2002 Stanley Cup Final

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 1998. 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.

2002 Stanley Cup Final
1 2 3 4 5 Total Detroit Red Wings 2* 3 3*** 3 3 4 Carolina Hurricanes 3* 1 2*** 0 1 1
* indicates periods of overtime
Location(s)	Detroit: Joe Louis Arena (1, 2, 5) Raleigh: Raleigh Entertainment & Sports Arena (3, 4)
Coaches	Detroit: Scotty Bowman Carolina: Paul Maurice
Captains	Detroit: Steve Yzerman Carolina: Ron Francis
National anthems	Detroit: Karen Newman Carolina: Unknown
Referees	Bill McCreary (1, 3, 5) Stephen Walkom (1, 3, 5) Don Koharski (2, 4) Paul Devorski (2, 4)
Dates	June 4–13, 2002
MVP	Nicklas Lidstrom (Red Wings)
Series-winning goal	Brendan Shanahan (14:04, second, G5)
Hall of Famers	Red Wings: Chris Chelios (2013) Pavel Datsyuk (2024) Sergei Fedorov (2015) Dominik Hasek (2014) Brett Hull (2009) Igor Larionov (2008) Nicklas Lidstrom (2015) Luc Robitaille (2009) Brendan Shanahan (2013) Steve Yzerman (2009) Hurricanes: Ron Francis (2007) Coaches: Scotty Bowman (1991) Officials: Bill McCreary (2014)
Networks	Canada: (English): CBC (French): SRC United States: (English): ESPN (1–2), ABC (3–5)
Announcers	(CBC) Bob Cole and Harry Neale (SRC) Claude Quenneville and Michel Bergeron (ESPN/ABC) Gary Thorne and Bill Clement (NHL International) Dave Strader and Joe Micheletti
← 2001 Stanley Cup Final 2003 →

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 1997 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 1973, 1976, 1977, 1978, and 1979, with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1992, and with Detroit in 1997 and 1998), surpassing the mark he held jointly with Montreal coach Toe Blake. 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

Further information: 2002 Stanley Cup playoffs

See also: 2001–02 Carolina Hurricanes season and 2001–02 Detroit Red Wings season

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 Hasek (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, Hasek 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

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 1994 when there were 27 points between the New York Rangers (112) and the Canucks (85).^[1]

The Hurricanes stunned the Red Wings in the first game on the strength of Ron Francis's overtime goal. 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 Hasek, 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 1986.

Game one

June 4

Carolina Hurricanes

3–2

OT

Detroit Red Wings

Joe Louis Arena

Recap

Game one summary

• First period:
  • Scoring:
    • 1. DETROIT FEDOROV (YZERMAN) 15:21 (PPG)
  • Penalties:
    • Hedican (Car) (high-sticking) 8:03, Robitaille (Det) (tripping) 10:28, Hill (Car) (tripping) 11:15, Wesley (Car) (interference) 15:03.
• Second period:
  • Scoring:
    • 2. CAROLINA HILL (KAPANEN, FRANCIS) 3:30 (PPG)
    • 3. DETROIT MALTBY (McCARTY) 10:39
    • 4. CAROLINA O'NEILL (WARD) 19:10
  • Penalties:
    • Carolina bench (too many men) 0:34, Larionov (Det) (high-sticking) 2:07, Draper (Det) (hooking) 2:44, Svoboda (Car) (high-sticking) 4:28, Wallin (Car) (roughing) 7:41, Dandenault (Det) (tripping) 12:12.
• Third period:
  • Scoring: No goals.
  • Penalties:
    • Devereaux (Det) (holding the stick) 5:49, Larionov (Det) (high-sticking) 12:17, Cole (Car) (hooking) 18:19.
• First overtime:
  • Scoring:
    • 5. CAROLINA FRANCIS (O'NEILL, KAPANEN) 0:58 (GWG)
  • Penalties:
    • None
• Goalie statistics:
  • Carolina: Arturs Irbe — 23 saves / 25 shots
  • Detroit: Dominik Hasek — 23 saves / 26 shots
• Shots by period:

Team	1	2	3	1OT	T
Carolina	7	13	5	1	26
Detroit	8	12	5	0	25

Game two

June 6

Carolina Hurricanes

1–3

Detroit Red Wings

Joe Louis Arena

Recap

Game two summary

• First period:
  • Scoring:
    • 1. DETROIT MALTBY (DRAPER, CHELIOS) 6:33 (SHG)
    • 2. CAROLINA BRIND'AMOUR (unassisted) 14:47 (SHG)
  • Penalties:
    • Draper (Det) (boarding) 1:25, Duchesne (Det) (holding) 5:21, Hill (Car) (slashing) 6:33, Svoboda (Car) (roughing) 14:03, Hill (Car) (holding) 16:23.
• Second period:
  • Scoring: No goals.
  • Penalties:
    • Battaglia (Car) (holding) 1:05, Duchesne (Det) (tripping) 3:55, Detroit bench (too many men) 7:23, Gelinas (Car) (interference) 10:10, Ward (Car) (holding) 18:03.
• Third period:
  • Scoring:
    • 3. DETROIT LIDSTROM (FEDOROV, YZERMAN) 14:52 (PPG, GWG)
    • 4. DETROIT DRAPER (LIDSTROM, OLAUSSON) 15:05
  • Penalties:
    • Fischer (Det) (high-sticking) 9:38, Gelinas (Car) (slashing) 14:00, Fischer (Det) (slashing) 17:15, Battaglia (Car) (charging) 17:45, Brind'Amour (Car), Cole (Car), McCarty (Det), Maltby (Det), Chelios (Det) (roughing) 19:33, Hull (Det) (tripping) 19:41.
• Goalie statistics:
  • Carolina: Arturs Irbe — 27 saves / 30 shots
  • Detroit: Dominik Hasek — 16 saves / 17 shots
• Shots by period:

Team	1	2	3	T
Carolina	7	4	6	17
Detroit	9	8	13	30

Game three

June 8

Detroit Red Wings

3–2

3OT

Carolina Hurricanes

Raleigh Entertainment & Sports Arena

Recap

Game three summary

• First period:
  • Scoring:
    • 1. CAROLINA VASICEK (GELINAS, WESLEY) 14:49
  • Penalties:
    • Brind'Amour (Car) (holding the stick) 1:45, Hedican (Car) (boarding) 3:32, O'Neill (Car) (boarding) 11:34, Lidstrom (Det) (tripping) 12:30, Devereaux (Det) (slashing) 19:15.
• Second period:
  • Scoring:
    • 2. DETROIT LARIONOV (HULL) 5:33
  • Penalties:
    • Maltby (Det), Ward (Car) (unsportsmanlike conduct) 5:13, Chelios (Det) (interference) 8:12, Fedorov (Det), Hill (Car) (holding) 19:44, Hill (Car) (tripping) 13:24.
• Third period:
  • Scoring:
    • 3. CAROLINA O'NEILL (FRANCIS) 7:34
    • 4. DETROIT HULL (LIDSTROM, FEDOROV) 18:46
  • Penalties:
    • Shanahan (Det), Vasicek (Car) (roughing) 5:25, Duchesne (Det) (holding) 9:58, Shanahan (Det), Hill (Car) (roughing) 19:01.
• First overtime:
  • Scoring: No goals.
  • Penalties:
    • Duchesne (Det), Svoboda (Car) (roughing) 18:23.
• Second overtime:
  • Scoring: No goals.
  • Penalties:
    • Cole (Car) (holding the stick) 8:35, Olausson (Det) (holding) 13:25.
• Third overtime:
  • Scoring:
    • 5. DETROIT LARIONOV (HOLMSTROM, DUCHESNE) 14:47 (GWG)
  • Penalties:
    • None.
• Goalie statistics:
  • Detroit: Dominik Hasek — 41 saves / 43 shots
  • Carolina: Arturs Irbe — 50 saves / 53 shots
• Shots by period:

Team	1	2	3	1OT	2OT	3OT	T
Detroit	6	7	16	11	6	7	53
Carolina	8	6	7	5	8	9	43

Game four

June 10

Detroit Red Wings

3–0

Carolina Hurricanes

Raleigh Entertainment & Sports Arena

Recap

Game four summary

• First period:
  • Scoring: No goals.
  • Penalties:
    • Wesley (Car) (hooking) 2:05, Fedorov (Det) (high-sticking), Cole (Car) (goaltender interference) 16:54.
• Second period:
  • Scoring:
    • 1. DETROIT HULL (DEVEREAUX, OLAUSSON) 6:32 (GWG)
  • Penalties:
    • Robitaille (Det) (high-sticking) 9:06, Duchesne (Det) (holding the stick) 14:34.
• Third period:
  • Scoring:
    • 2. DETROIT LARIONOV (FISCHER, ROBITAILLE) 3:43
    • 3. DETROIT SHANAHAN (FEDOROV, CHELIOS) 14:43
  • Penalties:
    • Hill (Car) (boarding) 8:34.
• Goalie statistics:
  • Detroit: Dominik Hasek — 17 saves / 17 shots
  • Carolina: Arturs Irbe — 24 saves / 27 shots
• Shots by period:

Team	1	2	3	T
Detroit	10	6	11	27
Carolina	6	7	4	17

Game five

June 13

Carolina Hurricanes

1–3

Detroit Red Wings

Joe Louis Arena

Recap

Game five summary

• First period:
  • Scoring: No goals.
  • Penalties:
    • Carolina bench (too many men) 12:09.
• Second period:
  • Scoring:
    • 1. DETROIT HOLMSTROM (LARIONOV, CHELIOS) 4:07
    • 2. DETROIT SHANAHAN (FEDOROV, YZERMAN) 14:04 (PPG, GWG)
    • 3. CAROLINA O'NEILL (HILL, WESLEY) 18:50 (PPG)
  • Penalties:
    • Slegr (Det) (holding) 6:00, Svoboda (Car) (roughing) 13:34, Cole (Car) (roughing) 16:15, Shanahan (Det) (hooking) 16:53.
• Third period:
  • Scoring:
    • 4. DETROIT SHANAHAN (YZERMAN) 19:15 (EN)
  • Penalties:
    • Fedorov (Det) (cross-checking) 5:23, Vasicek (Car) (interference) 8:12.
• Goalie statistics:
  • Carolina: Arturs Irbe — 24 saves / 26 shots
  • Detroit: Dominik Hasek — 16 saves / 17 shots
• Shots by period:

Team	1	2	3	T
Carolina	5	7	5	17
Detroit	12	8	7	27

Team rosters

Carolina Hurricanes

Goaltenders
#	Player	Catches	Acquired	Place of birth		Finals appearance
1	Arturs Irbe	L	1998–99		Riga, Soviet Union	first
80	Kevin Weekes	L	2001–02		Toronto, Ontario	first (did not play)

Defencemen
#	Player	Shoots	Acquired	Place of birth		Finals appearance
2	Glen Wesley – A	L	1994–95		Red Deer, Alberta	third (1988, 1990)
4	Aaron Ward	R	2001–02		Windsor, Ontario	third (1997, 1998)
5	Marek Malik	L	1993		Ostrava, Czechoslovakia	first
6	Bret Hedican	L	2001–02		Saint Paul, Minnesota	second (1994)
7	Niclas Wallin	L	2000		Boden, Sweden	first
22	Sean Hill	R	2001–02		Duluth, Minnesota	second (1993)
45	David Tanabe	R	1999		White Bear Lake, Minnesota	first (did not play)

Forwards
#	Player	Position	Shoots	Acquired	Place of birth		Finals appearance
10	Ron Francis – C	C	L	1998–99		Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario	third (1991, 1992)
11	Jeff Daniels	C	L	1999–2000		Oshawa, Ontario	first
12	Craig MacDonald	LW	L	1996		Antigonish, Nova Scotia	first (did not play)
13	Bates Battaglia	LW	L	1997–98		Chicago, Illinois	first
15	Kevyn Adams	C	R	2001–02		Washington, D.C.	first
16	Tommy Westlund	RW	R	1998		Fors, Sweden	first
17	Rod Brind'Amour – A	C	L	1999–2000		Ottawa, Ontario	second (1997)
23	Martin Gelinas	LW	L	1997–98		Shawinigan, Quebec	third (1990, 1994)
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 (did not play)
62	Jaroslav Svoboda	LW	L	1998		Červenka, Czechoslovakia	first
63	Josef Vasicek	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	1999–2000		Toronto, Ontario	first (did not play)
39	Dominik Hasek	L	2001–02		Pardubice, Czechoslovakia	third (1992, 1999)

Defencemen
#	Player	Shoots	Acquired	Place of birth		Finals appearance
2	Jiri Fischer	L	1998		Hořovice, Czechoslovakia	first
5	Nicklas Lidstrom – A	L	1989		Krylbo, Sweden	fourth (1995, 1997, 1998)
11	Mathieu Dandenault	R	1994		Sherbrooke, Quebec	third (1997, 1998)
24	Chris Chelios	R	1998–99		Chicago, Illinois	fourth (1986, 1989, 1992)
27	Fredrik Olausson	R	2001–02		Nybro, Sweden	first
28	Steve Duchesne	L	1997–98		Sept-Îles, Quebec	first
71	Jiri Slegr	L	2001–02		Jihlava, Czechoslovakia	first

Forwards
#	Player	Position	Shoots	Acquired	Place of birth		Finals appearance
8	Igor Larionov	C	L	2000–01		Voskresensk, Soviet Union	third (1997, 1998)
13	Pavel Datsyuk	C	L	1998		Sverdlovsk, Soviet Union	first
14	Brendan Shanahan – A	LW	R	1996–97		Etobicoke, Ontario	third (1997, 1998)
17	Brett Hull	RW	R	2001–02		Belleville, Ontario	fourth (1986, 1999, 2000)
18	Kirk Maltby	RW	R	1995–96		Guelph, Ontario	third (1997, 1998)
19	Steve Yzerman – C	C	R	1983		Burnaby, British Columbia	fourth (1995, 1997, 1998)
20	Luc Robitaille	LW	L	2001–02		Montreal, Quebec	second (1993)
21	Boyd Devereaux	LW	L	2000–01		Seaforth, Ontario	first
25	Darren McCarty	RW	R	1992		Burnaby, British Columbia	fourth (1995, 1997, 1998)
29	Jason Williams	RW	R	2000–01		London, Ontario	first (did not play)
33	Kris Draper	C	L	1993–94		Toronto, Ontario	fourth (1995, 1997, 1998)
91	Sergei Fedorov	C	L	1989		Pskov, Soviet Union	fourth (1995, 1997, 1998)
96	Tomas Holmstrom	LW	L	1994		Piteå, Sweden	third (1997, 1998)

Stanley Cup engraving

The 2002 Stanley Cup was presented to Red Wings captain Steve Yzerman by NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman following the Red Wings 3–1 win over the Hurricanes in game five.

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

2001–02 Detroit Red Wings

Players

  Centres

• 8 Igor Larionov
• 13 Pavel Datsyuk
• 19 Steve Yzerman* (Captain)
• 29 Jason Williams*
• 33 Kris Draper
• 91 Sergei Fedorov †

  Wingers

• 14 Brendan Shanahan (A)
• 17 Brett Hull
• 18 Kirk Maltby
• 20 Luc Robitaille
• 21 Boyd Devereaux
• 25 Darren McCarty
• 96 Tomas Holmstrom

  Defencemen

• 2 Jiri Fischer
• 5 Nicklas Lidstrom (A)
• 11 Mathieu Dandenault
• 24 Chris Chelios
• 27 Fredrik Olausson
• 28 Steve Duchesne
• 71 Jiri Slegr

  Goaltenders

• 34 Manny Legace
• 39 Dominik Hasek

• * Played both centre and wing.
  
• † Played both centre and wing regularly, and occasionally played defence due to emergencies.

Coaching and administrative staff

• Mike Ilitch Sr. (Owner/President/Governor), Marian Ilitch (Owner/Secretary-Treasurer), Christopher Ilitch (Co-President of Ilitch Holdings/Alt. Governor)
• Denise Ilitch (Co-President of Ilitch Holdings/Alt. Governor), Ronald Ilitch, Michael Ititch Jr. (Minority Owners)
• Lisa Ilitch Murray, Atanas Ilitch, Carole Ilitch Trepeck (Minority Owners), Jim Devellano (Sr. Vice President/Alt. Governor)
• Ken Holland (General Manager), Jim Nill (Asst. General Manager), William Scotty Bowman (Head Coach), Dave Lewis (Associate Coach), Barry Smith (Associate Coach)
• Jim Bedard (Goaltending Consultant), Joey Kocur (Video Coordinator), John Wharton (Athletic Therapist), Piet Van Zant (Asst. Athletic Therapist), Paul Boyer (Equipment Manager)
• Paul MacDonald (Sr. Director of Finance), Nancy Beard (Executive Asst.), Dan Belisle (Director of Scouting), Mark Howe (Scout)
• Bob McCammon (Scout), Hakan Andersson (Director of European Scouting), Bruce Haralson (Scout)
• Mark Leach (Scout), Joe McDonnell (Scout), Glenn Merkosky (Scout)

Engraving notes

• Manny Legace's name was misspelled MANNY LEGECE with an "E" instead of an "A". An "A" was stamped over the second "E" twice to correct this mistake.
• Steve Yzerman and Brendan Shanahan became the second and third players to win the Olympic Gold Medal in hockey (with team Canada) and the Stanley Cup (with Detroit) in the same year (See 1980 Ken Morrow)
• Chris Chelios and Brett Hull became the first players to win an Olympic Silver medal (with team United States) and the Stanley Cup (with Detroit) in the same year.
• 10 Players (Steve Yzerman, Igor Larionov, Sergei Fedorov, Brendan Shanahan, Kris Draper, Kirk Maltby, Darren McCarty, Tomas Holmstrom, Nicklas Lidstrom, & Mathieu Dandenault) won their third Stanley Cup with Detroit.

Left off the Stanley Cup, but included in team picture

• The players listed below were on the roster during the Finals, but left off the Stanley Cup engraving due to not qualifying (41 regular season games or 1 Finals game for Detroit).
  • #32 Maxim Kuznetsov played in 39 games (2 less than the minimum), but was not dressed in the playoffs. He spent whole season with Detroit.
  • #4 Uwe Krupp (D) – missed 60 games injured, played 8 regular season games, and 2 playoff games
  • #42 Sean Avery (C) – 36 games in minors, 36 games for Detroit
  • #3 Jesse Wallin (D) – 5 games in minors, 15 games for Detroit, missed most of the season injured
  • #15 Ladislav Kohn (RW) – 4 games played, 40 games played in Europe
  • #37 Jason Elliott (G) – was called up from the minors to serve as a practice goalie for Detroit, during the playoffs. Jason Elliot never played a game in the NHL. He retired after 2006-07 season while playing in Germany.
• Detroit wanted to include 30 non players, while still leaving many more non players off. Each NHL team is to dress 20 out a 23 team roster for each games. In 2002 only 22 players' names were added to the Stanley Cup.
• Tim Abbott (Asst. Equipment Manager), Sergei Tchekmarev (Masseur), Rick Szuber (Equipment Assistant) John Remejes (Dressing Room Asst.)
• All 10 players and non-playing personnel in the team picture were awarded the Stanley Cup Rings.

Broadcasting

In Canada, the series was televised in English on CBC. This would end up being the last finals broadcast by SRC, as RDS would pick up the French-language broadcast for the next season.

In the United States, ESPN aired the first two games while ABC broadcast the rest of the series.