This Day in Hockey History – May 25, 1989 – Calgary Captures Cup, Canning Canadiens

The Calgary Flames earned a do-over against the Montreal Canadiens in the Stanley Cup finals. In their first ever finals experience, in 1986, the Flames won Game 1 but lost the next four. Montreal won a 23rd championship. Three seasons later, the rivals again made it into the finals to play each other. This time, Calgary came out the winner, on May 25, 1989, to take home the Stanley Cup for the first time.

The 1988-89 regular season demonstrated how well-matched the two leading teams were. The Calgary Flames came out on top with 117 points (54-17-9). The Montreal Canadiens took second with only one game difference, having 115 points (53-18-9). Of the three games the teams played against each other, Montreal had the edge winning 2-1. In the postseason, Calgary sailed through the Vancouver Canucks (4-3), the Los Angeles Kings (4-0), and the Chicago Blackhawks (4-1). The Canadiens defeated the Hartford Whalers (4-0), the Boston Bruins (4-1), and the Philadelphia Flyers (4-2). Eventually, the two Canadian teams met each other for the Stanley Cup finals.

After the Flames won Game 1 (3-2), they lost the next two – including a controversial end to double overtime in Game 3. Calgary fought back to win the next two games to lead the series 3-2.

A crowd of 17,909 fans filled Montreal’s Forum for Game 6. Most of them returned home dejected but without giving the numerous police cars outside the Forum anything to worry about. The visiting Flames won the game and the finals 4-2. That marked the first time, in their 80-year history, that the Canadiens lost the finals in their own barn. According to Red Fisher’s article for the Montreal Gazette, the Flames won the “Canadiens’ way. Defence. Superb goaltending, And, in the final analysis, character.”

Three Flames stars stood out during the final final – left winger Lanny McDonald, center Doug Gilmour, and defenseman Al MacInnis.

McDonald, the veteran captain, had ridden the bench for three games when Coach Terry Crisp swapped him in for co-captain Jim Peplinski. The game was tied 1-1 when his holding penalty expired at 4:13 of the second period. Teammate Hakan Loob carried the puck across center ice and passed to Joe Nieuwendyk, who passed to the newly-released McDonald “alone on the right side.” As Canadiens goalie Patrick Roy dropped, McDonald netted the puck high on the glove side. “It was a Cinderella finish,” said Coach Crisp. “But we also felt that Lanny was rested. . . . We felt tonight Lanny would give us an emotional lift – which he did.” McDonald had scored his first NHL goal and now his last at the Forum. He commented afterwards, “It’s just an unbelievable feeling. I said to some of the guys before the game that I scored my first career goal at the Forum, and wouldn’t it be great to get one tonight. There’s no feeling like it.”

On the back side of period three, Gilmour, who had just been traded to Calgary at the start of the season, proved his worth. During a power play, at 11:02, he scored on his own rebound. Montreal’s Rick Green snuck in a goal 51 seconds later. Since that was the last Montreal goal, Gilmour’s rebound ended up the game-winner. At 18:57, when Montreal pulled Roy, Gilmour ensured Calgary’s victory with an empty-netter. “I was just trying to play hard every game. So many of our guys have played well to get us this far. We had great goaltending from Mike Vernon and our team defence was solid. I went out every night and played the best I could,” remarked Gilmour. “Words can’t explain it right now. It’s such a great organization and I’m just glad to be a part of it.”

Defenseman MacInnis maintained a streak of 17 consecutive games in which he scored points, which was only one less than Bryan Trottier’s record. In fact, the only playoff games in which he did not tally were the two shutouts during Round 1. He contributed two assists in the final game – on the first goal (scored by Colin Patterson) and on Gilmour’s first goal. For these accomplishments, MacInnis received the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoff MVP. He was only the fourth defenseman so awarded. “There’s no question I feel really happy winning it. If you look down our lineup, there’s so many guys that could have won,” said a humble MacInnis. “It’s a great feeling. I’ve been in this organization six years. There’s been a lot of changes. A lot of guys have come and gone. It’s great the organization showed faith in you all these years. I’d like to thank them for the faith they showed in me.”

On winning, McDonald stated, “There is just no feeling like it. It’s something I wish a person could describe to the people outside – how much hard work it takes for 25 guys to put it all together.” His teammate, Ric Nattress (formerly with the Canadiens), celebrated his 27th birthday that night. “Have I ever had a better gift than this? Not really. This is the most incredible thing that’s ever happened to me.” McDonald and his co-captains accepted the Stanley Cup, and he remarked, “There isn’t a weight to it. You could probably carry that forever – and I think we will.”

The 1988-89 championship was the first (and thus far only) for the Flames. Nine years prior, the owners had paid $16-million for the Atlanta Flames, which had received the franchise back in 1972. General Manager Cliff Fletcher had been with them since the beginning. “Sixteen years, we’ve been saying, ‘Wait ‘til next year.’ Next year finally arrived.” He had grown up near the Forum and commented, “To beat Montreal three games in a row, to be the first team to win the Stanley Cup here, what a feeling. There’s no divine right in sports. You have to earn it.” Coach Crisp added, “It’s great for me and for the players, but I think this one is very special for Mr. and Mrs. Fletcher.” Fletcher summarized, “We just had a hell of a year.”

Additional Sources:

• “Flames win their first Stanley Cup,” Montreal Gazette, early ed., 26 May 1989, pp. A1 and F1-F2.
• “Flames Win,” Calgary Herald, 26 May 1989, pp. A1-A2.
• “Stanley Cup,” Calgary Herald, 26 May 1989, pp. C1-C4, C9, C12-C14.