2001 Stanley Cup Finals
Encyclopedia
The 2001 Stanley Cup Finals was contested by the Eastern Conference champion and defending Stanley Cup champion
2000 Stanley Cup Finals
The 2000 Stanley Cup Finals was contested by the Eastern Conference champion New Jersey Devils and the Western Conference and defending Stanley Cup champion Dallas Stars. The Devils were led by captain Scott Stevens, coach Larry Robinson and goalie Martin Brodeur...

 New Jersey Devils
New Jersey Devils
The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey, United States. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...

 and the Western Conference champion Colorado Avalanche
Colorado Avalanche
The Colorado Avalanche are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver, Colorado, United States. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Avalanche have won the Stanley Cup twice, in 1995–96 and 2000–01. The franchise...

, making the franchise's second Stanley Cup Finals appearance, and first since the team won the 1996 Finals
1996 Stanley Cup Finals
The 1996 Stanley Cup Final NHL championship series was contested by two teams that had not existed three seasons before, the Colorado Avalanche and the Florida Panthers. The Avalanche won the Cup in a four game sweep to win the franchise's first Stanley Cup, in their first season in Denver since...

. The Avalanche won the series in seven games, claiming their second Stanley Cup championship. This marked the only Stanley Cup championship for Avalanche defenseman Ray Bourque
Ray Bourque
Raymond Jean "Ray" Bourque is a former Canadian professional ice hockey player. He currently holds records for most goals, assists and points by a defenceman in the National Hockey League . Bourque has become near-synonymous with the Boston Bruins franchise, for which he played 21 seasons and...

, who retired following the series. This was also the second consecutive Final series of teams that had relocated. This was the first Stanley Cup Finals since that would be decided in the maximum seven games. This is also the first and, as of , most recent Finals since that the top seed in each conference have met.

Paths to the Finals

New Jersey defeated the Carolina Hurricanes
Carolina Hurricanes
The Carolina Hurricanes are a professional ice hockey team based in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League , and play their home games at the 18,680-seat RBC Center...

 4–2, 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...

 4–3 and the Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams during the league's original...

 4–1 to advance to the Finals.

Colorado defeated the Vancouver Canucks
Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,...

 4–0, the Los Angeles Kings
Los Angeles Kings
The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles, California. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...

 4–3 and the St. Louis Blues 4–1.

The series

This is the first ever Final that featured two teams playing in a city that was the previous home of one team and the present home of another. The Colorado Rockies
Colorado Rockies (NHL)
The Colorado Rockies were an American professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League that played in Denver, Colorado, from 1976 to 1982. They were a relocation of the Kansas City Scouts, a 1974 expansion team. The franchise moved to East Rutherford, New Jersey, in 1982 and was...

 were formerly based in Denver and were relocated and renamed the New Jersey Devils prior to the season. The Quebec Nordiques
Quebec Nordiques
The Quebec Nordiques were a professional ice hockey team based in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. The Nordiques played in the World Hockey Association and the National Hockey League...

 were relocated to Denver and renamed the Colorado Avalanche prior to the season.
The Avalanche winning the Stanley Cup made this the second straight year that the defending champions lost in the Finals, as the Devils themselves defeated the 1999 champions
1999 Stanley Cup Finals
The 1999 Stanley Cup Final NHL championship series was contested by the Eastern Conference champion Buffalo Sabres and the Western Conference champion Dallas Stars. It was the 106th year of the Stanley Cup. The Sabres were led by captain Michael Peca, coach Lindy Ruff and goalie Dominik Hasek. The...

 Dallas Stars
Dallas Stars
The Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team was founded during the 1967 NHL expansion as the Minnesota North Stars, based in Bloomington, Minnesota. The...

 the year before
2000 Stanley Cup Finals
The 2000 Stanley Cup Finals was contested by the Eastern Conference champion New Jersey Devils and the Western Conference and defending Stanley Cup champion Dallas Stars. The Devils were led by captain Scott Stevens, coach Larry Robinson and goalie Martin Brodeur...

.

Colorado Avalanche - 2001 Stanley Cup champions

External links

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