THG is putting ESPN, NHL Network, The Hockey News to shame. What the heck? My Ducks won ONCE and I couldn’t tell you in how many games.

2001 - Sakic handing the cup to Bourque instead of lifting it up himself. Such a classy move!

My favorite was in 2001 when Joe Sakic handed the cup to Ray Bourque after the Avalanche beat the Devils in 7. Great series against two great teams.

I just now realize that from 95 to 98, all the finals where sweeps. That’s just crazy! It shows how dominant the Devils, the Avalanche and the Wings where in that era

During the 2020 Pause, you did a lot of historic videos with madness boards like this one. At the time, I was only getting familiar with the history of the NHL, so I found the videos really helpful. The only problem is that my brain has struggled to see beyond 1981, because that is in the Before Shannon era 😂

"Ridiculous means awesome" Words to live by, lol.

2018 takes the cake for me. I did not watch hockey until after the 2005 lockout, so I cannot use any before that year. But seeing Ovi finally lift the Cup after so many years of heartbreak was amazing. I also live in DC so that helps.

As a Colorado Fan, the '96 cup was my favorite because it was our first year, and everything just came together to make magic happen. Don't get me wrong, I love both of our other cup wins, but I can still remember calling into work and telling them that there was no way I could come into work on the night of game 4, and then the insanely long double overtime, and then when Krupp scored, it was the greatest moment of my sports fan life.

One of the first ones I remember was the New Jersey/Colorado series. Watching Ray Bourque lift the cup was something I still remember even if neither is a team I cheer for.

The 2011 Stanley Cup Final was the absolute best in terms of intensity, the hatred between the two teams, and the insane swings of momentum between games. The all time best in my opinion.

I’ve been a STL Blues fan since 1968, so you know my favorite! It took 49 years to avenge the famous Bobby Orr goal in 1970, and there were lots of heartaches and near-misses in between, but we finally did it in 2019!

As a Hawks fan, I find the 2013 Stanley Cup Final against Boston to be my favorite of the 3 we were in and my favorite of all time. With the exception of Game 3, every game was an intense, fast paced battle between two, historic franchises who were fighting for their second Cup. Obviously we all remember 17 seconds, but there was also the incredibly crazy Triple Overtime Game 1, where Chara just missed a winner at the end of 2nd Overtime (I should point out that the Hawks got a break that they won that game because I felt Boston outplayed them). Then Game 2 was another excellent Overtime game and a bit of a duel between Rask and Crawford. Game 4 was just a back and forth battle which was the opposite of Game 2. Every time the Hawks scored to take the lead, Boston answered right back within the next couple minutes. Game 5 was an intense third period, with Crawford standing tall against a flurry of Boston shots. Then, we all remember the ending of Game 6. I think what makes this series even more interesting in hindsight is that if Boston wins this series, do the Bruins become a dynasty and are the Hawks looked at as a bit underwhelming after only one Cup?

Great video as always, but in terms of my favorite I’d probably go with Pens Wings in 2009 but Rangers Kings was very underrated in 2014 because most games went to OT and were so close

I wonder how much hockey knowledge Shannon's cats have gained over the years haha

THG making my day with the Canes in his top 10. Haven’t followed tha game long enough to have an opinion on the rest.

So awesome. I love your attention to details and your dedication to the game

First video I ever watched of yours was your recap of 2017 Cup Finals Game 6. As a Pens fan, I was basically watching any content I could to soak up the win and was so lucky to find your channel.

2001 was such a great series. One of my first hockey memories was watching those finals and why Joe Sakic was my favorite player growing up until Sidney Crosby took the league over

Born in 1980, knew all the winners, and from '91 on all the matchups, year i started watching hockey....also the 2008 and 2009 finals, both teams won game 7 in the others building, fleurys save at the end was ridiculous in 09

Holy crap this was great. The first hockey I ever watched was the 1994 final with the Rangers and Canucks, also #1 for me. Growing up in Texas I had no idea what hockey was up to that point, it was always football, baseball, and basketball. So I found the Dallas Stars, 1999 is my #2. The controversy was annoying, it did make me smile when Lindy Ruff became head coach of Dallas a few years back. Since 1994 when I found this wonderful sport I have never looked back. It is the sport that I enjoy the most and will continue to enjoy until I die. I love what you do Shannon and enjoy this channel of yours immensely. Keep it up and hello from TX.

At 2:40 of the video, Bear the Cat has an itch. Sometimes you just gotta scratch.

Awesome video, Shannon! Great job as always - I love these retrospective videos and your commentary on them. Still waiting for the Thomas Gradin career video (hint hint). 🙂

I like your top pick too, I was really into that series despite not supporting either team. Watching Bure and Leetch was awesome and the games were a lot of fun.

Great video Shannon!!

My #1 pick is the 1987 Finals between Edmonton and Philadelphia. It's one of my earliest NHL/hockey memories and was a great 7 game series.

My favorite was Tampa's 1st cup in 2004. Interesting that there have been no sweeps in the final with the salary cap in place.

Love all the lightning games as a fan but Chicago was excellent to watch a few years ago too. Fun bideo

Great video, Shannon. Like you, 1994 stands out for me. I was 15 at the time. I recall how much pressure the Rangers were under to win game 7 at home. As you noted, they had a 3-1 series lead, and they were trying to end that 54-year drought. It was a terrific series, and an epic triumph for the Blueshirts. In the Eastern Conference Finals that year, Mark Messier had his finest hour in game six against New Jersey. With NY trailing 2-0 on the scoresheet, and 3-2 in the series, he delivered a hat-trick. The rest, as they say, is history.

You are a mad man and holy hell I love it

My favorite Stanley Cup Finals is the first one I watched which was 99 & it introduced me to the sport since before that I was mainly a baseball, basketball & football fan. I remember that one for the Brett Hull crease controversy at the end.

I remember really enjoying Colorado vs. New Jersey, 7 games series from 2001.

Absolutely crushed it with this list Shannon!

Great memories! I started watching Stanley Cup Finals in 1976. My top 5 in the 20th century was 1994, 1980, 1989, 1991, & 1999. My top 5 in this century are 2004, 2010, 2011, 2013, and 2015. Great memories for me.

All these logos and I don’t see the Maple Leaf once… ha! (yes the toronto maple leafs live rent free in my head, you don’t need to tell me)

Upvote for the Canes win in the top 10 and Irbe mention. Agreed on the choice of the #1 SCF series as the New York media did such a perfect hype of the movie-script-worthy '94 playoff run.

My favorite and nostalgia probably has a lot to do with it but it's the 01 : first one I ever watched, Sakic and Forsberg are my all time favorite players, Colorado has always been a favorite of mine (as a Quebecer), New Jersey as well, Tanguay's two goal in game 7, Sakic's goal in game 7, and even though I was too young to fully understand the meaning of Joe handing the cup to Ray, It was nice to watch. Second favorite, again probably because of nostalgia, is the 04 : many Quebecers with the lightning, I loved St-Louis and Lecavalier, amd just lot of suspense.

I remember watching the ‘94 finals Canucks vs Rangers growing up in Canada. Agreed with it as best series still to date. Wanted the Canucks to win but come up short. Loved watching Pavel Bure during the playoffs that year. 🤗

1. Carolina over Edmonton in 2006 (I'm a Canes fan) 2. Pittsburgh over Minnesota in 1991 (I'm a Mario Lemieux/ Ron Francis fan) 3. New Jersey over Dallas in 2000. That entire playoff was amazing. Honorable mention: Boston over Vancouver in 2011. That Canucks team was like Hillary Clinton in 2016 - couldn't stand them so much I even cheered a team I didn't like.

2015 was my first year watching the Stanley Cup Finals. I was visitng my cousin in Arizona who played high school hockey and he got me hooked watching that Blackhawks vs Lightning series. I'm a St. Louis Blues fan so I remember being pissed about the result lol

My biased self says 2001 and 2022 automatically, and it helps that they were both outstanding series, but I’d be damned if I didn’t also mention the 2006 Final. That was an incredible series between a team that no one thought would ever make it and a one-year juggernaut. Some of the hockey memories that I’ll never forget came from that series.

As a Red Wings fan, especially with the whole childhood nostalgia thing (these are some of my earlier memories), 1997, obviously, heart McCarty, but I also had a ton of fun watching 2013 and 2020. 2020 was the first year I managed to watch every playoff game. 2013 was the year I went to the most effort to watch it. I was living in an area where hockey wasn't even on the sports bar tvs during the Stanley Cup final. The one other hockey fan of my friends and I went through such shenanigans to watch it. 2009 was great too; first time since 96 I'd lived in a hockey state and could really watch the finals, plus, my Wings were in!

Awh man I’ve been waiting for you to talk about this for like the longest time!

1994! 2006, 2002 Growing up a Rangers fan and waiting since my birth in 1969, That one was great!!! Then I escaped New York to North Carolina 1996. One year before The Whalers moved to NC and became the Hurricanes. From working with the Canes in learn to play, Hockey is for everyone, and Hockey Ministries International I became a Canes fan so 2002 and 2006 are second and third. I was in misery from 1980-1984 other than the USA gold in 1980 Olympics.

I've always said game 4 of the Avs Panthers is one of the greatest goaltending duels ever. What spectacular performances at both ends!

Should have added one more year to cover the entire Islander dynasty... game 6 versus the Flyers in 1980 was insane.

its interesting since the 1981 cup we've only seen back to back exact same matchup for the cup twicce, 83-84 Islanders Oilers, splitting it and then pens redwings in 08'-09' also splitting it. That 09' was my favourite. It was ncie to see kessel get his and i would have been ok with my pens losing seeing Jumbo Joe, Marleau and Pavelski lift it

i think the 2022 cup going to 6 makes it seem like an understatement to how absolutely dominant the avs were in that series. during the first 2 games the only time that the avs weren't skating circles around tampa was the later half of game 1 where the lightning were able to tie it up, but that didn't really matter. game 3 was all tampa but the avs still fought hard. game 4 was one of the most hard-fought games but the avs showed their strength in being able to get those quick goals that nobody saw coming. I didn't watch much of game 5 but the avs still did their usual high pace hockey that tampa struggled with despite them coming out on top. And to top if off game 6 was all avalanche after the first 5 or so minutes of the first period, the lightning only managed 4 shots in the last period of the series and they just looked dead and tired. The avs had outskated them so badly to that point that they just couldn't keep up anymore.

A true madness board, love it

Glad 2019 was in the top 20! Good list as always!

I loved the '94 series and was heartbroken when the Canucks lost. That was the year I dressed up in my Canucks jersey, wore face paint, and held up a honk for the Canucks sign on the corner of the street in PoCo where I grew up. :) Probably tied with '94 was '92. Oddly, I was a Blue Jays fan originally and preferred baseball until that Penguins - Blackhawks series in '92. That was when 8 year old me became a Penguins fan. That sliding poke check/trip by Hasek on Stevens in game four, (that game was insane), the magic of Mario, and a plethora of greats (Roenick, Samuelsson, Larmer, Goulet, Francis, Jagr, Chelios, Mullen, Murphy, Tocchet, Trottier, Belfour, Barrasso). So much fun.

Great, great video!

2010 was the first final I ever watched and I was 5 at the time so seeing my Blackhawks in it was great and to this day do not understand how people did not see the puck go in the net in OT game 6, I remember pointing at the big box TV saying it went in right there to my dad who was under the belief he would never see the Hawks win the cup and then we got three in six years, should have been four but greatest final ever, great scoring and the Hawks really could have ended that series in five.

2011 slept on. The hatred between those two teams was pure entertainment

I literally only started watching NHL in 2021, so I'd have to say that one, purely because the Canadiens winning game four in OT is what reeled me into this awesome sport. But having followed the entire finals, I also really enjoyed seeing Colorado beat some really decent teams to earn a great Stanley Cup

Wish I got to witness more of these since I only started watching in Feb 2003 😄

1971 was my favorite. After three years of the Blues being swept, this was a real series between two genuine contenders, and it went to 7 games. I was cheering for Chicago, but Ken Dryden was unreal, and the Canadiens never quit.

I live on Long Island and there was an explosion of roller hockey leagues after the Rangers won the Cup. I was 12 and everyone played hockey for a few summers as a result. As an Islanders fan it was frustrating but also a lot of fun. I miss chanting 1940!

Devoted watcher here, man did I love that, hard as part of Leaf Nation. Keep up what you do as your doing it right, say hello to your better half lol

I will forever remember the 2021 finals, its one of them i follow it the most.

Good list. Honestly, I would have put the 2001 Avalanche vs. Devils series a lot higher. There was a lot of intrigue, teams winning unexpectedly in the other team's barn (especially Roy's performance in game 6 in NJ after losing game 5 at home), and most of all the fact that it was Ray Borque's last shot at the cup. The cup handoff from Sakic to Borque was one of the greatest moments in all of sports.

Really happy you put in 2018 Vegas and Washington. I obviously have a bias and even though we didn’t win it I will never forget that season until the day I die. It was absolutely magical. The city was reeling and just devastated after the mass shooting , I knew multiple people personally who were at that music festival and saw people die, knew someone who was shot and luckily survived , and have a close childhood friend whose a cop and who had to work that festival and saw everything happen . It was awful and devastating for our city . Then Vegas has their first game and everyone just seemed to coalesce around the team and they go out and win their first few games and gave us some joy . Then just kept rolling . We all kept waiting for them to start losing and they just didn’t . Kept winning and winning . It just felt like this slowly building snowball rolling down a hill getting bigger and bigger as they kept winning, won the division, won their first playoff series in a sweep nonetheless, came out in game 1 against San Jose and absolutely dominated winning 7-0 . It literally was magical . All the way until the SCF. By that point I had so much faith in them and we won game 1 and I really started to believe we were gonna win it all. But of course didn’t work out that way. But that aside I’ll never ever forget it and I still to this day go back and watch the highlights from that season and those playoffs to relive the magic. I truly hope we can someday get a cup so I can watch the original misfits left lift the cup. Would make me so goddamn happy to see that.

2006 is my fav, even though I am still hurt from it. Watching that Pisani OT game 5 shorty was unreal.

My earliest final I can remember is 1992. I know I saw 1991 because it had the Penguins and I'm from that area and I remember my brother and sister watching it but I don't fully remember it because I was only 4 at the time.

#14 Isles/Canucks (1982) My personal favorite due to attending game 1. Mike Bossy netted the GW goal with :01 second left in the OT.

“Ridiculous means awesome” 🤣🤣 Damn right buddy!

As a kid growing up in Pittsburgh in the early Crosby era those two cup finals are burned forever into my mind

I was at the 2001 FInals. It was just a blast. 2nd to last row of the building on center ice. And the presentation was made to my side of the ice, so I got to watch Joe Sakic hand the Cup to Bourque, and it was so nice. I missed the finals in 1996, but went to every game in all three rounds before that, and it was aces. Vancouver, Chicago, Detroit. In old McNichols where there were no bad seats. Chicago was the series with the infamous quote by Roenick saying Roy needed to look in the rafters for his jock, Roy responded saying he couldn't hear Jeremy with his two Stanley Cup rings plugging his ears. A. Mazing. Fun video. I hated 2010 because my Flyers just couldn't get it done. And then after several years I was ok with it, then I found out what was happening with that team and the treatment of a player that was hidden to not be a distraction and now I'm mad at Quennville and the Hawks all over again.

As a Sabres fan, I never had seen a final with Buffalo (too young for 1999). Probably would be choatic lol

2007 as a Ducks fan will always be my favourite; but, 2018 with the Caps winning, and 2019 with the Blues winning are up there for me too.

Not a lot of mention for 04 Flames. Team almost had moved few years before then sudden cup run . Then follow suit is EDM & OTT onto their own runs ! Mid 00s ruled !

2013 Hawks versus Bruins was a solid series.

You're Right about 2013. Your Boys Did Play It Tough Against Chicago. I was Watching A Movie, in One Room And Listening To It I'm Another. I'd thought that it was going Back To Chicago For Game 7, when The 2 Goals In 17 Seconds Chicago Win Game.

My team won it all in '94 so I can't say that one. I did enjoy seeing the Ducks win with Teemu Selanne. I loved seeing him finally win the Cup.

94 was my 2nd full year of hardcore watching hockey and my leafs went to the conference finals and never again since '99 against Buffalo 😢

My favorite was 2013. The way we started the season was great. Plus the comeback vs Detroit in round 2 made it even sweeter

Shannon: heart broken that Vancouver lost to NYR in 94 Also Shannon: Yea, going to wear the Rangers jersey because it was my favorite final

I've waited a long time for this video! Bless you! Perhaps you could do a top 10 favorite goals of these Finals sometime. Much love Shannon

Hi...my name is Shannon and I'm just going to pretend like the Devils and the Red Wings both didn't have a 10-15 year dynasty between 95-2012 that had some incredible series...let's go rest of the NHL lol...love these videos though keep em coming

I agree with 94...but I'm a semi-biased Ranger fan. My second favorite was the 2001 Aves win. I felt so good for Ray Bourque. Druery was a good side story. And Patrick Roy was my second favorite goalie (no one comes ahead of Hasek for me) 👍 ...also happy Brodeur came out on the short end.

looking back at these earlier cup teams that were basically all star rosters is kind of depressing in this cap world.

I don’t really have a favorite final, I started watching during the 2013 shortened season, but my favorite playoff series has to be the 2014 western conference final. If I had to choose a favorite final I’ve seen it would have to be either 2018 or 2019. Seeing new first time champions is exciting

some statistics on finals appearances since you started following hockey : Oilers 7 times, Detroit-Pittsburgh 6 times, New Jersey-Boston-Tampa Bay-Dallas(including North Stars) 5 times

This video boutty be goated

My favorite Finals are the ones with hockey lore. Not stupid plastic rats, but stuff like Hextall's goal. McSorley's illegal stick. Messier's guarantee. Nords winning right after moving. Yzerman's destroyed knee. Lanny's last career goal as the only visitor cup-winning goal at the Forum. I'm with you THG, pre-dead puck era was so much more fun to watch. Watching the pure joy in Gretzky winning it all... it was a great time to be a hockey fan.

My fantasy hockey this year is named the 1994 Canucks I’m 8 and 1 and the only lose I have the guy has mostly Boston players. So it’s fitting in a way. I had drafted Petterson and Demko so I went with the Canucks vibes

2010. My Hawks finally put it all together. Unfortunately is now tarnished by the abuse of Kyle Beach. 2009 was great too, had to watch at some ungodly hours because i was on the other side of the planet at the time. MAF showing the crossbar some love was just fantastic.

Mine too. I'm a huge Patrick Roy fan but Mike Ritcher stole the show against Canucks 94'. Thats when I became a Canucks fan. McLean was the coolest looking goalie. But stills Habs fan :P

I’ve been a hockey fan and a TBL fan since 2011. Here is how i look at each finals. 2011: definitely the most controversial and contested series i have seen. Lots of dirty hits both ways. But boston was clearly the better team. 2012: Almost one of the worst choke jobs of all time. LA outlasts them and completes their incredible run. 2013: incredible series. Probably one of the best finals of the decade. Should have gone 7. 2014: Actually closer than the 5 games would show. Feel for hank man. 2015: Tough way to end it for me but a hard fought great series. It had it all incredible skill, great goalies etc. 2016: you could tell that pit was the better team early. The sharks fought but pit was too much 2017: same really as 2016 although i will say Nashville’s injuries and if rinne was average at pit could have made that more interesting. 2018: Vegas baby, that was a fun but short series. Also ovi’s cup lift is just spine tingling. 2019: My version of shannon’s 2010 😂 didn’t care about it at all, didn’t like either team that much tbh and it took FOREVER. Good for the blues winning their first tho. 2020: obviously one of my personal favorites. But I thought the series would be remembered more if it wasn’t in 2020. There were some really fun games in there. But The cup was awarded in September bro that’s brutal. Once stamkos scored everyone knew who won. 2021: again personal favorite but just as a hockey fan really the only mismatch I remember seeing. Tampa was so much better. The most entertaining part of that series for me was Kucherov trolling lol. 2022: great series. Vasy was the only reason we kept it close though. The avs skated us into the earth. Tough way to end but the avs were incredible. If i had to rank my favs id say 2013,2015 and 2018 and my least would be 2019,2012 and 2011.

I’ve been watching the finals since 2014 and I’d say 2019 is my favorite, probably because it’s the only one that went 7 games, but weirdly enough my other top 2 would be 2018 and 2014 both 5 game series but closer than some 6 game series.

As a caps fan of course the 2018 final has to be 1. Another soft spot for me is the 2012 Kings vs. Devils final. Really entertaining to watch from start to finish. Quick, Kopitar and the Kings won me over quickly.

I’m a Devils fan, but I have to agree with 1994. For about a month, the Rangers were the top story in NYC. With both teams being good, hockey exploded in the region, and I think it’s reflected in the increased number of players from NY and NJ in the NHL in the last 2 decades

I dont know how 2001 was so low or how 2010 wasnt even in. 2010, there was only 1 blowout, 2 overtime games, a lot of goals and physicality

I was only 2 years old in 94, so unfortunately I can't have that as my favorite. My team has never won it, and the 2 they were in weren't great. I don't think I can say just 1, but I'll go with 4. 2013, 2015, 2022 - All great action and close series 2018 - Living in DC at the time of this made it a lot better

The best final was probably 2005. Detroit & Ottawa was a classic.

'94 is the right choice - it was an amazing series.

As a Bruins fan, game 7 of the 2019 finals was really hard to watch. The Blues really deserved it though as they came back from having the worst record in January I believe and then winning the cup. Torey Krug’s epic hit game 1 is one of my favorite highlights of the series.

Maybe an unpopular opinion, but the 22 finals are my favorite. It was a matchup of the actual two best teams in hockey. One thing to win their third cup, and one trying to win their third cup in a row. Both teams had a game where they embarrassed the other team. It was a hard fought series

I think stuff like this it's opposite of recency bias, because you most fondly remember the ones when you were a kid and it was all new. I'd say my favorite was 1974 when the Flyers beat the Bruins.Not a Flyers or Bruins fan, but it was the first time an expansion team won, it had Bobby Orr vs. Bobby Clarke, the Big Bad Bruins before their decline vs. the Bully Flyers, two very nasty teams, a fantastic brawl-filled game 5, and the clincher was a tight 1-0 game. It was also the first time in NY you got to see every game on TV. Next favorite was 2004 even though my Flames lost, because it won me $2000 on a pre-season bet. Then 89, when the Flames actually won, then 83 with the Islanders sweeping the Oilers, a team I really hated. Others were 91, Pens vs. Minnesota, the year the Flyers beat Buffalo in a wild series, and, of recent cups, when Boston beat Vancouver, just because Tim Thomas had the greatest playoffs of any goalie ever and it was something to see.

2004 - This was one hell of a final, and it wasn't even for the Cup. 2004 ECF TB vs Philly is probably my favorite series ever. Brad Richards and Keith Primeau were dominant (especially Primeau) Flyers fans must have quite a few "what-ifs" regarding 2004. What if Robert Esche wasn't a sub .900 save pct sieve? TB vs Calgary in the Cup Final was just as much of a roller coaster. Best month of hockey ever.

1992, Pens / Hawks....that's when Jagr's brilliance really started to bloom.