1926 Stanley Cup Finals

1926 Stanley Cup Finals
Teams 1 2 3 4 Games Montreal Maroons (NHL)  3 3 2 2 3 Victoria Cougars (WHL)  0 0 3 0 1
Location: Montreal (Forum) (1–4) Format: best-of-five Coaches: Montreal: Eddie Gerard Victoria: Lester Patrick Dates: March 30 – April 6 Series-winning goal: Nels Stewart (2:50, second)
< 1925 Stanley Cup Finals 1927 >

The 1926 Stanley Cup Final saw the National Hockey League (NHL) champion Montreal Maroons, in their first Final series appearance, defeat the Western Hockey League (WHL) and defending Stanley Cup champion Victoria Cougars three games to one in the best-of-five game series. This was the last time a non-NHL team would contest for the Cup – the WHL folded following the 1926 Finals leaving the Cup to be contested solely by NHL clubs thereafter.

Paths to the Final

The Cougars finished the 1925–26 WHL regular season in third place, but eventually upset the Edmonton Eskimos in the WHL championship by a combined score of 5–3 to reach the Stanley Cup Finals. Meanwhile, the Maroons finished the NHL regular season in second place. Montreal went on to beat the third seed Pittsburgh Pirates and then defeated the first place Ottawa Senators 2 goals to 1 in a two game total goals series, thus capturing the Prince of Wales Trophy and the right to play Victoria for the Cup.

The series

All of the games in the 1926 Cup Final were played at the Montreal Forum. Aided by three future Hockey Hall of Famers, the Maroons ended up dominating the series. Goaltender Clint Benedict, who previously helped Ottawa in three Cup championships, recorded three shutouts. Rookie Nels Stewart scored 6 of Montreal's 10 overall goals in the 4 games. Punch Broadbent also recorded a goal for the Maroons. The Cougars' lone win came in game three, 3–2.

Nels Stewart scored both goals in the fourth game to win the series. Stewart had given his stick to a fan after the playoff series against Ottawa. He asked for and retrieved the stick back from the fan prior to the fourth game. He then gave back the stick to the fan after game four.

Game-by-Game		Rules	Winning Team	Score	Losing Team	Location
1	March 30	NHL	Montreal Maroons	3–0	Victoria Cougars	Montreal Forum
2	April 1	WHL	Montreal Maroons	3–0	Victoria Cougars
3	April 3	NHL	Victoria Cougars	3–2	Montreal Maroons
4	April 6	WHL	Montreal Maroons	2–0	Victoria Cougars
Maroons win best-of-five series 3 games to 1

Montreal Maroons 1926 Stanley Cup champions

Dunc Munro became the third player to have won an Olympic gold medal and the Stanley Cup. Munro had been a member of the Toronto Granites who had won gold at the 1924 Winter Olympics.

Roster

  Centres

• Charles Dinny Dinsmore
• Merlyn "Bill" Phillips
• 5 Nels Stewart

  Wingers

• 4 Harry Punch Broadbent
• Bernie Brophy†
• Frank Carson
• Shorty George Horne †
• Sammy Rothschild

  Defencemen

• Duncan Dunc Munro (Captain)
• Albert Toots Holway
• 3 Reg Noble
• Champman Hobie Kitchen†
• 6 Albert Babe Siebert

(also played leftwing)

  Goaltenders

• 1 Clint Benedict

  Coaching and administrative staff

• James Strachan (President/Owner)
• Gordon Cushing (Vice President), Thomas Arnold (Vice President)
• Bill O'Brien (Trainer), Eddie Gerard (Manager-Coach),
• Donat Raymond (Director), Arthur Cayford (Secretary-Treasurer)

Stanley Cup engraving

Eddie Gerard's name was misspelled F. GERAD (MGR) instead of E. GERARD (MGR) on the second version of the ring created in 1969. The mistake was repeated on the Replica Cup created in 1992–93.

• After the series win, a new ring was added directly underneath the original bowl of the Cup with the words "Won/By Montreal 'Maroons' 1925–26". In addition players and Non-players names were added to the trophy.
• † 3 players who qualified were left off the Stanley Cup, because they did not play in the playoffs.

See also

• 1925–26 NHL season
• 1925–26 WHL season

References

Notes

Preceded by Victoria Cougars 1925

Montreal Maroons Stanley Cup Champions 1926

Succeeded by Ottawa Senators 1927