query: who gets home field advantage in stanley cup finals

pos: Stanley Cup playoffs finishers qualified for the fourth through eighth seedings. All teams played in the first round: first-place versus eighth, second versus seventh, third versus sixth and fourth versus fifth, by those criteria. After each round, surviving teams were reseeded to play a conference semi-final, then a conference final. Like the 1994–1998 system, the conference winners then played each other in the Stanley Cup Finals, and home ice advantage was determined by higher seed in the first three rounds and by regular-season points of the two teams in the Stanley Cup Finals. The NHL realigned into a four-division, two-conference system for the

pos: Stanley Cup playoffs conference semi-final, then a conference final. The conference winners then played each other in the Stanley Cup Finals. Home ice advantage was determined by higher seed in the first three rounds and by regular-season points of the two teams in the Stanley Cup Finals. In 1998–99, the league was re-organized into two conferences of three divisions apiece, resulting in the playoff format used through 2013. The qualifiers remained sixteen, but the seeding changed. The three first-place teams in each division qualified and were seeded first through third for the playoffs. Of the other teams in each conference, the top five

neg: Playoff format advantage to lose the middle three games, which has only happened thrice). In NHL's Stanley Cup Finals, NBA Finals, and MLB's World Series, the teams with the higher regular season record receives the home advantage. The NFL's Super Bowl is held at a predetermined site regardless of which teams reach the game, which usually means there is no home advantage but it is still possible for the host city's team to play in the Super Bowl. Until 2016, In MLB's World Series, the team that came from the league that won the All-Star Game is awarded with the home field

neg: 2009 Stanley Cup playoffs second team, after the 1971 Montreal Canadiens, to win the championship after losing the first two games of the series on the road. In each round, the highest remaining seed in each conference is matched against the lowest remaining seed. The higher-seeded team is awarded home ice advantage, which gives them a possible maximum of four games on their home ice, with the lower-seeded team getting a possible maximum of three. In the Stanley Cup Finals, home ice is determined based on regular season points. Thus, the Detroit Red Wings had home ice advantage in the Stanley Cup Finals. Each

neg: 2012 Stanley Cup Finals a long Stanley Cup Final appearance drought for the Los Angeles Kings, who had appeared in the Finals only once in franchise history, in , when the Kings lost to the Montreal Canadiens in five games. The New Jersey Devils last appeared in when winning the championship. It was the first championship series since 2007 whose Stanley Cup-clinching game was played on the winning team's home ice. The Eastern Conference winner had home ice advantage for the first time since , since the Devils had a better regular season record than the Kings. The Devils were the lowest-seeded team to

neg: 2011 Stanley Cup Finals 2011 Stanley Cup Finals The 2011 Stanley Cup Finals was the championship series of the National Hockey League's (NHL) , and the culmination of the 2011 Stanley Cup playoffs. The Eastern Conference champion Boston Bruins defeated the Western Conference champion Vancouver Canucks four games to three. The Bruins ended a 39-year Stanley Cup drought with the win. Bruins goaltender Tim Thomas was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as the Most Valuable Player of the playoffs. The Canucks had home ice advantage in the Finals by virtue of winning the Presidents' Trophy as the team that finished with the best regular

neg: 2011 Stanley Cup Finals season record (117 points). They were also the first Canadian team to have home ice advantage in the Finals since the Montreal Canadiens had it for the 1993 Stanley Cup Finals. The Canadiens' victory in 1993 was also the last time a Canadian team won the Stanley Cup. As of the 2017–18 season, this was the last Stanley Cup Finals to feature a Canadian team and that the Finals went the full seven games. On June 1, 2011, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman made an announcement that Colin Campbell would be stepping down as the league's head disciplinarian to be replaced

neg: 2016 Stanley Cup Finals in the series. The series began on May 30 and concluded on June 12. This was the first Stanley Cup Finals since 2007 to feature a team making their Finals debut. This was the first playoff meeting between teams from Pittsburgh and the Bay Area since the Penguins swept the Oakland Seals in the 1970 Stanley Cup Quarterfinals. The Eastern Conference had home-ice advantage in consecutive seasons for the first time since the 2004 and 2006 Finals. For the first time since 2011, neither the Chicago Blackhawks nor the Los Angeles Kings won the Stanley Cup. This was Pittsburgh's fifth

neg: 2012 Stanley Cup Finals in league history of an American-born captain leading his team to the Stanley Cup championship. Derian Hatcher of the Dallas Stars was the first American-born captain to do so, leading his team over the Buffalo Sabres in . These finals guaranteed the lowest-seeded Stanley Cup champion in history. New Jersey, as a fifth seed, won the Stanley Cup in . With the Kings' victory, they became the first team ever to win the Stanley Cup as the eighth seed. They are also the second team to win the Stanley Cup without having home ice advantage in any of the four

neg: 2007 Stanley Cup Finals speed and higher-scoring offence, although both teams played a similar style of responsible team defence. Anaheim had home ice advantage for the series, as they finished the regular season with 110 points to Ottawa's 105. The attention leading into the finals was Ottawa being "Canada's Team" despite Anaheim having five more Canadian skaters than the Senators. Many fans were saying that the Stanley Cup needed to be brought back to Canada after a 14-year drought (up to that point, the last Canadian team to hoist the Stanley Cup was the 1993 Montreal Canadiens, who defeated the Los Angeles Kings). Only

neg: 2016 Stanley Cup Finals 2016 Stanley Cup Finals The 2016 Stanley Cup Finals was the championship series of the National Hockey League's (NHL) 2015–16 season, and the culmination of the 2016 Stanley Cup playoffs. The Eastern Conference champion Pittsburgh Penguins defeated the Western Conference champion San Jose Sharks four games to two to win their fourth championship in franchise history (winning the clinching game of all four on the road). Penguins captain Sidney Crosby was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player of the playoffs. The Penguins finished ahead of the Sharks during the regular season, giving them home ice advantage

neg: 2015 Stanley Cup Finals 2015 Stanley Cup Finals The 2015 Stanley Cup Finals was the championship series of the National Hockey League's (NHL) season, and the culmination of the 2015 Stanley Cup playoffs. The Western Conference champion Chicago Blackhawks defeated the Eastern Conference champion Tampa Bay Lightning four games to two to win their sixth championship in franchise history, and their third title in six seasons. The Lightning, as the club with the better regular-season record, held home-ice advantage in the series. The best-of-seven series was played in a 2–2–1–1–1 format, with Tampa Bay hosting games one, two, five, and seven (if necessary); and

neg: 1999–2000 New Jersey Devils season with 20.07% (55 for 274). New Jersey advanced to the Stanley Cup finals with home ice advantage as the fourth seed, becoming the lowest seeded team to have home ice advantage in the Stanley Cup finals. This record was later broken by the devils again in 2012. Television coverage was on Fox Sports Net with Mike Emrick and Chico Resch and radio coverage was on WABC 770 with Mike Milbury. New Jersey Devils NHL All-Star representatives at the 50th NHL All-Star Game in Toronto, Ontario, at the Air Canada Centre. The Devils' draft picks at the 1999 NHL Entry Draft

neg: Vancouver Canucks the playoffs, the Canucks made the Stanley Cup Finals with a combined 11–2 record in series against the Calgary Flames, Los Angeles Kings, and Chicago Black Hawks. Despite having a losing regular season record, Vancouver had home ice advantage in the first series, having finished second in the Smythe Division to the Edmonton Oilers. The Canucks also had home ice advantage during the second round series against the Kings, who upset the Oilers in the first round. Late in Game 2 of the Conference Finals in Chicago, Vancouver Interim Head Coach Roger Neilson, frustrated with what he felt was the

neg: 2012 Stanley Cup Finals have home-ice advantage in the Stanley Cup Finals, a record previously held by the Devils when they won the Cup as a fourth seed in . With the Devils entering the playoffs as the ninth seed of the 16 playoff teams by regular season record (no division titles) and the Kings as the 13th, their combined seed of 22 was the second highest of any playoff matchup (only trailing the 1991 Cup Finals with 23), and it was the first playoff matchup with no team seeded better than 9th. The Kings became the first, as well as the last eighth-seeded

neg: 2008 Stanley Cup playoffs of four games on their home ice, with the lower-seeded team getting a possible maximum of three. In the Stanley Cup Finals, home ice is determined based on regular season points; thus, the Detroit Red Wings had home ice advantage throughout the playoffs, including in the Finals. Each best-of-seven series follows a 2–2–1–1–1 format. This means that the higher-seeded team has home ice for games one and two, and if necessary, five and seven, while the lower-seeded team has home ice for games three, four and, if necessary, six. The Montreal Canadiens entered the playoffs as the Eastern Conference regular

neg: Knicks–Pacers rivalry to the Spurs. The defeat in 1994 denied New York the distinction of having both NBA and NHL championships in the same year, as Madison Square Garden hosted the New York Rangers first Stanley Cup celebration in 54 years following their win over the Canucks in Game 7 of the 1994 Stanley Cup Finals while the series was in New York. (The Rockets had home court advantage during the 1994 Finals.) The Pacers finally reached the NBA Finals by defeating the Knicks in the 2000 Eastern Conference Finals, eventually losing to the Lakers in 6 games. The playoff battles between

neg: History of the Vancouver Canucks injury late in the season (he would retain that position for a team-record eight years). Continuing their success in the playoffs, the Canucks made the Stanley Cup Finals with a combined 11–2 record in series against the Calgary Flames, Los Angeles Kings and Chicago Black Hawks. Despite having a losing regular season record, Vancouver had home ice advantage in the first series, having finished second in the Smythe Division to the Edmonton Oilers. The Canucks also had home ice advantage during the second round series against the Kings, who upset the Oilers in the first round. During the Conference Finals

neg: Season structure of the NHL Conference (Pacific vs. Central divisional bracket champions) and Eastern Conference (Atlantic vs. Metropolitan divisional bracket champions) Finals will determine who faces off in the Stanley Cup Finals. Any ties in the standings are broken using the following protocols: For the first two rounds, the higher-seeded team has home-ice advantage (regardless of point record). Thereafter, it goes to whoever has the better regular season record (no matter the seeding). The team with home-ice advantage hosts Games 1, 2, 5 and 7, while the opponent hosts Games 3, 4 and 6 (Games 5–7 are played "if necessary"). Season structure of the NHL

neg: 2017 Stanley Cup Finals second in the league with 111 points, which gave them home ice advantage in the series. The series began on May 29 and concluded on June 11. The Penguins made their second consecutive Finals appearance, marking the third time in their history they had done this, following their appearances in – and –. This was the first time since 2009, a rematch between the Penguins and Detroit Red Wings, that any team appeared in consecutive Finals. The Penguins also became the first team since the Red Wings (in and ) to win the Stanley Cup in consecutive years. This marked

neg: 2000 Stanley Cup Finals Florida Panthers 4–0, the Toronto Maple Leafs 4–2 and the Philadelphia Flyers 4–3 to advance to the Finals. Dallas defeated the Edmonton Oilers 4–1, the San Jose Sharks 4–1 and the Colorado Avalanche 4–3 to advance to the Finals. Despite New Jersey being a lower seed in conference play (4) than Dallas (2), New Jersey's 103 points were one more than Dallas, giving them home-ice advantage in the series. The Devils won the Cup in game six on a one-timer goal by Jason Arnott in double overtime. It was their second Stanley Cup overall and first since 1995. For the

neg: Stanley Cup playoffs on to the Stanley Cup Finals. In the first two rounds, the higher-seeded team has home-ice advantage (regardless of point record). Thereafter, it goes to the team with the better regular season record (regardless of seeding); in the case of a tie, the league's standard tiebreaking procedure is applied. The team with home-ice advantage hosts games one, two, five, and seven, while the opponent hosts games three, four, and six (games five through seven are played if necessary). Any ties in the standings at the end of the regular season are broken using the following protocols: The National Hockey League

neg: 2006 Stanley Cup Finals Pronger late in the second period, tipping the puck away in the Edmonton zone to the front of the net, where Eric Staal fed a pass to Mark Recchi, who scored the eventual game-winning goal with 4:08 to go in the period. Once again Edmonton's power play was ineffective, failing to capitalize on five chances, including a two-man advantage in the first period. When the game ended, the Oilers were 1-for-25 on the power play to this point in the series. Carolina had a 3–1 lead in the series and a chance to win the Stanley Cup on their home

neg: 1974 Stanley Cup Finals the previous 19 games against the Bruins in Boston, the Flyers had lost 17 and tied two. Boston had the best regular season record in the league finishing one point ahead of the Flyers. The Bruins also had home ice advantage in the Stanley Cup Finals, and were made heavy favorites to win the series. A key confidence-building win late in the regular season saw the Flyers defeating the Bruins 5–3 at the Spectrum in Philadelphia. The first two games at Boston Garden were full of late game dramatics. In game one, the Flyers nearly scored late in the third

neg: 1931–32 Toronto Maple Leafs season 43 points. The Maroons defeated the Detroit Falcons in the opening round of the playoffs. The series opened at the Montreal Forum, and the game ended in a 1–1 tie. The second game was played at Maple Leaf Gardens, and Toronto used home ice to their advantage, defeating the Maroons 3–2 in overtime to win the series 4–3, and move to the Stanley Cup finals. The Leafs would play the New York Rangers in a best of 5 series to determine the winner of the 1932 Stanley Cup Finals. The Rangers finished in first place in the American Division with

neg: NBA Finals the 1994 Stanley Cup Finals. After trading for Clyde Drexler midseason, the Rockets later swept an Orlando Magic team consisting of Shaquille O'Neal and Penny Hardaway in the 1995 Finals; Olajuwon was again named Finals MVP, and the Rockets became the fifth franchise to win back-to-back titles and became the first 6th-seeded team to win the title without enjoying home court advantage on any of their playoff series. The Houston Rockets also beat teams with at least 50 regular season wins in every round of the playoffs, with "Road Court" advantage. No other team in NBA History has done that.

neg: 2014 Stanley Cup Finals of 26 playoff games was the longest of any Stanley Cup–winning team in history. Los Angeles had home ice advantage in the series, as the Kings finished with a better regular season record than the Rangers. The series started on June 4 and ended on June 13 with the Kings winning their second Stanley Cup in three seasons. It was the first meeting between teams from New York City and Los Angeles for a major professional sports championship since the Yankees and the Dodgers played in the 1981 World Series. Coincidentally, 1981 was also the last time the Rangers and

neg: 1995 Stanley Cup Finals decade. The win was made more impressive by the fact that the Devils won it holding the lowest seed ever to win the Stanley Cup with the fifth seed, which remained the record until , another Final which not only involved the Devils, but also saw the Stanley Cup won by a team that did not have home ice advantage in any of the four rounds of the playoffs, as the Devils lost to the Los Angeles Kings. Their regular-season winning percentage was also the lowest since the Toronto Maple Leafs. They were the underdogs going in, winning their first

neg: Stanley Cup playoffs champions, who would meet in the Stanley Cup Finals. The division semifinals was a best-of-five affair until the 1986–87 season, when it became a best-of-seven series, while all other series remained best-of seven. For the 1993–94 season, the league revamped its playoff structure to become conference-based rather than division-based. Eight teams in each conference qualified for the playoffs. The division first-place teams were seeded first (the team with the best record in the conference) and second in the conference playoffs and received home ice advantage for the first two rounds. The next six best teams in each conference also qualified

neg: John Wiedeman game 6 of the 2010 Stanley Cup Finals, where the Hawks won their first cup in 49 years. Like nearly everyone else, he wasn't sure if Patrick Kane's game-winning shot had gone over the line. However, once the replay confirmed that it was a goal, Wiedeman bellowed, "Lord Stanley's new address is sweet home Chicago!" After the Blackhawks won the 2013 Stanley Cup Finals, Wiedeman proclaimed "Lord Stanley is moving back to the Windy City!" and two years later, after the Blackhawks won the 2015 Stanley Cup Finals where the Hawks won the first Stanley Cup at home in 77

neg: 1945 Stanley Cup Finals as Broda returned to the Leafs in January 1946. This was the first time in the history of game seven of the Stanley Cup Finals that the home team did not win. The home team did not lose a game seven final again until the Canadiens beat the Chicago Black Hawks in . This did not happen again until the Pittsburgh Penguins beat Detroit in , and again in when Boston defeated the Vancouver Canucks. 1945 Stanley Cup Finals The 1945 Stanley Cup Finals was a best-of-seven series between the Detroit Red Wings and the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Maple

neg: 2012 Stanley Cup playoffs after the 2003–04 Calgary Flames (and the first team to do so in that order). In addition, the Kings became the first team to make the Final undefeated on the road (with their 8-0 record). As the sixth seed in their conference, the Devils were the lowest-seeded team to have home-ice advantage in the Stanley Cup Finals, breaking a record they held when they won the Cup as a fourth seed in 2000. After the regular season, the standard 16 teams qualified for the playoffs. The Vancouver Canucks were the Western Conference regular season champions and Presidents' Trophy winners with

neg: 1961–62 Chicago Black Hawks season the series. The fifth game was back in Montreal, however, Chicago stayed hot, and narrowly defeated the Canadiens 4–3 to return home with a 3–2 series lead. The Hawks again took advantage of their home ice, shutting out the Canadiens 2–0, and eliminating Montreal for the second straight season, and earning a spot in the finals. Chicago would face the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 1962 Stanley Cup Finals. The Leafs had a strong regular season, earning 85 points, and had defeated the fourth place New York Rangers to clinch a spot in the finals. The series opened at Maple

neg: 2011 Stanley Cup Finals NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman following the Bruins' 4–0 win over the Vancouver Canucks in the seventh game of the finals. 2011 Stanley Cup Finals The 2011 Stanley Cup Finals was the championship series of the National Hockey League's (NHL) , and the culmination of the 2011 Stanley Cup playoffs. The Eastern Conference champion Boston Bruins defeated the Western Conference champion Vancouver Canucks four games to three. The Bruins ended a 39-year Stanley Cup drought with the win. Bruins goaltender Tim Thomas was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as the Most Valuable Player of the playoffs. The Canucks had home ice

neg: 1997 Stanley Cup Finals history and the first time since ; Philadelphia had not won since . Detroit was the last team to win the Cup without having home ice advantage in the Finals and with fewer than 100 points earned during the regular season until . The Flyers arrived into the Final having beaten their perennial rivals, the New York Rangers, in a memorable five-game Eastern Conference Final series. Eric Lindros and Wayne Gretzky each recorded a hat trick in the set, but the size, strength and discipline of Philadelphia trumped the veteran savvy of the Blueshirts. Philadelphia rose to the top on

neg: USA Rugby Elite Cup a draw. A bonus point is awarded for a loss by seven points or fewer, or for scoring four tries or more. The top two teams from each pool qualify for the semi-finals. The two pool winners have home field advantage. The semi-finals are East 1 vs East 2 and West 1 vs West 2. The semi-finals are played at the home stadiums of the higher-seeded teams. USA Rugby Elite Cup The USA Rugby Elite Cup is a defunct American rugby union competition which ran for just one season in 2013. The competition was founded in 2012, replacing the USA

neg: 2008–09 NHL season with a six points to three advantage in the four-game season series." In each round, the highest remaining seed in each conference is matched against the lowest remaining seed. The higher-seeded team is awarded home ice advantage. In the Stanley Cup Finals, home ice is determined based on regular season points. Each best-of-seven series follows a 2–2–1–1–1 format: the higher-seeded team will play at home for games 1 and 2 (plus 5 and 7 if necessary), and the lower-seeded team will be at home for game 3, 4 and 6 (if necessary). First All-Star Team Second All-Star Team "GP =

neg: 1972 Stanley Cup Finals 1972 Stanley Cup Finals The 1972 Stanley Cup Finals was contested by the Boston Bruins and the New York Rangers. It was the Rangers first appearance in the championship final series since 1950. The Bruins were making their first appearance since their victory in the 1970 Finals. It was the second Boston-New York Final series, the other being the 1929 Finals. The Bruins would win the best-of-seven series four games to two. This was only the second Stanley Cup Final contested by New York in which the Rangers hosted all of their home games. The first such Final, held in

neg: 1965 Stanley Cup Finals 1965 Stanley Cup Finals The 1965 Stanley Cup Finals was played between the Chicago Black Hawks and the Montreal Canadiens. The Canadiens won the best-of-seven series four games to three to win the Stanley Cup. Montreal defeated the three-time defending champion Toronto Maple Leafs 4–2 to advance to the finals and Chicago defeated the Detroit Red Wings 4–3. As in , every game was won by the home team. This was the last final until that this happened. Gump Worsley made his first Finals appearance after 12 years in the league and recorded two shutouts, including the one in game

neg: 2004 NBA Finals and NHL's Red Wings). The Red Wings made it 22 upon winning the 2008 Stanley Cup Finals. 2004 NBA Finals The 2004 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 2003–04 National Basketball Association season. The Finals were between the Los Angeles Lakers of the Western Conference and the Detroit Pistons of the Eastern Conference; the Lakers held home court advantage. The series was played under a best-of-seven format, so the first team to collect four game victories would win the series. Although the Lakers were the heavy favorite, the Pistons won the series four games to one to win

neg: 2011 Stanley Cup playoffs an unexpected rebound to score the series-winning goal 10:18 into the second overtime, sending Vancouver to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 1994. The Canucks had previously won the Western Conference Final on May 24, 1994, 17 years to the day before this year's Conference Final win. Both games went to double overtime. As the Presidents' Trophy winners, the Vancouver Canucks earned home ice advantage over the Boston Bruins in the Finals. This was the first playoff series between Vancouver and Boston. Vancouver and Boston met only once in the 2010–11 regular season, on February 26. Boston

neg: 2008–09 Pittsburgh Penguins season the Stanley Cup playoffs for the third consecutive season. They earned the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference and home-ice advantage in the opening round match-up against the Philadelphia Flyers, following a loss by the Flyers on the last day of the regular season. For the second consecutive season, the Penguins erected a 12 by 16 foot LED screen on the lawn directly outside Mellon Arena, allowing fans to watch all playoff games, free of charge. After defeating Philadelphia, the Penguins beat the Washington Capitals and the Carolina Hurricanes to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals. The Penguins faced the

neg: 1964–65 Chicago Black Hawks season Chicago's opponent in the 1965 Stanley Cup Finals was the Montreal Canadiens, who finished second in the league with a record of 36–23–11, earning 83 points, which was seven more than the Hawks. The Canadiens defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs in the NHL semi-finals to earn a spot in the Stanley Cup final. The series opened at the Montreal Forum for the opening two games, and the Canadiens quickly opened up a 2–0 series lead, with wins of 3–2 and 2–0. The series moved to Chicago for the next two games, and the Black Hawks once again took advantage of

neg: 2018 Stanley Cup Finals in which a Western Conference team made their Finals debut. This was the first Finals since 2014 to require less than six games. Washington captain Alexander Ovechkin was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player of the playoffs. The series began on May 28 and ended on June 7. The Vegas Golden Knights had home ice advantage in the series since the Golden Knights won the Pacific Division with 109 points during the regular season, while the Capitals won the Metropolitan Division with 105 points. This was Washington's second Finals appearance; the Capitals were swept in four

neg: 1965 Stanley Cup Finals seven. Jean Beliveau was the inaugural winner of the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP, scoring eight goals and eight assists in thirteen games. "Jean Beliveau wins first Conn Smythe Trophy" 1965 Stanley Cup Finals The 1965 Stanley Cup Finals was played between the Chicago Black Hawks and the Montreal Canadiens. The Canadiens won the best-of-seven series four games to three to win the Stanley Cup. Montreal defeated the three-time defending champion Toronto Maple Leafs 4–2 to advance to the finals and Chicago defeated the Detroit Red Wings 4–3. As in , every game was won by the home team.

neg: 1938 Stanley Cup Finals 2016. It was the last time that the Hawks would win the Stanley Cup at home until 2015, and the last that a Chicago team would win a championship at Chicago Stadium until the Bulls won their second straight NBA championship in 1992. The next time the Blackhawks would win the Stanley Cup at home would be in 2015, when they defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning in game six of the 2015 Stanley Cup Finals; by this time they had moved into the United Center. The NHL did not see fit to make sure that the Cup was in Chicago

neg: 2003 NBA Finals promoting NHL on ABC's broadcast of game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals. 2003 NBA Finals The 2003 NBA Finals was the championship round of the National Basketball Association (NBA)'s 2002–03 season, and the culmination of the season's playoffs. The Western Conference champion San Antonio Spurs played the Eastern Conference champion New Jersey Nets for the title, with the Spurs holding home court advantage. The series was played under a best-of-seven format. The Spurs defeated the Nets to win the series 4–2. Spurs' forward Tim Duncan was named the Most Valuable Player of the championship series. The series was broadcast

neg: 2011–12 Los Angeles Kings season same post-season (after the 2003–04 Calgary Flames), as well as the only team to win the Stanley Cup after defeating the first, second and third seeds in sequence. (Darryl Sutter was the head coach of both the 2003–04 Flames and 2011–12 Kings.) They then defeated the New Jersey Devils in the Stanley Cup Finals, becoming the first eighth seed in North American professional sports history to win a championship. They are also one of the few teams to win a championship after never benefitting from home-venue advantage in the post-season. Los Angeles would start every series by winning the first

neg: 1949 Stanley Cup Finals won nine straight Finals games (beating Montreal in game six of the Finals, plus consecutive sweeps of the Wings in and this year). By defeating Detroit, Toronto won the Stanley Cup with a losing record. The only other team to win the Stanley Cup after finishing the regular season with a losing record was the Chicago Black Hawks, who qualified for the 1938 playoffs with a losing record and ultimately beat Toronto in the Cup Finals three games to one. 1949 Stanley Cup Finals The 1949 Stanley Cup Finals was a best-of-seven series between the Detroit Red Wings and the

neg: Devils–Rangers rivalry in 1995). The Devils did not have home ice advantage during their Finals. In fact, they were the first team to win the Stanley Cup without having home ice advantage in any of the four rounds of the playoffs. The third Devils-Rangers playoff series occurred just three years later. The Rangers, led by Mark Messier, Wayne Gretzky and Mike Richter, eliminated the Devils in the 1997 Eastern Conference Semifinals, winning four games in a row after losing Game 1. In game 5, Adam Graves scored an overtime wraparound goal to give the Rangers the series win. New Jersey was limited

neg: 1940 Stanley Cup Finals back and forth with three overtime games. The Rangers took the first two at home and the Leafs took the next two in Toronto. The circus forced the Rangers to vacate Madison Square Garden after the first two games. The Rangers would score three game-winning goals in overtime including the Cup winner. Lynn and Murray Patrick played for the Rangers to be the third and fourth members of the Patrick family to win the Stanley Cup. 1940 Stanley Cup Finals The 1940 Stanley Cup Finals was a best-of-seven series between the New York Rangers and the Toronto Maple Leafs. New

neg: 2010 Stanley Cup playoffs Canadiens became the first eighth-seeded team to compete in the Eastern Conference Finals since the current playoff format was implemented in 1994. Previously, only the eighth-seeded 2006 Edmonton Oilers had accomplished a similar feat, winning the 2006 Western Conference Finals. As a result of the Canadiens having the eighth seed, the Flyers became the first seventh-seed to have home-ice advantage in the conference finals since the current playoff format was instituted. During the 2010 playoffs, 18 games went to overtime. The Washington Capitals entered the playoffs as the Presidents' Trophy winner, earning the NHL's best regular season record with 121

neg: 2009 Stanley Cup Finals game in the Stanley Cup Finals, while the Red Wings made their seventh appearance in the deciding game. Detroit had previously gone 3–3 in game sevens. Their last Stanley Cup Final game seven was in against the Toronto Maple Leafs, where they lost by the score of 4–0 in Maple Leaf Gardens. Entering the contest, Red Wings head coach Mike Babcock joined Mike Keenan as the only men to coach Game 7's of the Stanley Cup Finals with two different teams, having been with the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim when they lost to the New Jersey Devils in (the home

neg: 1987 Stanley Cup Finals points, and Philadelphia was second with 46 wins and 100 points. This was a rematch of the 1985 Stanley Cup Finals, where the Oilers beat the Flyers in five games. Unlike the 1985 Finals, this series went to seven games. Edmonton took the first two games at home, then split in Philadelphia. However, the Flyers won the next two games, one in Edmonton and one back in Philadelphia by one goal, to force a deciding seventh game. Edmonton won game seven to earn its third Stanley Cup in four seasons. During the Stanley Cup presentation, Oilers captain Wayne Gretzky would

neg: 1985 Stanley Cup Finals to make it to the finals. This was the first Stanley Cup Finals where games were scheduled for June. Had the series reached game six, it would have been played Sunday, June 2, with game seven on Tuesday, June 4. The NHL season would not extend into an actual June game until . This was the second and last Stanley Cup Finals to use the 2–3–2 format, long favored by Major League Baseball for its World Series and used from 1985 through 2013 for the NBA Finals. Since Edmonton went 6–0 at home during the 1984 and 1985 Finals, it

neg: Home advantage club, such as was used historically to stage FA Cup semi-finals. If the venue is chosen before the start of the competition however, it is still possible for one team to gain home field advantage. For example, in the European Cup/UEFA Champions League, there have been four instances where a club has managed to reach the final hosted in its own stadium (1957, 1965, 1984, and 2012). Most recently Bayern Munich played (and lost) the 2012 final at their home stadium of Allianz Arena, as it was chosen as the venue in January 2010. In the Champions League Final, however,

neg: Meads Cup seeded 1-4 and 2-3, with the higher seed receiving home field advantage. The highest remaining seed hosts the Meads Cup final. Meads Cup The Meads Cup is a rugby union trophy named after King Country and All Blacks player Colin Meads. It is contested during the Heartland Championship. It was first awarded in 2006, when the Heartland Championship format was introduced. At present, all 12 Heartland Championship teams play 8 games over 8 weeks before the finals. Once finished, the top 4 advance to the Meads Cup finals. The teams ranked 5-8 play for the Lochore Cup. Previously, a pool

neg: 2000 Stanley Cup Finals joint American TV contract with the Disney-owned networks ESPN and ABC, with ESPN airing the first two games of the Cup Finals and ABC broadcasting the rest of the series. 2000 Stanley Cup Finals The 2000 Stanley Cup Finals was the championship series of the National Hockey League's (NHL) 1999–2000 season, and the culmination of the 2000 Stanley Cup playoffs. It was contested by the Eastern Conference champion New Jersey Devils and the Western Conference champion Dallas Stars (who were the defending Stanley Cup champion). The Devils were led by captain Scott Stevens, Head Coach Larry Robinson and goaltender Martin

neg: History of the Vancouver Canucks series, reaching the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time in their history. Entering the Finals against the New York Islanders, the Canucks were the first team from Western Canada to play for the Stanley Cup in 56 years, when the Victoria Cougars reached the 1926 Stanley Cup Finals. It also marked the first ever coast-to-coast Stanley Cup Finals. Competing against the Islanders – the Stanley Cup champions of the previous two years who had finished with 41 points more than Vancouver in the regular season standings – Vancouver took the first game to overtime. In the final minute of

neg: 2018 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship home advantage, if avoidable. The only teams to play knockout games at home are the two Joe McDonagh Cup finalists, who had home advantage in the preliminary quarter-finals. The Munster final was held at a neutral venue which was decided based on the qualifying teams, while the locations of the two quarter-finals were decided based on similar considerations. The Leinster final, and the semi-finals and final of the All-Ireland series are held in the 82,300-capacity Croke Park in Dublin, headquarters of the GAA. The winners advance to the All-Ireland semi-finals and the losers advance to the All-Ireland quarter-finals. The winners

neg: 1967 Stanley Cup Finals 1967 Stanley Cup Finals The 1967 Stanley Cup Finals was a best-of-seven series played between the Montreal Canadiens and the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Maple Leafs ended up winning the series, four games to two. In doing this, they won their thirteenth Stanley Cup. To date, this is Toronto's most recent Stanley Cup championship, most recent appearance in the championship final, and is tied for the longest-active championship drought in the NHL with the St. Louis Blues (who have never won since joining the NHL in 1967) at 50 (not including 2004–05 lockout) seasons. The 1967 Stanley Cup Final was

neg: 1966 Stanley Cup Finals were broadcast on network television in color. The CBC would follow suit the following year. NBC's Stanley Cup coverage preempted a sports anthology series called "NBC Sports in Action", hosted by Jim Simpson and Bill Cullen, who were between-periods co-hosts for the Stanley Cup broadcasts. 1966 Stanley Cup Finals The 1966 Stanley Cup Finals was contested by the Detroit Red Wings and the defending champion Montreal Canadiens. The Canadiens would win the best-of-seven series four games to two to win the Stanley Cup for the seventh time in eleven years. Montreal defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 4–0 to advance to

neg: Wild card (sports) first round played the lowest winning seed of the first round in the next round of the playoffs. For example, if the #1, #4, #6, and #7 seeds win their respective first round series then the second round of the playoffs matched the #1 seed (highest) versus the #7 seed (lowest) and the #4 seed (2nd highest) versus the #6 seed (second lowest). Home ice advantage in each NHL playoff series prior to the Stanley Cup Finals was granted by superior seed, even if the "wild card" team had a better regular season record. For the Finals, the team with

neg: 1994 Stanley Cup Finals ice hockey gold medal since the 1952 Winter Olympics. Bob Cole, who called both games, said that game seven was one of his most memorable TV games. Bolded years under Finals appearance indicates a year the player won the Stanley Cup. 1994 Stanley Cup Finals The 1994 Stanley Cup Finals was the championship series of the National Hockey League's (NHL) 1993–94 season, and the culmination of the 1994 Stanley Cup playoffs. It was contested between the Eastern Conference champion New York Rangers and Western Conference champion Vancouver Canucks. The Canucks were making the club's second Final appearance, their first coming

neg: 2012–13 Swiss Cup winners of Round 2 played in this round, the home advantage was granted to the team from the lower league, if applicable. The winners of Round 3 played in the Quarter-finals, there was no home advantage granted in the draw. The winners of the Quarter-finals stage advanced to play in the Semi-finals. The winners of the Semi-finals stage played in the Final, which was held in the capital. 2012–13 Swiss Cup The 2012–13 Swiss Cup was the 88th season of Switzerland's annual football cup competition. The competition commenced on 14 September 2012 with the first game of Round 1 and

neg: 2001 Stanley Cup Finals the 1999 Cup champion Dallas Stars the year before. This was the first and only Stanley Cup championship for defenceman Ray Bourque who, after being traded from the Boston Bruins to Colorado in 2000, retired from the NHL after the Avalanche's 2001 Cup win. In Canada, the series was televised on CBC. In the United States, ESPN aired the first two games while ABC broadcast the rest of the series. 2001 Stanley Cup Finals The 2001 Stanley Cup Finals was the championship series of the National Hockey League's (NHL) 2000–01 season, and the culmination of the 2001 Stanley Cup playoffs.

neg: 1970–71 Chicago Black Hawks season the series lead for the first time with a 3–2 overtime victory. Back in New York for the sixth game, the Rangers would push the series to the limit, with their second overtime victory of the series, setting up a seventh and deciding game in Chicago. The Black Hawks used their home ice advantage, and held on for a 4–2 victory, to win the series, and earn their first trip to the Stanley Cup finals for the first time since 1965. The Black Hawks opponent was the Montreal Canadiens, who finished the season with a 42–23–13 record, earning 97 points,

neg: 1931–32 Toronto Maple Leafs season a 23–17–8 record, earning 54 points. They had defeated the Montreal Canadiens in four games to advance to the finals. The series opened at Madison Square Garden in New York, however, it was the Leafs who struck first, defeating the Rangers 6–4. The second game of the series was moved from New York to the Boston Garden due to the circus having been booked for the Rangers home arena. Toronto took full advantage of this, and easily defeated the Rangers 6–2 to come within a victory of the Stanley Cup. The series moved to Toronto for the third game, and

neg: 1967 Stanley Cup Finals part of all 4 cups, but were not included on the cup each season.) 1967 Stanley Cup Finals The 1967 Stanley Cup Finals was a best-of-seven series played between the Montreal Canadiens and the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Maple Leafs ended up winning the series, four games to two. In doing this, they won their thirteenth Stanley Cup. To date, this is Toronto's most recent Stanley Cup championship, most recent appearance in the championship final, and is tied for the longest-active championship drought in the NHL with the St. Louis Blues (who have never won since joining the NHL in

neg: Dallas Stars Finals, where they met the New Jersey Devils. Because the Devils finished the regular season with one more point than Dallas, the Stars had to play their first playoff series without home ice advantage since 1995. The Stars lost all three games in Reunion Arena in the Finals, and lost the series in Game 6 on a double-overtime goal by New Jersey forward Jason Arnott. Hoping to win back the Stanley Cup, the Stars again captured the Pacific Division, posting a solid 48–24–8–2 record in the 2000–01 season. In the playoffs, the Stars met the Edmonton Oilers in the first

neg: Philadelphia Flyers a veteran presence. Despite finishing just one point shy of a third straight Atlantic Division title, the Flyers blitzed their way through the first three rounds of the playoffs, dominating Pittsburgh, Buffalo and the Rangers all in five games apiece to win the Eastern Conference championship, and clinch a berth in the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time since 1986–87. Despite having home ice advantage, the Flyers were swept in four-straight games by the Detroit Red Wings. The goaltending tandem of Hextall and Garth Snow fared poorly in the Finals, as both conceded soft goals, and Murray's strategy of

neg: 2011 Vodacom Cup that finished first in each section had home advantage against the teams that finished fourth in that section and the teams that finished second in each section had home advantage against the teams that finished third in that section. The winners of these quarter finals then played each other in the semi-finals, with the higher-placed team having home advantage. The two semi-final winners then met in the final. The following teams took part in the 2011 Vodacom Cup competition: The following matches were played in the 2011 Vodacom Cup: "All times are South African (GMT+2)." The following sections contain only

neg: 1936 Stanley Cup Finals Joe Louis, the heavyweight boxing champion; native Detroiter Gar Wood, who was the champion of unlimited powerboat racing and the first man to go 100 miles per hour on water; and Eddie "the Midnight Express" Tolan, a black Detroiter who won gold medals in the 100- and 200-meter races at the 1932 Summer Olympics. 1936 Stanley Cup Finals The 1936 Stanley Cup Finals was contested by the Detroit Red Wings and the Toronto Maple Leafs. This was Detroit's second appearance in the Final and Toronto's sixth. Detroit would win the series 3–1 to win their first Stanley Cup. Detroit defeated

neg: 2014 Stanley Cup Finals score. The Kings clinched their second Stanley Cup in franchise history, their first since 2012, by defeating the Rangers 3–2 on home ice. This was the first Stanley Cup–clinching game since 2010 to be determined in overtime, and the first time that the home team had the overtime Stanley Cup winner since 1980. The Kings played 26 playoff games on their road to the trophy, more than any previous Stanley Cup–winning team. The Kings grabbed the lead in the first period with an even-strength goal by Justin Williams. In the second, Chris Kreider converted on a Rangers power play before

neg: 1984–85 Philadelphia Flyers season playoffs by sweeping the New York Rangers in three games, defeating the New York Islanders in five, and beating the Quebec Nordiques in six to return to the Stanley Cup Finals. Though they defeated the defending champion Edmonton Oilers in Game 1 by a score of 4–1 at home, Edmonton won the next four games and the series. The Flyers were involved in the following transactions from May 20, 1984, the day after the deciding game of the 1984 Stanley Cup Finals, through May 30, 1985, the day of the deciding game of the 1985 Stanley Cup Finals. The following

neg: 1928 Stanley Cup Finals 1928 Stanley Cup Finals The 1928 Stanley Cup Finals was played by the New York Rangers and the Montreal Maroons. It was the first appearance by the Rangers in the Finals and was their first victory of the Stanley Cup in only their second season. This was the second Stanley Cup victory by an American team, the first being the Seattle Metropolitans in the 1917 Stanley Cup Finals. The Montreal Maroons defeated the Ottawa Senators in the quarter-finals total-goals series 3–1. The Maroons then defeated the Montreal Canadiens in the semi-finals total-goals series 3–2 to reach the Finals. The New

neg: 2015 Stanley Cup Finals since 1938, when they beat the Toronto Maple Leafs in the fourth game of a best-of-five Finals at Chicago Stadium, and the first time at the United Center that the Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup on home ice. The 2015 Stanley Cup was presented to Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews by NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman following the Blackhawks' 2–0 win over the Lightning in game six. In the U.S., the Finals were split between NBC and NBCSN, called by NBC Sports' lead commentary team of Mike Emrick, Eddie Olczyk and Pierre McGuire; it was originally announced that games two and three

neg: 2000 Stanley Cup Finals 2000 Stanley Cup Finals The 2000 Stanley Cup Finals was the championship series of the National Hockey League's (NHL) 1999–2000 season, and the culmination of the 2000 Stanley Cup playoffs. It was contested by the Eastern Conference champion New Jersey Devils and the Western Conference champion Dallas Stars (who were the defending Stanley Cup champion). The Devils were led by captain Scott Stevens, Head Coach Larry Robinson and goaltender Martin Brodeur. The Stars were led by captain Derian Hatcher, Head Coach Ken Hitchcock and goaltender Ed Belfour. The Devils defeated the Stars, four games to two. New Jersey defeated the

neg: 1962 Stanley Cup Finals his playoff debut, scored two goals and an assist in the Final. 1962 Stanley Cup Finals The 1962 Stanley Cup Finals was contested by the defending champion Chicago Black Hawks and the Toronto Maple Leafs who had last appeared in the Final in 1960. The Maple Leafs would win the best-of-seven series four games to two to win the Stanley Cup, their first since 1951. Toronto defeated the New York Rangers to advance to the finals and Chicago defeated the Montreal Canadiens. Stan Mikita broke Gordie Howe's 1955 playoff record of 20 points, finishing with 21, but it was not

neg: 1973–74 Philadelphia Flyers season saw the home team win every game, went seven games. The Flyers had home-ice advantage as they advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals by winning Game 7. Their opponent, Bobby Orr and the Boston Bruins, took Game 1 in Boston, but Bobby Clarke scored an overtime goal in Game 2 to even the series. The Flyers won Games 3 and 4 at home to take a 3–1 series lead, but Boston won Game 5 to stave off elimination. That set the stage for Game 6 at the Spectrum. The Flyers picked up the lead early when Rick MacLeish scored a

neg: 1962 Stanley Cup Finals 1962 Stanley Cup Finals The 1962 Stanley Cup Finals was contested by the defending champion Chicago Black Hawks and the Toronto Maple Leafs who had last appeared in the Final in 1960. The Maple Leafs would win the best-of-seven series four games to two to win the Stanley Cup, their first since 1951. Toronto defeated the New York Rangers to advance to the finals and Chicago defeated the Montreal Canadiens. Stan Mikita broke Gordie Howe's 1955 playoff record of 20 points, finishing with 21, but it was not enough as the Leafs would defeat the Black Hawks. Dave Keon, making

neg: 2009 Stanley Cup Finals regular season games, before leading Pittsburgh to the Stanley Cup Finals. He is the second mid-season replacement rookie coach to win the Stanley Cup (See 1971 Stanley Cup Finals for the other coach, Al MacNeil). Bylsma was also a player under Mike Babcock on the 2002-03 and 2003-04 roster of the Anaheim Mighty Ducks. Included on the team picture, but left off the Stanley Cup. 2009 Stanley Cup Finals The 2009 Stanley Cup Finals was the championship series of the National Hockey League's (NHL) 2008–09 season, and the culmination of the 2009 Stanley Cup playoffs. It was contested between the

neg: 2019 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship McDonagh Cup who enter at the preliminary quarter-final stage. Each team has a nominal home stadium for the round-robin series of the provincial championships. However, Waterford will not play their "home" games at Walsh Park, instead playing in neutral venues for these fixtures, namely and . In the knockout stage, teams from the provincial round-robin series will not have home advantage, if avoidable. The only teams to play knockout games at home are the two Joe McDonagh Cup finalists, who have home advantage in the preliminary quarter-finals. The Munster final was held at a neutral venue which was decided based

neg: 2007–08 NHL season per game (6,691 goals over 1,230 games). Goaltenders combined for 161 shutouts. "GP = Games Played, W = Wins, L = Losses, OTL = Overtime/Shootout Losses, GF = Goals For, GA = Goals Against, Pts = Points." Where two or more clubs are tied in points at the end of the regular season, the standing of the clubs is determined in the following order: In each round, the highest remaining seed in each conference is matched against the lowest remaining seed. The higher-seeded team is awarded home ice advantage. In the Stanley Cup Finals, home ice is determined based on

neg: National Hockey League rivalries in 2013, this became an interconference matchup and the only playoff meeting between the two teams that is possible is in the Stanley Cup Finals. The next confrontation between the two teams was in 2008, with the Red Wings sweeping the Avalanche 4–0 on the way to the Stanley Cup. A stadium series game took place on February 27, 2016 between the two teams at Coors Field. The Red Wings won the game 5–3. Additionally, during the 1996 Stanley Cup Finals, Red Wings player Kris Draper was checked into the boards and severely injured by Avalanche player Claude Lemieux. Draper

neg: 2007–08 Paris Saint-Germain F.C. season goals 99 and 100. PSG met Valenciennes in the next round who made history by qualifying to the League Cup quarter-finals for the first time in the club's history. Ten-man PSG reached the League Cup semi-finals after smashing Valenciennes at the Parc des Princes. The capital club made it two successive home wins in a row as Amara Diané struck twice to ensure VA cound not find a way past a spirited and free-scoring PSG side in their League Cup quarter final. PSG were drawn for home advantage in the League Cup semi-finals as they hosted Auxerre. Paris Saint-Germain booked

neg: 2002–03 San Antonio Spurs season written in a line score format, except that the quarter numbers are replaced by game numbers. The Finals were played using a 2-3-2 site format, where the first two and last two games are held at the team with home court advantage. The NBA, after experimenting in the early years, restored this original format for the Finals in 1985. So far, the other playoff series are still running on a 2-2-1-1-1 site format. Game 4 at Continental Airlines Arena was not a sell out as it took place 48 hours after it hosted the New Jersey Devils third Stanley Cup

neg: 1928 Stanley Cup Finals member of his family to win the Stanley Cup, after his brother George won it four times with Ottawa, and his brothers Billy and Bobby had won it with Montreal in 1924. 1928 Stanley Cup Finals The 1928 Stanley Cup Finals was played by the New York Rangers and the Montreal Maroons. It was the first appearance by the Rangers in the Finals and was their first victory of the Stanley Cup in only their second season. This was the second Stanley Cup victory by an American team, the first being the Seattle Metropolitans in the 1917 Stanley Cup Finals.

neg: 2008 Stanley Cup Finals Stanley Cup Final that Bob Cole would serve as the play-by-play announcer for, as Jim Hughson would take over the following year. The following year, both the Red Wings and Penguins met again in the Stanley Cup Finals. This time, the Penguins won the Stanley Cup. This marks the most recent time that a Detroit-based team has won a major league championship. Years indicated in boldface under the "Finals appearance" column signify that the player won the Stanley Cup in the given year. 2008 Stanley Cup Finals The 2008 Stanley Cup Finals was the championship series of the National Hockey

neg: Rat trick trip to the Stanley Cup Finals. Area supermarkets sold "rat cakes" (cupcakes with rats drawn in icing), while baseball's Florida Marlins showed the Panthers' game seven victory against the Penguins, in Pittsburgh, on the Jumbotron between innings on June 1 and had the Panthers' arena announcer on hand to announce when the team scored a goal. The Panthers, who had sold out only 15 of 41 home games during the regular season, sold out their first two playoff games against Philadelphia and Pittsburgh in seven minutes. They were set to face the Colorado Avalanche in the 1996 Stanley Cup Finals.

neg: Don Raleigh In the 1950 Stanley Cup Finals, Raleigh scored the overtime winner in games four and five against the Detroit Red Wings, making him the first player to score back-to-back overtime goals in the Stanley Cup Finals. The Red Wings would take game six and go on to win game seven in double overtime to win the Stanley Cup 4-3, in which Raleigh hit the crossbar in what would have been his third overtime goal in the finals and the cup-winning goal for the Rangers who wouldn't win another Stanley Cup until 1994. He retired from hockey in 1958. Raleigh lived

neg: Richard Riot a difference. The suspension came when Richard was leading the NHL in scoring and the Canadiens were battling Detroit for first place. Richard's suspension also cost him the 1954–55 scoring title, the closest he ever came to winning it. When Richard's teammate Bernie Geoffrion surpassed Richard in scoring by one point on the last day of the regular season, the Canadiens' fans booed him. The points from the forfeiture provided Detroit with the margin it needed to win first place overall and be guaranteed home-ice advantage throughout the Stanley Cup playoffs. That season, the Canadiens lost the Cup Finals to

neg: 1925 Stanley Cup Finals Halderson became the first players to win both an Olympic gold medal and the Stanley Cup. Fredrickson and Halderson had been members of the Winnipeg Falcons who won gold at the 1920 Olympic Games. 1925 Stanley Cup Finals The 1925 Stanley Cup Finals saw the Western Canada Hockey League (WCHL) champion Victoria Cougars defeat the National Hockey League (NHL) champion Montreal Canadiens three games to one in a best-of-five game series. The Canadiens were substitute NHL representatives, as the final series to decide the NHL champion was not played. The Cougars were the last non-NHL team to win the Cup

neg: 2000 Vodacom Cup home advantage against the teams that finished third in the other section. The winners of these quarter finals then played each other in the semi-finals, with the higher placed team having home advantage. The two semi-final winners then met in the final. The following teams took part in the 2000 Vodacom Cup competition: 2000 Vodacom Cup The 2000 Vodacom Cup was the 3rd edition of this annual domestic cup competition. The Vodacom Cup is played between provincial rugby union teams in South Africa from the Currie Cup Premier and First Divisions, as well as an invitational team, the from Namibia.

neg: Vancouver Canucks for the first time in their history. Entering the Finals against the New York Islanders, the Canucks were the first team from Western Canada to play for the Stanley Cup in 56 years, when the Victoria Cougars reached the 1926 Stanley Cup Finals. It also marked the first ever coast-to-coast Stanley Cup Finals. Competing against the Islanders – the Stanley Cup champions of the previous two years, who had finished with 41 points more than Vancouver in the regular season standings – Vancouver took the first game to overtime. In the final minute of the extra period, Canucks defenceman and

neg: Joé Juneau the second overtime of the Capitals' four-overtime loss to Pittsburgh. Juneau was also a member of the 1997–98 Capitals squad that reached the 1998 Stanley Cup Finals, scoring seventeen points in twenty-one playoff games. He scored the game-winning goal in overtime against the Buffalo Sabres in the 1998 Eastern Conference Finals that sent the Capitals to the Stanley Cup Finals. The next season, 1998–99, with the Capitals plagued by injuries and missing the playoffs, Juneau was traded to the Sabres, who reached the 1999 Stanley Cup Finals. Juneau spent the 1999–2000 season with the Ottawa Senators, who signed him largely

neg: 2000 Currie Cup Top 8 then points difference (points scored less points conceded). The top four teams qualified for the title play-offs. In the semi-finals, the team that finished first had home advantage against the team that finished fourth, while the team that finished second had home advantage against the team that finished third. The winners of these semi-finals played each other in the final, at the home venue of the higher-placed team. The following playing records were brought forward from the 2000 Currie Cup qualification series: 2000 Currie Cup Top 8 The 2000 Currie Cup Top 8 was the final stage of the 2000

neg: John Starks (basketball) and the Knicks then watched their home court host the New York Rangers' first Stanley Cup celebration in 54 years, with their 3–2 win over the Vancouver Canucks in Game 7 of the 1994 Stanley Cup Finals. It served as an inspiration for the Knicks to recover to take a 3–2 series lead going into Game 6. However, in the final seconds of Game 6, Olajuwon blocked Starks' last-second 3-point attempt to give Houston an 86–84 victory. In Game 7, Starks had one of the worst games of his career, shooting 2-for-18 from the field, including 0-for-10 in the fourth

neg: 1981 Stanley Cup Finals seasons that the Cup Finals aired on the USA Network. For the 1981 Finals only, USA simulcast the CBC feed instead of producing their own coverage. 1981 Stanley Cup Finals The 1981 Stanley Cup Finals was the championship series of the National Hockey League's (NHL) 1980–81 season, and the culmination of the 1981 Stanley Cup playoffs. It was contested by the Minnesota North Stars, making their first Finals appearance, and the defending champion New York Islanders, in their second Finals appearance. The Islanders would win the best-of-seven series, four games to one, to win their second Stanley Cup championship. This

neg: Home advantage and in practice, home-field advantage decreases as superiority of performance increases. They also showed that home-field advantage is not applicable for no-hit major league baseball games for pitchers who either replicated performance by winning two or more no-hitters or amassed a large number of career wins. Their general finding was that home-field advantage is a metric for the inability to maintain performance independent of environment and that this metric is inversely related to variables of expertise. In recognition of the difficulty in winning away matches, cup competitions in association football often invoke the away goals rule. Away goals can also