1940 Stanley Cup Finals

The 1940 Stanley Cup Finals was a best-of-seven series between the New York Rangers and the Toronto Maple Leafs. New York would win the series 4–2 to win their third Stanley Cup. The Rangers would not win another for 54 years, a circumstance termed the curse of 1940.

1940 Stanley Cup Finals
123456Total
New York Rangers2*6102**3*4
Toronto Maple Leafs1*2231**2*2
* – Denotes overtime period(s)
Location(s)New York City: Madison Square Garden (1, 2)
Toronto: Maple Leaf Gardens (3–6)
CoachesNew York: Frank Boucher
Toronto: Dick Irvin
CaptainsNew York: Art Coulter
Toronto: Red Horner
DatesApril 2–13, 1940
Series-winning goalBryan Hextall (2:07, OT)
Hall of FamersRangers:
Neil Colville (1967)
Art Coulter (1974)
Bryan Hextall (1969)
Lynn Patrick (1980)
Babe Pratt (1966)
Clint Smith (1991)
Maple Leafs:
Syl Apps (1961)
Turk Broda (1967)
Gordie Drillon (1975)
Red Horner (1965)
Sweeney Schriner (1962)
Coaches:
Frank Boucher (1958, player)
Dick Irvin (1958, player)
← 1939Stanley Cup Finals1941 →

Paths to the Finals

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New York defeated the Boston Bruins in a best-of-seven 4–2 to advance to the Finals. The Maple Leafs had to play two best-of three series; winning 2–0 against the Chicago Black Hawks, and 2–0 against the Detroit Red Wings to advance to the Finals.

Game summaries

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The Finals series between the Rangers and the Maple Leafs was an exciting one that went back and forth with three overtime games. The Rangers took the first two at home and the Leafs took the next two in Toronto.The circus forced the Rangers to vacate Madison Square Garden after the first two games. The Rangers would score three game-winning goals in overtime including the Cup winner. Lynn and Murray Patrick played for the Rangers to become the third and fourth members of the Patrick family to win the Stanley Cup.[1]


April 2Toronto Maple Leafs1–2OTNew York RangersMadison Square Garden IIIRecap 
Red Heron (2) - 11:01First period9:09 - pp - Art Coulter (1)
No scoringSecond periodNo scoring
No scoringThird periodNo scoring
No scoringFirst overtime period15:30 - Alf Pike (2)
Turk BrodaGoalie statsDave Kerr
April 3Toronto Maple Leafs2–6New York RangersMadison Square Garden IIIRecap 
Billy Taylor (1) - 5:01
Hank Goldup (4) - 6:01
First period15:14 - Bryan Hextall
No scoringSecond period3:57 - Babe Pratt (3)
19:48 - pp - Bryan Hextall (2)
No scoringThird period6:26 - Bryan Hextall (3)
12:21 - pp - Dutch Hiller (2)
13:09 - pp - Lynn Patrick (2)
Turk BrodaGoalie statsDave Kerr
April 6New York Rangers1–2Toronto Maple LeafsMaple Leaf GardensRecap 
Phil Watson (3) - 18:19First periodNo scoring
No scoringSecond periodNo scoring
No scoringThird period10:32 - Gordie Drillon (2)
13:40 - Hank Goldup (5)
Dave KerrGoalie statsTurk Broda
April 9New York Rangers0–3Toronto Maple LeafsMaple Leaf GardensRecap 
No scoringFirst period19:20 - Gus Marker (1)
No scoringSecond periodNo scoring
No scoringThird period16:03 - Wally Stanowski (1)
19:26 - Gordie Drillon (3)
Dave KerrGoalie statsTurk Broda
April 11New York Rangers2–12OTToronto Maple LeafsMaple Leaf GardensRecap 
Neil Colville (1) - 12:21First periodNo scoring
No scoringSecond period16:55 - Syl Apps (4)
No scoringThird periodNo scoring
Muzz Patrick (3) - 11:43Second overtime periodNo scoring
Dave KerrGoalie statsTurk Broda
April 13New York Rangers3–2OTToronto Maple LeafsMaple Leaf GardensRecap 
No scoringFirst period6:52 - Syl Apps (5)
No scoringSecond period4:51 - Nick Metz (1)
Neil Colville (2) - 8:08
Alf Pike (3) - 10:01
Third periodNo scoring
Bryan Hextall (4) - 2:07First overtime periodNo scoring
Dave KerrGoalie statsTurk Broda
New York won series 4–2


Stanley Cup engraving

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The 1940 Stanley Cup was presented to Rangers captain Art Coulter by NHL President Frank Calder following the Rangers 3–2 overtime win over the Maple Leafs in game six.

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

1939–40 New York Rangers

Players

  Defencemen

Coaching and administrative staff

Stanley Cup engraving

a Missing from the Stanley Cup, but qualified to be on it.

  • Frank Boucher was 6th NHL rookie coach to win the Stanley Cup.
  • Lester Patrick and Frank Boucher became the first (and to this date, the only) duo to win the Stanley Cup together as players and then as a coach-managerial team, having won as players on the Rangers in 1928.[2]
  • A new ring was added to the Stanley Cup. This large ring had room to hold 7 winning Stanley Cup teams.

See also

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References and notes

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Notes

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  1. ^ "Stanley Cup Champions 1940-1949". NHL.com. Retrieved July 18, 2022.
  2. ^ Branch, John (June 1, 2006). "New York Is Edmonton's Home Away From Home". The New York Times. p. D7. If the Oilers win the Stanley Cup, Lowe and MacTavish will be the second twosome in NHL history to win as teammates, and as general manager and coach. Lester Patrick was the Rangers' general manager and Frank Boucher was the coach when they won the championship in 1940. They played together when the Rangers won the Cup in 1928.

References

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Preceded by New York Rangers
Stanley Cup Champions

1940
Succeeded by