1983 Stanley Cup Finals

The 1983 Stanley Cup Finals was the championship series of the National Hockey League's (NHL) 1982–83 season, and the culmination of the 1983 Stanley Cup playoffs. It was contested by the Edmonton Oilers in their first-ever Finals appearance and the defending champion New York Islanders, in their fourth consecutive and overall Finals appearance. The Islanders won the best-of-seven series, four games to none, to win their fourth consecutive and overall Stanley Cup championship.

1983 Stanley Cup Finals
1234 Total
New York Islanders 2654 4
Edmonton Oilers 0312 0
Location(s)Edmonton: Northlands Coliseum (1, 2)
Uniondale: Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum (3, 4)
CoachesNew York: Al Arbour
Edmonton: Glen Sather
CaptainsNew York: Denis Potvin
Edmonton: Lee Fogolin
DatesMay 10 – May 17
MVPBilly Smith (Islanders)
Series-winning goalMike Bossy (12:39, first, G4)
NetworksCBC (Canada-English), SRC (Canada-French), USA Network (United States, except in New York area), WOR (New York area, games 1 & 2), SportsChannel (New York area, games 3 & 4)
Announcers(CBC) Jim Robson and Gary Dornhoefer (in Edmonton), Bob Cole and Mickey Redmond (in Uniondale, New York)
(USA) Dan Kelly and Gary Green
(WOR, SC) Jiggs McDonald and Ed Westfall
(New York Islanders Radio)Barry Landers, Jean Potvin
(Edmonton Oilers Radio) Rod Phillips, Ken Brown

It was also the fourth straight Finals of post-1967 expansion teams. The Oilers, a former World Hockey Association (WHA) franchise, stunned NHL loyalists by reaching the Finals just four years after the NHL-WHA merger. This is also the most recent time that an NHL team has won the Cup four years in a row, and also the first (and, to date, only) time a North American professional sports team has won four consecutive titles in any league competition with more than twenty teams. Even if this standard is lowered to encompass league competitions of at least sixteen teams, the Islanders are still only the third and most recent franchise to accomplish such a dynasty after the New York Yankees in Major League Baseball (who have forged two such World Series dynasties - the first in the 1930's and the second in the 1950's) and the Montreal Canadiens (whose own such dynasty immediately preceded the Islanders' prior to the merger with the WHA).

Since 1983, no professional sports team on the continent has won four consecutive championships and no NHL team has won more than two consecutive championships (most recently the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2016 and 2017). This would be the first of eight consecutive Finals contested by a team from Alberta (of which the Oilers played in six and the Calgary Flames in two). Although it was not the first Stanley Cup Finals to be contested by an Albertan team (the 1923 and 1924 Finals had been contested by teams from Edmonton and Calgary respectively), 1983 saw the first Finals games played in Alberta.

The Oilers would credit the Islanders' subdued post-series locker room celebration—focused more on putting ice packs on their various injuries—as teaching them the level of sacrifice and dedication needed to be champions. The Oilers would go on to win four Stanley Cups in the next five seasons—and five overall by 1990.

Paths to the Finals
See also: 1982–83 NHL season, 1982–83 Edmonton Oilers season, and 1982–83 New York Islanders season

Edmonton defeated the Winnipeg Jets 3–0, the Calgary Flames 4–1, and the Chicago Black Hawks 4–0 to advance to the Finals. In eliminating Winnipeg, Calgary, and Chicago, the Oilers had won 11 of 12 games and had outscored their opponents 74–33, averaging over six goals a game and setting 16 scoring records in these three rounds. The 1983 Finals marked sixty years since an Edmonton team had last contested the Stanley Cup. The 1923 Edmonton Eskimos WCHL team played the NHL's Ottawa Senators in the 1923 Stanley Cup Finals, held in Vancouver. Ottawa won the two-game, total-goals series.

New York defeated the Washington Capitals 3–1, the New York Rangers 4–2, and the Boston Bruins 4–2 to reach the Finals.

Game summaries

Billy Smith limited the Oilers to just six goals in the four games, and shut them out in seven out of twelve periods. Smith was also noted for his slashes and feigned injuries in that series, which made him unpopular with the Edmonton Journal, which named him "PUBLIC ENEMY NO. 1", "Mr. Obnoxious", "Samaurai [sic] Billy", "Jack the Ripper" and "a creep".[1] After a slash on Glenn Anderson's knee prevented him from practicing the next day, Oilers manager and coach Glen Sather unsuccessfully complained to the NHL that Smith deserved an attempt-to-injure match penalty, and then took his case to the press, suggesting that the Oilers could take out Smith. Smith responded, "Let's face it. If Semenko runs at me and hurts me, anything could happen, and the victim could be Gretzky. If they want blood.…" Smith did, however, earn a five-minute penalty for slashing Wayne Gretzky.[1] In game four, Smith's dive resulted in referee Andy Van Hellemond giving Anderson a five-minute penalty.[2]

In his first appearance in the Finals, Gretzky assisted on four of the Oilers' six goals but failed to score himself. While no Islander was assigned to mark Gretzky, the Oilers superstar found himself checked as soon as he got the puck. The Islanders' tactics were described as a "rope-a-dope", using their experience and patience to hang on in the face of the Oilers' furious attack. The Islanders permitted Edmonton to take long shots from poor angles, but cleared the rebounds and kept the front of the net open so Smith could see.[3][4] The Sutter brothers, Duane and Brent, led with seven and five points, respectively in the first three games. Duane played a particularly important role in the absence of Bossy in game one. Bossy netted his second Stanley Cup-winning goal.

After game four, the Oilers players walked past the Islanders' dressing room and noticed many of the Islanders players exhausted and covered in ice packs rather than wildly celebrating, with Mark Messier suggesting that this gave the Oilers inspiration that they needed in order to win next year.[1][5]

Game Summary

New York Islanders vs. Edmonton Oilers

New York won series 4–0

Broadcasting

The series aired on CBC in Canada and on the USA Network in the United States. USA's national coverage was blacked out in the New York area due to the local rights to Islanders games in that TV market, with WOR televising games one and two, and SportsChannel New York airing games three and four.

Team rosters

Edmonton Oilers
# Nat Player Pos S/G Age Acquired Birthplace
2 Lee Fogolin, Jr. (C) D R 28 1979 Chicago, Illinois
4 Kevin Lowe D L 24 1979 Lachute, Quebec
6 Garry Lariviere D L 28 1981 St. Catharines, Ontario
7 Paul Coffey D L 21 1980 Weston, Ontario
9 Glenn Anderson RW L 22 1979 Vancouver, British Columbia
10 Jaroslav Pouzar LW L 31 1982 Cakovec, Czechoslovakia
11 Mark Messier C L 22 1979 St. Albert, Alberta
12 Dave Hunter LW L 25 1979 Petrolia, Ontario
13 Ken Linseman C L 24 1983 Kingston, Ontario
14 Ray Cote C R 21 1983 Pincher Creek, Alberta
16 Pat Hughes RW R 28 1981 Calgary, Alberta
17 Jari Kurri RW R 22 1980 Helsinki, Finland
19 Willy Lindstrom RW L 32 1983 Grums, Sweden
20 Dave Lumley RW R 28 1979 Toronto, Ontario
21 Randy Gregg D L 27 1982 Edmonton, Alberta
22 Charlie Huddy D L 23 1979 Oshawa, Ontario
24 Tom Roulston RW R 25 1980 Winnipeg, Manitoba
26 Don Nachbaur C L 24 1983 Kitimat, British Columbia
27 Dave Semenko LW L 25 1979 Winnipeg, Manitoba
29 Donald Jackson D L 24 1981 Minneapolis, Minnesota
31 Grant Fuhr G R 20 1981 Spruce Grove, Alberta
35 Andy Moog G L 23 1980 Penticton, British Columbia
77 Garry Unger C L 35 1981 Calgary, Alberta
99 Wayne Gretzky C L 22 1979 Brantford, Ontario

New York Islanders
# Nat Player Pos S/G Age Acquired Birthplace
1 Roland Melanson G L 22 1979 Moncton, New Brunswick
2 Mike McEwen D L 26 1981 Hornepayne, Ontario
3 Tomas Jonsson D L 23 1979 Falun, Sweden
4 Paul Boutilier D L 20 1981 Sydney, Nova Scotia
5 Denis Potvin (C) D L 29 1973 Vanier, Ontario
6 Ken Morrow D R 26 1976 Davison, Michigan
7 Stefan Persson D L 28 1974 Bjurholm, Sweden
9 Clark Gillies LW L 29 1974 Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan
11 Wayne Merrick C L 31 1977 Sarnia, Ontario
12 Duane Sutter RW R 23 1979 Viking, Alberta
14 Bob Bourne LW L 28 1974 Kindersley, Saskatchewan
17 Greg Gilbert LW L 20 1980 Mississauga, Ontario
19 Bryan Trottier C L 26 1974 Val Marie, Saskatchewan
21 Brent Sutter C R 20 1980 Viking, Alberta
22 Mike Bossy RW R 26 1977 Montreal, Quebec
23 Bob Nystrom RW R 30 1981 Stockholm, Sweden
24 Gord Lane D L 30 1979 Brandon, Manitoba
25 Billy Carroll C L 24 1979 Toronto, Ontario
26 Dave Langevin D L 28 1974 Saint Paul, Minnesota
27 John Tonelli LW L 26 1977 Hamilton, Ontario
28 Anders Kallur RW L 30 1979 Ludvika, Sweden
31 Billy Smith G L 32 1972 Perth, Ontario
91 Butch Goring C L 33 1980 St. Boniface, Manitoba

New York Islanders 1983 Stanley Cup champions

Players

Coaching and administrative staff

††- Also played Centre

Stanley Cup engraving

Note ^Steve Corais (Director of Public Relations) was included on all four New York Islanders team pictures 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983. Corais' name however, was not engraved on the Stanley Cup.

Members of New York Islanders 1980 to 1983 Dynasty

These players and personnel (22 in all) won four Stanley Cups as members of the Islanders, and would also be a part of the Islanders in the 1984 Stanley Cup Finals. The Islanders would amass an NHL record of 19 straight playoff series wins and again reach the Stanley Cup Finals, but lost the 1984 Finals to the Edmonton Oilers in a rematch of the 1983 series.

  • Players: Mike Bossy, Bob Bourne, Clark Gillies, Butch Goring, Lorne Henning†, Anders Kallur, Gord Lane, Dave Langevin, Wayne Merrick, Ken Morrow, Bob Nystrom, Stefan Persson, Denis Potvin, Billy Smith, Duane Sutter, John Tonelli, Bryan Trottier
  • Non-playing personnel: John Pickett (owner), Bill Torrey (general manager), Al Arbour (head coach), Gerry Ehman (Scout/later Assistant Manager), Jim Pickard, Ron Waske (Trainers) Lorne Henning†,

† – Henning was a player on the 1980 team, a player-assistant coach on the 1981 team, and an assistant coach on the 1982 and 1983 teams. Henning assisted on 1980 Stanley Cup winning goal in overtime.

See also

References
  1. Swift, E.M. (May 23, 1983). "The Islanders Go Four It All". Sports Illustrated.
  2. Falla, Jack (May 28, 1984). "The Oilers Were The Spoilers". Sports Illustrated.
  3. Falla, Jack (October 10, 1983). "The Drive For Five". Sports Illustrated.
  4. "Hockey". Sports Illustrated. February 16, 1983.
  5. Rosen, Dan (May 28, 2009). "Messier relates to Penguins in their Cup rematch". NHL.com.
  • Total Stanley Cup. NHL. 2000.
  • Podnieks, Andrew; Hockey Hall of Fame (2004). Lord Stanley's Cup. Triumph Books. ISBN 978-1-55168-261-7.
Preceded by
New York Islanders
1982		 New York Islanders
Stanley Cup Champions
1983		 Succeeded by
Edmonton Oilers
1984
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