The 1956 Stanley Cup Final NHL

National Hockey League

The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...

 championship series was contested by the Montreal Canadiens

Montreal Canadiens

The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...

 and the defending champion Detroit Red Wings

Detroit Red Wings

The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...

 in the fifth Detroit-Montreal series in the 1950s

1950s

The 1950s or The Fifties was the decade that began on January 1, 1950 and ended on December 31, 1959. The decade was the sixth decade of the 20th century...

. The Canadiens were making the sixth consecutive appearance in the Final series; Detroit was making their third consecutive appearance. The Canadiens would win the series 4–1.

Paths to the final

Montreal defeated the New York Rangers

New York Rangers

The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...

 4–1 to reach the final. Detroit defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs

Toronto Maple Leafs

The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...

 4–1 to reach the final.

The series

Maurice "Rocket" Richard

Maurice Richard

Joseph Henri Maurice "the Rocket" Richard, Sr., was a French-Canadian professional ice hockey player who played for the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League from 1942 to 1960. The "Rocket" was the most prolific goal-scorer of his era, the first to achieve the feat of 50 goals in 50...

, scored four times in game one, including three in the second period to tie Ted Lindsay

Ted Lindsay

Robert Blake Theodore Lindsay is a former professional ice hockey player, a forward for the Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Black Hawks of the National Hockey League . He scored over 800 points in his Hockey Hall of Fame career, won the Art Ross Trophy in 1950, and won the Stanley Cup four times...

's record. Jacques Plante

Jacques Plante

Joseph Jacques Omer Plante was a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender. During a career lasting from 1947–1975, he was considered to be one of the most important innovators in hockey...

 held the Red Wings to just ten goals in the five games. This was the first finals for Henri Richard

Henri Richard

Joseph Henri Richard is a former professional ice hockey player who played centre with the Montreal Canadiens in the National Hockey League from 1955 to 1975...

 and Toe Blake

Toe Blake

Hector "Toe" Blake, CM was a Canadian ice hockey player and coach in the National Hockey League .-Nickname:His nickname came out of his childhood for his younger sister was unable to pronounce his name...

's first finals as coach.

Detroit Red Wings vs. Montreal Canadiens

Date	Away	Score	Home	Score	Notes
March 31	Detroit	4	Montreal	6
April 3	Detroit	1	Montreal	5
April 5	Montreal	1	Detroit	3
April 8	Montreal	3	Detroit	0
April 10	Detroit	1	Montreal	3

Montreal wins best-of-seven series 4 games to 1

Montreal Canadiens 1956 Stanley Cup champions

Stanley Cup engraving

• Emile "Butch" Bouchard was engraved on the Stanley Cup in 1944, 1946 and 1953 as EMILE BOUCHARD. He was then engraved on the Stanley Cup as BUTCH BOUCHARD in 1956.
• In a mistake, Bob Turner is listed as Trainer on the Stanley Cup but he was a defenseman. Hector Dubois and Gaston Bettez were the trainers, but no position was listed. These mistakes were not corrected on the Replica Cup created in 1992–93.
• In a mistake, Claude Provost's name was misspelled C. PREVOST with an "E" instead an "O". Provost spelling mistake was also not corrected on the Replica Cup created in 1992–93.
• In a mistake, Gaston Bettez was spelled wrong as G BETTEX when cup was redone in 1957–58 with an "X" instead of "Z", and the mistake was repeated on the Replica Cup. His name was spelled correctly on the original ring as G. BETTEZ.