The 11 Most Impressive Stanley Cup Finals Records

Every NHL player dreams of the day they get to hoist the Stanley Cup, and they’ll leave it all on the ice once the final round rolls around. Those battles have been responsible for plenty of memorable performances, and some guys have really taken their game to the next level when it matters most.

The Stanley Cup Final is steeped in more than a century of history, and it has featured plenty of fierce battles between some of hockey’s greatest players on the hunt for the sport’s ultimate prize.

There is no shortage of records to choose from, but these ones really stand out from the rest of the pack when it comes to most impressive achievements concerning the final round of the postseason.

Most Points In A Single Series: 13

It’s rare to make a list of NHL records where Wayne Gretzky doesn’t come into play at some point, so I figured we might as well get him out of the way.

It’s only appropriate that no NHL player has scored more points in the Stanley Cup Final than The Great One, who had three goals and ten assists (the latter of which is also a record; he also has the most career assists with 35) in just five games as the Oilers beat the Bruins in five games in 1988.

Most Stanley Cups Wins In Franchise History: 23*

This one might be obvious to the point where I almost hesitated to include it, but I feel like I have to mention the team that has firmly racked up more Stanley Cup wins than any other.

The Canadiens may have benefited from being an Original Six team, but they’re still the NHL’s equivalent of the Yankees with the 23 championships they’ve secured since getting their first as a member of the NHL in 1924 (it’s worth noting they can claim 24, as they also won the Stanley Cup in 1916 before the league was officially formed the following year).

Montreal is nursing a drought stretching back to its most recent win in 1993, but it still has a very comfortable lead over the Maple Leafs, who currently sit in second with a relatively paltry 13.

Most Goals By One Team In A Series: 33

This is one of those stats that doesn’t necessarily mean that much in the grand scheme of things when you consider dominant teams that take care of business in four or five games don’t get a chance to pad their stats like those in series that go on for longer.

With that said, I still have to give credit where credit is due to the Canadiens for racking up 33 goals (five more than the squad in second place) against the Blackhawks in 1973 en route to winning in six games; Montreal had eight in Game 1, seven in Game 5, and another six in the one that sealed the deal.

Fastest Goal: 10 Seconds

Four players in NHL history have scored a goal that went into the net five seconds after the first period got underway, and four of them have tallied one four seconds after the start of any frame (Brandon Montour became the newest member of that club with the overtime winner he had in 2025).

However, 10 seconds is the mark to beat when it comes to the opening goal in a Stanley Cup Final game, as that’s how long the Bruins had to wait to see John Byce give them a 1-0 lead over the Oilers in Game 3 of their series in 1990.

Boston got the 2-1 victory, but it was the only win they’d get in a series that the Oilers also won in five games.

Fastest Overtime Goal: Nine Seconds

The Stanley Cup Final has spawned some absolute marathons thanks to games that went into overtime (more on that in a second), and it’s safe to assume players would prefer to settle things as quickly as possible to avoid more wear and tear than necessary near the end of a brutal postseason.

Brian Skrudland made sure that wasn’t an issue when the Canadiens and Flames headed into overtime of Game 2 of the 1986 Final knotted at two, as he only needed nine seconds to break the deadlock and give Montreal the win and even up the series they’d secure in five games.

Longest Game: 115 Minutes And 13 Seconds (Three Overtimes)

Soccer and hockey are obviously different when you consider players in the latter routinely sub in and out during games, but I’ve always found it kind of wild that the World Cup can be decided by penalty kicks as opposed to the Stanley Cup Playoff model that requires both teams to keep playing until someone scores.

The Red Wings and the defunct Montreal Maroons played the longest game in NHL history in 1936 thanks to a playoff showdown that required both sides to play close to the equivalent of three games; it was decided with 3:30 to go in the sixth overtime when Detroit got the 1-0 win.

The aforementioned 1990s series between Boston and Edmonton was also responsible for the longest game in Stanley Cup Finals history, as Petr Klima scored with 4:47 remaining in the third OT of Game 1 to give the Oilers the 3-2 victory.

 

Most Saves In A Single Game: 63

Plenty of teams have made it to the Stanley Cup Final on the back of a legendary goalie, and that was certainly the case with the Avalanche squad that was lucky enough to have Patrick Roy in net in 1996.

Colorado pulled out to a 3-0 lead over the Panthers and had the chance to put things away on the road in Game 4, but Florida was not going down without a fight.

Neither team had scored by the time the end of regulation rolled around, and Roy ended up stopping all 63 of the shots he faced before officially getting the shutout when Uwe Krupp scored the Stanley Cup-winning goal 4:31 into the third overtime.

Highest Save Percentage: .971

Pardon me for double-dipping for the second time, but I would be remiss if I didn’t give Patrick Roy his flowers for what he managed to do against the Panthers in 1996.

The netminder obviously boosted his stats by standing on his head and withstanding the, um, avalanche of shots he had to deal with in Game 4.

It’s worth noting the NHL didn’t start keeping track of save percentage until the 1955-56 season, but no goalie has fared better in the Stanley Cup Final than the man who stopped 147 of the 151 shots he faced.

Lowest Goals Against Average In A Series: .5

The Red Wings made quick work of the Canadiens in 1952 in the midst of the Detroit dynasty that spanned from the start of the decade to its middle, as Montreal saw its season end in a sweep.

The Red Wings got plenty of help from Terry Sawchuk in the series, as the man lived up to his “Mr. Zero” by blanking Montreal in the final two contests after allowing just one goal apiece in the first couple.

Most Consecutive Shutouts: 3

The Maple Leafs turned to Frank McCool to take over in goal after Turk Broda left the team to fight in WWII, and he served as a more than serviceable replacement during the rookie season he kicked off in 1944.

That campaign ended with Toronto meeting Detroit in the Stanley Cup Final, and it seemed like they were going to cruise to a championship after jumping out to a 3-0 lead on the back of three straight shutouts the aptly named McCool recorded.

However, things took an interesting turn when the Red Wings rallied to win their next three games just three years after the Maple Leafs became the first (and, to date, only team) to win a Stanley Cup after losing the first three games—a feat they’d achieved against Detroit.

Thankfully, Toronto ultimately prevailed in a series where McCool allowed just nine goals total.

Most Career Games Played: 65

Four men have appeared in the Stanley Cup Final on 12 different occasions, and two of them are tied for the highest number of games collectively played on the NHL’s biggest stage at 65.

The first is Henri Richard, who is one of three players who made a dozen appearances during the Canadiens dynasty—a reign of terror that began in 1944 and didn’t really end until the 1980s rolled around (his older brother, the legendary Maurice “Rocket” Richard, and Jean Beliveau comprise the rest of the trio; the former appeared in 58 games and the latter skated in 64).

The second is Red Kelly, who appeared in the finals seven times with the Red Wings and another five with the Maple Leafs while winning the Cup on eight occasions (if you’re curious, Henri ended up with 11 titles).