard (5), Ryan McDonagh (8) 13:27 1–0 TBL
3rd None
Penalty summary
Period Team Player Penalty Time PIM
1st MTL Corey Perry Hooking 03:21 2:00
TBL Jan Rutta Cross-checking 07:19 2:00
MTL Corey Perry Embellishment 08:15 2:00
TBL Erik Cernak Interference 08:15 2:00
MTL Josh Anderson Hooking 08:43 2:00
2nd TBL David Savard Delay of game (puck over glass) 00:21 2:00
TBL Mikhail Sergachev Tripping 08:32 2:00
MTL Ben Chiarot Holding 19:22 2:00
3rd None
Shots by period
Team 1 2 3 Total
MTL 4 10 8 22
TBL 13 6 11 30

Team rosters

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Years indicated in boldface under the "Finals appearance" column signify that the player won the Stanley Cup in the given year.

Montreal Canadiens

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Shea Weber (pictured with Nashville) captained the Canadiens to their thirty-fifth Finals appearance in franchise history and first since 1993.
# Nat Player Position Hand Age Acquired Place of birth Finals appearance
34   Jake Allen G L 30 2020 Fredericton, New Brunswick second (2019)
17   Josh Anderson RW R 27 2020 Burlington, Ontario first
40   Joel Armia RW R 29 2018 Pori, Finland first
60   Alex Belzile RW R 29 2019 Saint-Éloi, Quebec first
41   Paul Byron – A LW L 32 2015 Ottawa, Ontario first
22   Cole Caufield RW R 20 2019 Mosinee, Wisconsin first
8   Ben Chiarot D L 31 2019 Hamilton, Ontario first
24   Phillip Danault C L 28 2016 Victoriaville, Quebec first
92   Jonathan Drouin LW L 26 2017 Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts, Quebec second (2015)
44   Joel Edmundson D L 27 2020 Brandon, Manitoba second (2019)
71   Jake Evans C R 25 2014 Toronto, Ontario first
20   Cale Fleury D R 22 2017 Carlyle, Saskatchewan first
67   Michael Frolik RW L 33 2020 Kladno, Czechoslovakia second (2013)
11   Brendan Gallagher – A RW R 29 2010 Edmonton, Alberta first
32   Erik Gustafsson D L 29 2021 Nynäshamn, Sweden first
15   Jesperi Kotkaniemi C L 20 2018 Pori, Finland first
77   Brett Kulak D L 27 2018 Edmonton, Alberta first
62   Artturi Lehkonen LW L 25 2015 Piikkiö, Finland first
39   Charlie Lindgren G R 27 2016 Lakeville, Minnesota first
70   Michael McNiven G L 23 2015 Winnipeg, Manitoba first
28   Jon Merrill D L 29 2021 Oklahoma City, Oklahoma second (2018)
61   Xavier Ouellet D L 27 2018 Bayonne, France first
94   Corey Perry RW R 36 2020 New Liskeard, Ontario third (2007, 2020)
26   Jeff Petry D R 33 2015 Ann Arbor, Michigan first
31   Carey Price G L 33 2005 Vancouver, British Columbia first
30   Cayden Primeau G L 21 2017 Farmington Hills, Michigan first
27   Alexander Romanov D L 21 2018 Moscow, Russia first
21   Eric Staal C L 36 2021 Thunder Bay, Ontario second (2006)
14   Nick Suzuki C R 21 2018 London, Ontario first
90   Tomas Tatar LW L 30 2018 Ilava, Czechoslovakia second (2018)
73   Tyler Toffoli RW R 29 2020 Scarborough, Ontario second (2014)
6   Shea Weber – C D R 35 2016 Sicamous, British Columbia first

Tampa Bay Lightning

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Steven Stamkos captained the Lightning to their second-straight Finals appearance and fourth overall in franchise history.
# Nat Player Position Hand Age Acquired Place of birth Finals appearance
60   Alex Barre-Boulet C L 24 2018 Montmagny, Quebec first
5   Andreas Borgman D L 26 2020 Stockholm, Sweden first
81   Erik Cernak D L 24 2017 Košice, Slovakia second (2020)
71   Anthony Cirelli C L 23 2015 Woodbridge, Ontario second (2020)
3   Fredrik Claesson D L 28 2021 Stockholm, Sweden first
20   Blake Coleman C L 29 2020 Plano, Texas second (2020)
79   Ross Colton C L 24 2016 Robbinsville, New Jersey first
52   Callan Foote D R 22 2017 Englewood, Colorado first
33   Christopher Gibson G L 28 2020 Karkkila, Finland first
19   Barclay Goodrow RW L 28 2020 Toronto, Ontario third (2016, 2020)
37   Yanni Gourde C L 29 2014 Saint-Narcisse, Quebec second (2020)
77   Victor Hedman – A D L 30 2009 Örnsköldsvik, Sweden third (2015, 2020)
9   Tyler Johnson C R 30 2011 Spokane, Washington third (2015, 2020)
7   Mathieu Joseph RW L 24 2015 Chambly, Quebec second (2020)
41   Boris Katchouk LW L 23 2016 Waterloo, Ontario first
17   Alex Killorn – A LW L 31 2007 Halifax, Nova Scotia third (2015, 2020)
86   Nikita Kucherov RW L 28 2011 Maykop, Russia third (2015, 2020)
14   Patrick Maroon LW L 32 2019 St. Louis, Missouri third (2019, 2020)
30   Spencer Martin G R 26 2019 Oakville, Ontario first
27   Ryan McDonagh – A D L 32 2018 Saint Paul, Minnesota third (2014, 2020)
35   Curtis McElhinney G L 38 2019 London, Ontario second (2020)
18   Ondrej Palat LW L 30 2011 Frýdek-Místek, Czechoslovakia third (2015, 2020)
21   Brayden Point C R 25 2014 Calgary, Alberta second (2020)
16   Taylor Raddysh RW R 23 2016 Caledon, Ontario first
44   Jan Rutta D R 30 2019 Písek, Czechoslovakia second (2020)
58   David Savard D R 30 2021 Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec first
2   Luke Schenn D R 31 2019 Saskatoon, Saskatchewan second (2020)
98   Mikhail Sergachev D L 22 2017 Nizhmekamsk, Russia second (2020)
46   Gemel Smith C L 27 2019 Toronto, Ontario first
91   Steven Stamkos – C C R 31 2008 Markham, Ontario third (2015, 2020)
67   Mitchell Stephens C R 24 2015 Peterborough, Ontario second (2020)
56   Ben Thomas D R 25 2014 Calgary, Alberta first
88   Andrei Vasilevskiy G L 26 2012 Tyumen, Russia third (2015, 2020)
85   Daniel Walcott LW L 27 2015 L'Île-Perrot, Quebec first

Stanley Cup engraving

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The Stanley Cup was presented to Lightning captain Steven Stamkos by NHL commissioner Gary Bettman following the Lightning's 1–0 win in Game 5.

The following Lightning players and staff qualified to have their names engraved on the Stanley Cup:

2020–21 Tampa Bay Lightning

Players

  Goaltenders


^ – played both wing and centre.

Coaching and administrative staff

  • Jeffrey Vinik (Chairman/Owner/Governor), Penny Vinik (Co-Owner), Steve Griggs (Chief Executive Officer/Alt. Governor), Julien BriseBois (Vice President/General Manager/Alt. Governor),
  • Allen Murray (Asst General Manager-Director of Amateur Scouting), Jamie Pushor (Asst. General Manager-Director of Player Personnel), Stacy Roest (Asst. General Manager-Director of Player Development), Mathieu Darche (Director of Hockey Operations),
  • Jon Cooper (Head Coach), Jeff Halpern (Asst. Coach), Derek Lalonde (Asst. Coach), Rob Zettler (Asst. Coach),
  • Frantz Jean (Goaltending Coach), Brian Garlock (Video Coordinator), Nigel Kirwan (Video Coach), Ryan Hamilton (Mental Performance Coach)
  • Jean-Paul "J.P." Cote (Director of Player Development), Mark Lambert (Director of High Performance/Strength Coach),Tom Mulligan (Athletic Trainer),
  • Michael Poirier (Asst. Athletic Trainer), Ray Thill (Equipment Manager), Rob Kennedy (Asst. Equipment Manager), Jason Berger (Asst. Equipment Manager),
  • Christian Rivas (Massage Therapist), Brandon Rodgers (Physical Therapist, Asst. Strength & Conditioning Coach), Ryan Belec (Sr. Director of Team Services),
  • Liz Sylvia Kokoharsky (Director of Hockey Administration), Michael Peterson (Director of Hockey Analytics), Ben Morgan (Video Analysis/player Analytics)

Engraving notes

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  • #52 Cal Foote (D) played 35 regular-season games, but did not dress in the playoffs. He qualified to be engraved by playing in half of Tampa Bay's regular-season games.
  • #14 Pat Maroon (LW) won his third consecutive Stanley Cup, after winning in 2019 with St. Louis and 2020 with Tampa Bay. He is the first player to do so since multiple members of the New York Islanders accomplished the feat in 1982 and 1983. He was also the first player since 1963 to win three cups in a row with two different teams, previously accomplished by Ed Litzenberger with Chicago in 1961 and Toronto in 1962 and 1963.
  • Assistant General Manager Al Murray was engraved as A.L. Murray, after having been engraved as Allen Murray the previous year.
  • #67 Mitchell Stephens played 7 regular-season games, but missed 35 games and the entirety of the playoffs due to injury. Tampa Bay did not request an injury exemption for him to be engraved, and his name was left off the Cup.
  • Tampa Bay did not request any non-qualified extra players to be included on the cup. Instead, four non-player personnel (Penny Vinik, Ryan Hamilton, Jean-Philippe Cote, and Ben Morgan), who were not engraved on the Cup the prior year, were added.

Player notes

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These players were on the extended roster during the playoffs, with most having played regular-season games for Tampa Bay. None appeared in the playoffs. They received championship rings, but were left off the Stanley Cup.

Media rights

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With the series running through the first week of July, no games were held on either Canada Day (July 1) or American Independence Day (July 4) to avoid scheduling conflicts.

In Canada, this was the seventh consecutive Stanley Cup Finals broadcast by Sportsnet and CBC Television in English, and TVA Sports in French.[46] The series was also streamed on Sportsnet Now and Rogers NHL Live.[1]

In the United States, this was the sixteenth consecutive and final Stanley Cup Finals produced by NBC Sports under their ten-year contract for American television rights to the NHL. NBCSN aired the first two games, while NBC televised the rest of the series. When the series started, only the first two games were available on Peacock,[47] NBC's streaming service. However, on July 2, the day of game three, NBCUniversal announced that the remainder of the series would also be available on Peacock.[2][48] Under the new seven-year contracts that began the next season, coverage of the Stanley Cup Finals will be rotated annually between ABC (which broadcast its first Stanley Cup Finals since 2004) in even years, and TNT (which will broadcast the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time ever in 2023; the first time the series will be aired entirely on cable television) in odd years.[49]

In Canada, Chris Cuthbert filled-in for Jim Hughson as Sportsnet lead play-by-play announcer after Hughson decided to not travel this season, and opted to only call national Vancouver Canucks home games due to COVID-19 pandemic.[50] Hughson would later announce his retirement in September 2021.[51]

In the U.S., Kenny Albert replaced the retired Mike "Doc" Emrick as NBC lead play-by-play announcer, having previously filled in for Emrick in game one of the 2014 Stanley Cup Finals due to a death in the latter's family.[52][53] NBC lead color commentator Eddie Olczyk missed game two due to a personal matter, so "Inside-the-Glass" reporter Brian Boucher moved to the booth with Albert, and Pierre McGuire took over for Boucher between the benches.[3] McGuire also called Game 3 of this series since Boucher missed that game for the same reason.[54] After the Finals, Albert and Olczyk moved on to become TNT’s lead broadcast team (erstwhile NBC studio analyst Keith Jones was later added to join the pair),[55][56] while Boucher joined ESPN/ABC.[57][58] McGuire meanwhile, was hired by the Ottawa Senators as the team's senior vice-president of player development on July 12,[59] having gone nearly three full decades without a managerial job in the NHL.[60]

The series averaged 3.6 million people on Sportsnet and CBC, making it the most watched Finals in Canada since the last time a Canadian team advanced this far in 2011. Meanwhile, the series averaged 2.52 million U.S. viewers, an increase from the 2.15 million average during the previous season's COVID-19-delayed Finals.[61]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Le retour en force du Nord: Montreal Canadiens to Meet Tampa Bay Lightning in Historic Stanley Cup Final on Sportsnet". Sportsnet.ca (Press release). Rogers Media. June 26, 2021. Archived from the original on June 28, 2021. Retrieved June 26, 2021.
  2. ^ a b "2021 Stanley Cup Final Game 3 – Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Montreal Canadiens Tonight at 8 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock" (Press release). NBC Universal. July 2, 2021. Retrieved July 2, 2021.
  3. ^ a b "2021 Stanley Cup Final Game 2: Montreal Canadiens vs. Tampa Bay Lightning Tonight at 8 p.m. ET on NBCSN and Peacock" (Press release). NBC Universal. June 30, 2021. Retrieved June 30, 2021.
  4. ^ Cotsonika, Nicholas (May 14, 2021). "Stanley Cup Playoffs: Key questions, answers". NHL.com. NHL Enterprises, L. P. Retrieved June 8, 2021.
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  29. ^ Farrell, Sean (June 7, 2021). "Canadiens win Game 4 in OT, sweep Jets". NHL.com. NHL Enterprises, L. P. Retrieved June 7, 2021.
  30. ^ Farrell, Sean (June 24, 2021). "Canadiens defeat Golden Knights in Game 6, advance to Stanley Cup Final". NHL.com. NHL Enterprises, L. P. Retrieved June 24, 2021.
  31. ^ Creamer, Chris. "Montreal Canadiens to Wear French-Language Patch During 2021 Stanley Cup Final". SportsLogos.Net News. Retrieved July 13, 2021.
  32. ^ Rosen, Dan (September 28, 2020). "Lightning win Stanley Cup, defeat Stars in Game 6 of Final". NHL.com. NHL Enterprises, L. P. Retrieved September 28, 2020.
  33. ^ Miller, Corey (October 9, 2020). "Pat Maroon re-signs with Tampa Bay Lightning". ksdk.com. KDSK-TV. Retrieved October 10, 2020.
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  35. ^ Gertz, Adam (November 25, 2020). "Lightning re-sign Mikhail Sergachev; still have work to do before season". NBCSports.com. NBC University. Retrieved December 9, 2020.
  36. ^ "Trade: Blue Jackets send David Savard to Lightning in 3-team trade". NHL.com. NHL Enterprises, L. P. April 10, 2021. Retrieved April 12, 2021.
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  38. ^ Dusterberg, Kurt (June 8, 2021). "Lightning eliminate Hurricanes in Game 5 of Stanley Cup Second Round". NHL.com. NHL Enterprises, L. P. Retrieved June 8, 2021.
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  41. ^ Farrell, Sean (July 2, 2021). "Lightning on cusp of Stanley Cup, defeat Canadiens in Game 3 of Final". NHL.com. NHL Enterprises, L. P. Retrieved July 2, 2021.
  42. ^ Farrell, Sean (July 5, 2021). "Canadiens defeat Lightning in OT in Game 4 of Cup Final, extend series". NHL.com. NHL Enterprises, L. P. Retrieved July 5, 2021.
  43. ^ Long, Corey (July 7, 2021). "Lightning repeat as Stanley Cup champions, defeat Canadiens in Game 5". NHL.com. NHL Enterprises, L. P. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
  44. ^ Johnston, Chris (July 7, 2021). "Forged by disappointment, Lightning ride out every storm to win Stanley Cup". Sportsnet.ca. Rogers Media. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
  45. ^ Satriano, David (July 7, 2021). "Maroon wins third straight Stanley Cup title with Lightning, Blues". NHl.com. NHL Enterprises, L. P. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
  46. ^ Rosen, Dan (November 26, 2013). "NHL, Rogers announce landmark 12-year deal". NHL.com. NHL Enterprises, L. P. Retrieved June 8, 2021.
  47. ^ Gurwin, Jason. "Peacock to Stream Select Games of 2021 Stanley Cup Final". The Streamable. Retrieved October 11, 2021.
  48. ^ "PEACOCK TO STREAM ALL STANLEY CUP FINAL GAMES". NBCUNIVERSAL MEDIA. Retrieved October 11, 2021.
  49. ^ Wyshnyski, Greg (April 27, 2021). "Turner Sports inks 7-year deal with NHL, will air 3 Stanley Cup finals". ESPN.com. ESPN Interactive. Retrieved June 8, 2021.
  50. ^ Johnston, Patrick (January 15, 2021). "Canucks Notebook: Höglander keeps late sister in his heart, broadcasters stick close to home". Theprovince. Archived from the original on January 15, 2021. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
  51. ^ "Hall of Fame broadcaster Jim Hughson announces retirement". The Athletic. September 21, 2021.
  52. ^ "NEW YORK RANGERS FACE LOS ANGELES KINGS IN STANLEY CUP FINAL – GAME 1 WEDNESDAY AT 8 P.M. ET ON NBC". NBCSportsGroupPressbox.com. NBC Universal. June 2, 2014. Retrieved July 2, 2021.
  53. ^ Dougherty, Pete (June 4, 2014). "Albert to fill in for Emrick on Game 1 of Stanley Cup Final". Hearst. Retrieved July 2, 2021.
  54. ^ "2021 STANLEY CUP FINAL GAME 3 – TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING VS. MONTREAL CANADIENS TONIGHT AT 8 P.M. ET ON NBC AND PEACOCK". NBC Sports Pressbox. July 2, 2021. Retrieved July 30, 2021.
  55. ^ Reedy, Joe (May 26, 2021). "The Great Move: Gretzky will be part of Turner's NHL studio". The Associated Press. Retrieved July 2, 2021.
  56. ^ ""The Great One" Wayne Gretzky, Kenny Albert & Eddie Olczyk Join the Turner Sports NHL Team". WarnerMedia.com. Warner Media, LLC. May 26, 2021. Retrieved July 2, 2021.
  57. ^ Coryell, Grace (June 29, 2021). "Dynamic, Diverse and Accomplished Team to Present ESPN's NHL Coverage to Fans". Espn Press Room U.S. ESPN Interactive. Retrieved June 29, 2021.
  58. ^ Marchand, Andrew (May 10, 2021). "ESPN adding Ray Ferraro, Brian Boucher as NHL analysts". New York Post. Retrieved May 17, 2021.
  59. ^ Garrioch, Bruce. "GARRIOCH: Melnyk calls McGuire a key piece of Sens' Stanley Cup drive". Ottawa Sun. Retrieved July 12, 2021.
  60. ^ "Senators appoint Pierre McGuire as senior VP of player development". NHL.com. Retrieved July 17, 2021.
  61. ^ "This is how it ends for the NHL on NBC — a small ratings bump for the Stanley Cup Final". The Athletic. July 9, 2021. Retrieved August 16, 2021. The entire five-game series, which was mostly one-sided as Tampa Bay defended its title, averaged 2.52 million, the network [NBC] said. That's up from last year's Final — played out-of-season in September and in a fan-less Edmonton "bubble" because of COVID-19 — that averaged 2.15 million ... The broadcast on Sportsnet/CBC averaged 4.1 million for Game 5 and 3.6 million for the series
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Preceded by Tampa Bay Lightning
Stanley Cup champions
2021 		Succeeded by
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