# 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. It was contested between the Eastern Conference champion and defending Stanley Cup champion New Jersey Devils and the Western Conference champion and Presidents' Trophy-winning Colorado Avalanche. It was Colorado's second appearance in the Finals, and the first since the team won the Cup in 1996. It was New Jersey's third appearance in the Finals and second straight appearance after winning the Cup in the previous year.
Colorado defeated New Jersey in seven games to win their second Stanley Cup in franchise history. Colorado's Patrick Roy was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as the MVP of the 2001 playoffs. This was the first Stanley Cup Finals since 1994 that would be decided in the maximum seven games. This was also the first and, as of 2024, most recent Finals since 1989 that the number one seeds in each conference met in the Finals. This marked the only time in NHL history where two teams who occupied the same market at different times faced off against each other. The Devils were based out of Denver as the Colorado Rockies from 1976 to 1982 and the Avalanche established themselves in the city in 1995 after relocating from Quebec City.
The Avalanche would not win the Stanley Cup again until 2022.

## Paths to the Finals
### New Jersey Devils

New Jersey finished the regular season with 111 points and an Atlantic Division title, good for the first overall seed in the Eastern Conference. In the playoffs, they defeated the Carolina Hurricanes 4–2, the Toronto Maple Leafs 4–3 and the Pittsburgh Penguins 4–1 to advance to the Finals.

### Colorado Avalanche

Colorado finished the regular season with 118 points and a Northwest Division title, good for the first overall seed in the Western Conference, and the President's Trophy as the team with the league's best regular season record. In the playoffs, they defeated the Vancouver Canucks 4–0, the Los Angeles Kings 4–3 and the St. Louis Blues 4–1 to advance to the Finals.

## Game summaries

This was the second straight Finals that featured two relocated NHL teams and the first ever Finals that featured two teams playing in a city that was the previous home of one team and the present home of another. The Colorado Rockies were formerly based in Denver and were relocated to East Rutherford and renamed the New Jersey Devils prior to the 1982–83 season. The Quebec Nordiques were relocated to Denver and renamed the Colorado Avalanche prior to the 1995–96 season.
Colorado centre Joe Sakic scored his 10th and 11th goal of the playoffs in the first and second periods of game one. The Avalanche smothered the New Jersey defense and scored five goals in the game. The Devils did not score any goals, and in the third period, after the game was 5–0, things culminated in a fistfight between the Avalanche's Chris Dingman and the Devils' Sean O'Donnell. The third period had a total tally of 44 penalty minutes accumulated by both clubs.
The second game began with goals in the first period by Colorado's Sakic and New Jersey's Bob Corkum and Turner Stevenson. The 2–1 lead by the Devils held throughout the game as they defeated the Avalanche to even the series at one game apiece.
Game three was held in New Jersey. Devils centre Jason Arnott scored an early power-play goal, but in the tenth minute, the Avalanche evened through defenceman Martin Skoula. Neither team scored any goals in the second period. Early in the third, Colorado defenceman Ray Bourque scored a power-play goal to break the tie. Five minutes later, Colorado winger Dan Hinote scored the team's third goal, and the Devils did not respond. The win by Colorado marked another road win in the series.
In the first period of game four, Colorado scored an early goal when Rob Blake shot the puck past Devils goalkeeper Martin Brodeur. Patrik Elias and New Jersey responded when he scored a short-handed goal to even the score at one goal apiece. Later in the second, Avalanche centre Chris Drury scored to give the Avalanche a one-goal lead going into the third period. But the third period belonged to the Devils: Scott Gomez and Petr Sykora each scored a goal in the third, and Brodeur stopped every puck that went his way. The New Jersey offence overwhelmed the Avalanche defense as they managed 35 shots; Colorado managed only 12 shots. New Jersey again evened the series, this time at two games apiece.
In Colorado for game five, Devils forward Patrik Elias started the scoring for the Devils as they jumped out to an early one-goal lead. Exactly seven minutes later, Colorado winger Alex Tanguay tied the game on the power-play. However, in the late minutes of the first period, New Jersey forward Alexander Mogilny scored the game's eventual winner. In the second period, Devils forward Sergei Brylin scored a power-play goal to give the Devils a two-goal lead, and in the third period, centre John Madden scored a fourth goal for insurance. The Devils won and reclaimed the home-ice advantage; they eventually won 4–1. They forced the Avalanche to try to win on the road to force a Game 7 in Denver.
Game six paralleled game one for the Avalanche. The Devils tested the Avalanche early with a barrage of shots on goaltender Patrick Roy. After stopping them all, and with two minutes remaining in the first period, Colorado defenceman Adam Foote scored an unassisted goal to give the Avalanche the lead on just their fourth shot. Early in the second period, Avalanche winger Ville Nieminen scored a power-play goal, and late in the second period, Drury scored his 11th goal of the playoffs to give the Avalanche a commanding lead entering the third period. Alex Tanguay scored the only goal of the third period and the Avalanche won to force a deciding game seven in Denver. Despite Colorado's high number of penalty minutes, the Devils were unable to put anything past Roy.
Around eight minutes into game seven, Alex Tanguay of the Avalanche scored the period's only goal. Colorado then scored two consecutive goals in the second period: another by Tanguay, his sixth of the playoffs, and a power-play goal scored by Joe Sakic, his 13th of the playoffs. Shortly after Sakic's goal, Petr Sykora and the Devils sprang into life when he scored a power-play goal. It left the Devils with only two goals to overcome, but Roy and the Avalanche would prove too much for the Devils in the third period as Colorado defensively shut the door on New Jersey to win the game and the series.
* Colorado won series 4–3
This was the first and only Stanley Cup championship for defenceman Ray Bourque. This was the last major professional sports championship won by a Denver-based team until 2016, when the Denver Broncos won Super Bowl 50 in the 2015 NFL season. This would also be the Avalanche's last Stanley Cup title and Finals appearance until 2022, when they defeated the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning in six games.

## Team rosters

Years indicated in boldface under the "Finals appearance" column signify that the player won the Stanley Cup in the given year.

### Colorado Avalanche

| # | Player | Position | Hand | Acquired | Place of birth | Finals appearance |
| 1 | David Aebischer | G | L | 1997 | Fribourg, Switzerland | first (did not play) |
| 4 | Rob Blake | D | R | 2000–01 | Simcoe, Ontario | second (1993) |
| 77 | Ray Bourque – A | D | L | 2000 | Saint-Laurent, Quebec | third (1988, 1990) |
| 7 | Greg de Vries | D | L | 1998–99 | Sundridge, Ontario | first |
| 11 | Chris Dingman | LW | L | 1998–99 | Edmonton, Alberta | first |
| 37 | Chris Drury | C | R | 1994 | Trumbull, Connecticut | first |
| 52 | Adam Foote – A | D | R | 1989 | Toronto, Ontario | second (1996) |
| 21 | Peter Forsberg – A | C | L | 1992–93 | Örnsköldsvik, Sweden | second (1996; did not play) |
| 23 | Milan Hejduk | RW | R | 1994 | Ústí nad Labem, Czechoslovakia | first |
| 13 | Dan Hinote | RW | R | 1996 | Leesburg, Florida | first |
| 24 | Jon Klemm | D | R | 1991–92 | Cranbrook, British Columbia | second (1996) |
| 29 | Eric Messier | LW | L | 1996–97 | Drummondville, Quebec | first |
| 2 | Bryan Muir | D | L | 2000–01 | Winnipeg, Manitoba | first (did not play) |
| 39 | Ville Nieminen | LW | L | 1997 | Tampere, Finland | first |
| 27 | Scott Parker | RW | R | 1998 | Hanford, California | first (did not play) |
| 25 | Shjon Podein | LW | L | 1998–99 | Rochester, Minnesota | second (1997) |
| 44 | Nolan Pratt | D | L | 2000–01 | Fort McMurray, Alberta | first (did not play) |
| 14 | Dave Reid | LW | L | 1999–2000 | Etobicoke, Ontario | second (1999) |
| 28 | Steven Reinprecht | C | L | 2000–01 | Edmonton, Alberta | first |
| 33 | Patrick Roy | G | L | 1995–96 | Quebec City, Quebec | fifth (1986, 1989, 1993, 1996) |
| 19 | Joe Sakic – C | C | L | 1987 | Burnaby, British Columbia | second (1996) |
| 41 | Martin Skoula | D | L | 1998 | Litoměřice, Czechoslovakia | first |
| 40 | Alex Tanguay | LW | L | 1998 | Sainte-Justine, Quebec | first |
| 26 | Stephane Yelle | C | L | 1994–95 | Ottawa, Ontario | second (1996) |

### New Jersey Devils

| # | Player | Position | Hand | Acquired | Place of birth | Finals appearance |
| 25 | Jason Arnott – A | C | R | 1997–98 | Collingwood, Ontario | second (2000) |
| 30 | Martin Brodeur | G | L | 1990 | Montreal, Quebec | third (1995, 2000) |
| 18 | Sergei Brylin | LW | L | 1992 | Moscow, Soviet Union | third (1995, 2000) |
| 22 | Bob Corkum | C | R | 2000–01 | Salisbury, Massachusetts | first |
| 3 | Ken Daneyko | D | L | 1982 | Windsor, Ontario | third (1995, 2000) |
| 26 | Patrik Elias | LW | L | 1994 | Třebíč, Czechoslovakia | second (2000) |
| 23 | Scott Gomez | C | L | 1998 | Anchorage, Alaska | second (2000) |
| 16 | Bobby Holik | LW | R | 1992–93 | Jihlava, Czechoslovakia | third (1995, 2000) |
| 11 | John Madden | C | L | 1997–98 | Toronto, Ontario | second (2000) |
| 21 | Randy McKay – A | RW | R | 1991–92 | Montreal, Quebec | third (1995, 2000) |
| 19 | Jim McKenzie | LW | L | 2000–01 | Gull Lake, Saskatchewan | first (did not play) |
| 89 | Alexander Mogilny | RW | L | 1999–2000 | Khabarovsk, Soviet Union | second (2000) |
| 12 | Sergei Nemchinov | C | L | 1998–99 | Moscow, Soviet Union | third (1994, 2000; did not play) |
| 27 | Scott Niedermayer | D | L | 1991 | Edmonton, Alberta | third (1995, 2000) |
| 6 | Sean O'Donnell | D | L | 2000–01 | Ottawa, Ontario | first |
| 20 | Jay Pandolfo | LW | L | 1993 | Winchester, Massachusetts | second (2000) |
| 28 | Brian Rafalski | D | R | 1999–2000 | Dearborn, Michigan | second (2000) |
| 4 | Scott Stevens – C | D | L | 1991–92 | Kitchener, Ontario | third (1995, 2000) |
| 24 | Turner Stevenson | RW | R | 2000–01 | Prince George, British Columbia | first |
| 2 | Ken Sutton | D | L | 1998–99 | Edmonton, Alberta | first (did not play) |
| 17 | Petr Sykora | RW | L | 1995 | Plzeň, Czechoslovakia | second (2000) |
| 34 | John Vanbiesbrouck | G | L | 2000–01 | Detroit, Michigan | second (1996; did not play) |
| 5 | Colin White | D | L | 1996 | New Glasgow, Nova Scotia | second (2000) |

## Stanley Cup engraving

The 2001 Stanley Cup was presented to Avalanche captain Joe Sakic by NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman following the Avalanche's 3–1 win over the Devils in game seven
The following Avalanche players and staff had their names engraved on the Stanley Cup
2000–01 Colorado Avalanche

### Players
#### Centres

* 19 Joe Sakic (C)^
* 21 Peter Forsberg (A)^
* 26 Stephane Yelle^
* 28 Steven Reinprecht
* 37 Chris Drury

#### Wingers

* 11 Chris Dingman
* 13 Dan Hinote
* 14 Dave Reid
* 23 Milan Hejduk
* 25 Shjon Podein
* 27 Scott Parker
* 29 Eric Messier
* 39 Ville Nieminen
* 40 Alex Tanguay

#### Defencemen

* 2 Bryan Muir†
* 4 Rob Blake
* 7 Greg de Vries
* 24 Jon Klemm^
* 41 Martin Skoula
* 44 Nolan Pratt
* 52 Adam Foote (A)^
* 77 Ray Bourque (A)

#### Goaltenders

* 33 Patrick Roy^
* 1 David Aebischer

### Coaching and administrative staff

* E. Stanley Kroenke (Owner/Governor/Chairman), Pierre Lacroix (President/General Manager), Bob Hartley (Head Coach)
* Jacques Cloutier (Goaltending Coach), Bryan Trottier (Asst. Coach), Paul Fixter (Video Coach)
* Francois Giguere (Vice President of Hockey Operations), Brian MacDonald (Asst. General Manager), Michel Goulet (Vice President of Player Personnel)
* Jean Martineau (Vice President-Communications & Team Service), Pat Karns (Athletic Therapist), Matthew Sokolowski (Asst. Athletic Therapist)
* Wayne Flemming (Equipment Manager), Mark Miller (Equipment Manager), Dave Randolph (Asst. Equipment Manager)
* Paul Goldberg (Strength-Conditioning Coach), Gregorio Pradera (Massage Therapist), Brad Smith (Pro Scout)
* Jim Hammett (Chief Scout), Garth Joy (Scout), Steve Lyons (Scout),
* Joni Lehto (Scout), Orval Tessier (Scout), Charlotte Grahame (Director of Hockey Operations).

### Stanley Cup engraving

† Bryan Muir was called up from the minors mid-season. He played eight regular season games (plus ten games for the Tampa Bay Lightning) and three playoff games. Colorado was given permission to include Muir's name on the Stanley Cup because one of his three playoff games was played in the conference finals. ^ Six players also won the Stanley Cup with Colorado in 1996: Joe Sakic, Peter Forsberg, Jon Klemm, Stephane Yelle, Patrick Roy and Adam Foote.
* David Aebischer was the first player born and trained in Switzerland to win the Stanley Cup.

## Aftermath

With the win, the Avalanche became the fifth team to win the Presidents' Trophy and the Stanley Cup in the same season since the former trophy's introduction in the 1985–86 season.
The Avalanche winning the Stanley Cup made this the second straight year that the defending champions lost in the Finals, as the Devils themselves defeated the 1999 Cup champion Dallas Stars the year before.

### Colorado Avalanche

Shortly after the Finals, Bourque officially announced his retirement. He would go on to have his number 77 retired by both the Avalanche and Bruins, becoming one of just nine players to have his number retired by more than one team
In 2001-02, the Avalanche, led by Sakic, Forsberg, and Roy, made it back to the Western Conference Finals to face the Detroit Red Wings. They would take a 3-2 lead in the series, but would lose in seven games. Game 7 was particularly brutal, with the Red Wings defeating the Avalanche 7-0. Roy would be pulled in that game after allowing six goals on sixteen shots.
In 2003, they suffered a surprising first-round exit against the Minnesota Wild, losing game 7 in overtime. Roy would retire that offseason. The following season saw them enter the playoffs as a fourth seed. They defeated the Stars in the first round, but were eliminated in the second round by the San Jose Sharks.
The Avalanche underwent major changes following the 2004–05 NHL lockout. Forsberg departed in free agency in 2005, opting to sign with the team that drafted him, the Philadelphia Flyers. The new salary cap era forced the team to part ways with other key players, ending their dominance. While Colorado remained competitive for a few seasons, they struggled in the late 2000s before entering a full rebuild.
The franchise experienced a resurgence in the late 2010s, led by Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen, and Cale Makar. In 2022, Colorado captured its third Stanley Cup, defeating the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning.

### New Jersey Devils

The Devils started the 2001–02 season poorly. They fired Larry Robinson midway through the season, replacing him with Kevin Constantine. Under his leadership, the Devils rallied to make the playoffs, but were eliminated in the first round by the eventual Eastern Conference champion Carolina Hurricanes. The vaunted "A-Line" - consisting of Elias, Arnott, and Sykora, would be broken up during that season, with Arnott, along with Randy McKay being shipped to the Dallas Stars, and Sykora being traded to the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim that offseason.
The Devils would make it back to the Finals in 2003, where they would defeat the Mighty Ducks, now led in part by Sykora, in seven games. The Devils' disciplined, defense-first style—led by Brodeur, Stevens, and Niedermayer— epitomized the NHL's “Dead puck era” in the mid-1990s to early 2000s.
However, the 2004–05 NHL lockout and the introduction of rule changes that directly affected the Devils' defensive style of play altered the landscape of the NHL. The Devils lost Niedermayer to free agency in 2005, and Stevens retired due to injury. While Brodeur and Elias helped the team remain competitive, their ability to dominate as they had in the years directly preceding the lockout waned. They remained a playoff fixture in the post-lockout era but didn't make it further than the second round for the remainder of the decade.
In 2010–11, the Devils missed the playoffs for the first time since the 1995–96 season. The next season saw the Devils make a surprise run to the Finals, when Brodeur, Elias, and Sykora (after being reacquired) were the only Devils remaining from 2001, but they would lose in six games to the Los Angeles Kings.
In the mid-to-late 2010s, New Jersey suffered through several seasons of poor play and entered a rebuilding phase, but the emergence of first overall draft picks Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier has given the franchise renewed hope in the 2020s.

## Broadcasting

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.