The 1952 Stanley Cup Final was contested by the Detroit Red Wings and the Montreal Canadiens in the first of the four Detroit–Montreal Stanley Cup Final series of the 1950s. The Canadiens were appearing in their second straight Finals series, while Detroit was returning after winning in 1950.

The Red Wings swept the Canadiens in four games, shutting them out twice and allowing one goal in each of the other two games. The Red Wings had also swept the Toronto Maple Leafs to reach the Finals, becoming the first team to go 8–0 in an NHL postseason, and became the first undefeated NHL playoff team since the 1928–29 Boston Bruins went 5–0.

Paths to the Finals

Detroit defeated the defending champion Toronto Maple Leafs 4–0 to reach the Finals. Montreal defeated the Boston Bruins 4–3 to reach the Finals.

Game summaries

Terry Sawchuk posted two shutouts in his Cup Finals debut. Gordie Howe scored two goals in his Cup Finals debut. The Red Wings went through the playoffs perfect, a feat that has been replicated only once since: in 1960, the Canadiens went 8–0 against first the Chicago Black Hawks and then the Maple Leafs en route to their record fifth consecutive Stanley Cup.

April 10Detroit Red Wings3–1Montreal CanadiensMontreal Forum
No scoringFirst periodNo scoring
Tony Leswick (2) - 3:27Second periodNo scoring
Tony Leswick (3) - 7:59 Ted Lindsay (3) - en - 19:44Third period11:01 - Tom Johnson (1)
Terry SawchuckGoalie statsGerry McNeil
April 12Detroit Red Wings2–1Montreal CanadiensMontreal Forum
Marty Pavelich (2) - 16:09First period18:37 - pp - Elmer Lach (1)
Ted Lindsay (4) - pp - 00:43Second periodNo scoring
No scoringThird periodNo scoring
Terry SawchuckGoalie statsGerry McNeil
April 13Montreal Canadiens0–3Detroit Red WingsOlympia Stadium
No scoringFirst period4:31 - pp - Gordie Howe (1)
No scoringSecond period9:13 - Ted Lindsay (5)
No scoringThird period6:54 - Gordie Howe (2)
Gerry McNeilGoalie statsTerry Sawchuck
April 15Montreal Canadiens0–3Detroit Red WingsOlympia Stadium
No scoringFirst period6:50 - pp - Metro Prystai (1)
No scoringSecond period19:39 - Glen Skov (1)
No scoringThird period7:35 - Metro Prystai (2)
Gerry McNeilGoalie statsTerry Sawchuck
Detroit won series 4–0

Stanley Cup engraving

The 1952 Stanley Cup was presented to Red Wings captain Sid Abel by NHL President Clarence Campbell following the Red Wings 3–0 win over the Canadiens in game four.

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

1951–52 Detroit Red Wings

Players

Centres

Wingers

Defencemen

Goaltenders

* Did not play in Finals. † Name later not included one redone ring of Stanley Cup.

Coaching and administrative staff

Stanley Cup engraving

  • * Three players were engraved on the Stanley Cup but did not play in any games when on Detroit's roster. Glenn Hall played his first NHL game in the 1952–53 Season. Bill Tibbs never played a game when in the NHL. Hugh Coflin never played in any games when he was with Detroit. Coflin's only NHL Season was 1950–51 when he played 31 games for the Chicago Blackhawks.
  • Glenn Hall was listed as GLEN HALL on the original 1952 engraving. When the cup was redone in 1957–58, Hall was engraved on the Stanley Cup as GLIN HALL, a mistake that was repeated on the Replica Cup created in 1992–93. He was engraved before he played in his first NHL game in the 1952–53 season. Glenn Hall went on to play a record 502 consecutive complete games. Hall would win Rookie of the Year in 1956, becoming the 2nd player to have his name on the Stanley Cup, before winning the Calder Trophy (Rookie of the Year).
  • † #16 Enio Sclisizzi (LW) did not have his name included when the cup was redone in 1957–58. He played only nine games and did not play in the playoffs.
  • Coflin, Tibbs, and Hall, who did not play in any games when with Detroit in 1952, were included on the new version of the Stanley Cup. Coflin's name was not included on the Replica Stanley Cup created in 1993.

See also

Notes

  • Diamond, Dan, ed. (2000). Total Stanley Cup. NHL.
  • Podnieks, Andrew; Hockey Hall of Fame (2004). Lord Stanley's Cup. Triumph Books. ISBN978-1-55168-261-7.
  • .
PrecededbyToronto Maple Leafs 1951Detroit Red Wings Stanley Cup champions 1952SucceededbyMontreal Canadiens 1953