# 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 against the Western Conference champion and defending Stanley Cup champion Dallas Stars. 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 defending champion Stars four games to two to win their second Stanley Cup in franchise history. This was the first of two Stanley Cup Finals where two relocated teams faced each other; the other being in 2001.

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

New Jersey entered the playoffs as the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference after finishing the regular season with 103 points. In the playoffs, they first swept the fifth seeded Florida Panthers. In the second round they defeated the third seeded Toronto Maple Leafs in six games. In the Eastern Conference Finals, the Devils defeated the top seeded Philadelphia Flyers in seven games (in the process becoming the first team since expansion to come back from a 3-1 deficit later than the second round) to advance to the Finals.

### Dallas Stars

Dallas captured the Pacific Division title and entered the playoffs as the second seed in the Western Conference after finishing the regular season with 102 points. In the playoffs, they defeated the seventh seeded Edmonton Oilers in the first round in five games. In the second round, the Stars defeated the eighth seeded San Jose Sharks, also in five games. In a rematch of the previous year’s Western Conference Finals, the Stars again defeated the Colorado Avalanche in seven games to advance to the Finals.

## Game summaries

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 Stars, this was the first time since the New York Islanders lost to the Edmonton Oilers in the 1984 Finals that a defending Stanley Cup champion lost in the Finals. This happened to the Devils themselves the following year when they lost to the Colorado Avalanche. This would be the last appearance in the Stanley Cup Finals for the Stars until 2020.
This was the first Finals that featured two relocated teams competing for the Stanley Cup, as well as the first Finals in which both teams had won the Stanley Cup previously after relocation.
* New Jersey won series 4–2

## Team rosters

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

### Dallas Stars

| # | Player | Position | Hand | Acquired | Place of birth | Finals appearance |
| 20 | Ed Belfour | G | L | 1997–98 | Carman, Manitoba | third (1992, 1999) |
| 21 | Guy Carbonneau | C | R | 1995–96 | Sept-Îles, Quebec | fifth (1986, 1989, 1993, 1999) |
| 3 | Sylvain Cote | D | R | 1999–2000 | Quebec City, Quebec | first |
| 35 | Manny Fernandez | G | L | 1994–95 | Etobicoke, Ontario | first (did not play) |
| 44 | Aaron Gavey | C | L | 1999–2000 | Sudbury, Ontario | first (did not play) |
| 2 | Derian Hatcher – C | D | L | 1990 | Sterling Heights, Michigan | second (1999) |
| 16 | Brett Hull | RW | R | 1998–99 | Belleville, Ontario | third (1986, 1999) |
| 12 | Mike Keane | RW | R | 1997–98 | Winnipeg, Manitoba | fifth (1986, 1989, 1996, 1999) |
| 15 | Jamie Langenbrunner | RW | R | 1993 | Cloquet, Minnesota | second (1999) |
| 26 | Jere Lehtinen | RW | R | 1992 | Espoo, Finland | second (1999) |
| 36 | Roman Lyashenko | C | R | 1997 | Murmansk, Soviet Union | first |
| 6 | Dave Manson | D | L | 1999–2000 | Prince Albert, Saskatchewan | first |
| 29 | Grant Marshall | RW | R | 1994–95 | Port Credit, Ontario | second (1999) |
| 24 | Richard Matvichuk | D | L | 1991 | Edmonton, Alberta | second (1999) |
| 9 | Mike Modano – A | C | L | 1988 | Livonia, Michigan | third (1991, 1999) |
| 45 | Brenden Morrow | LW | L | 1997 | Carlyle, Saskatchewan | first |
| 22 | Kirk Muller | C | L | 1999–2000 | Kingston, Ontario | second (1993) |
| 25 | Joe Nieuwendyk – A | C | L | 1995–96 | Oshawa, Ontario | third (1989, 1999) |
| 4 | Jamie Pushor | D | R | 1999–2000 | Lethbridge, Alberta | second (1997; did not play) |
| 49 | Jon Sim | LW | L | 1996 | New Glasgow, Nova Scotia | second (1999; did not play) |
| 10 | Brian Skrudland | C | L | 1997–98 | Peace River, Alberta | fifth (1986, 1989, 1996, 1999) |
| 11 | Blake Sloan | RW | R | 1998–99 | Park Ridge, Illinois | second (1999) |
| 5 | Darryl Sydor | D | L | 1995–96 | Edmonton, Alberta | third (1993, 1999) |
| 17 | Scott Thornton | LW | L | 1999–2000 | London, Ontario | first |
| 56 | Sergei Zubov – A | D | R | 1996–97 | Moscow, Soviet Union | third (1994, 1999) |

### New Jersey Devils

| # | Player | Position | Hand | Acquired | Place of birth | Finals appearance |
| 25 | Jason Arnott – A | C | R | 1997–98 | Collingwood, Ontario | first |
| 6 | Brad Bombardir | D | L | 1990 | Powell River, British Columbia | first (did not play) |
| 30 | Martin Brodeur | G | L | 1990 | Montreal, Quebec | second (1995) |
| 10 | Steve Brule | RW | R | 1993 | Montreal, Quebec | first (did not play) |
| 18 | Sergei Brylin | LW | L | 1992 | Moscow, Soviet Union | second (1995) |
| 3 | Ken Daneyko | D | L | 1982 | Windsor, Ontario | second (1995) |
| 26 | Patrik Elias | LW | L | 1994 | Třebíč, Czechoslovakia | first |
| 23 | Scott Gomez | C | L | 1998 | Anchorage, Alaska | first |
| 16 | Bobby Holik | LW | R | 1992–93 | Jihlava, Czechoslovakia | second (1995) |
| 15 | Steve Kelly | C | L | 1998–99 | Vancouver, British Columbia | first (did not play) |
| 22 | Claude Lemieux | RW | R | 1999–2000 | Buckingham, Quebec | fifth (1986, 1989, 1995, 1996) |
| 11 | John Madden | C | L | 1997–98 | Toronto, Ontario | first |
| 7 | Vladimir Malakhov | D | L | 1999–2000 | Sverdlovsk, Soviet Union | first |
| 21 | Randy McKay – A | RW | R | 1991–92 | Montreal, Quebec | second (1995) |
| 89 | Alexander Mogilny | RW | L | 1999–2000 | Khabarovsk, Soviet Union | first |
| 12 | Sergei Nemchinov | C | L | 1998–99 | Moscow, Soviet Union | second (1994) |
| 27 | Scott Niedermayer | D | L | 1991 | Edmonton, Alberta | second (1995) |
| 29 | Krzysztof Oliwa | LW | L | 1993 | Tychy, Poland | first (did not play) |
| 20 | Jay Pandolfo | LW | L | 1993 | Winchester, Massachusetts | first |
| 28 | Brian Rafalski | D | R | 1999–2000 | Dearborn, Michigan | first |
| 4 | Scott Stevens – C | D | L | 1991–92 | Kitchener, Ontario | second (1995) |
| 17 | Petr Sykora | RW | L | 1995 | Plzeň, Czechoslovakia | first |
| 31 | Chris Terreri | G | L | 1998–99 | Providence, Rhode Island | second (1995; did not play) |
| 5 | Colin White | D | L | 1996 | New Glasgow, Nova Scotia | first |

## Stanley Cup engraving

The 2000 Stanley Cup was presented to Devils captain Scott Stevens by NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman following the Devils 2–1 double overtime win over the Stars in game six.
The following Devils players and staff had their names engraved on the Stanley Cup
1999–2000 New Jersey Devils

### Players
#### Centres

* 10 Steve Brule†
* 11 John Madden
* 12 Sergei Nemchinov
* 15 Steve Kelly†
* 23 Scott Gomez
* 25 Jason Arnott (A)

#### Wingers

* 16 Bobby Holik
* 17 Petr Sykora
* 18 Sergei Brylin
* 20 Jay Pandolfo
* 21 Randy McKay (A)
* 22 Claude Lemieux
* 26 Patrik Elias
* 29 Krzysztof Oliwa
* 89 Alexander Mogilny

#### Defencemen

* 4 Scott Stevens (C)
* 2 Ken Sutton†
* 3 Ken Daneyko
* 5 Colin White
* 6 Brad Bombardir
* 7 Vladimir Malakhov
* 27 Scott Niedermayer
* 28 Brian Rafalski

#### Goaltenders

* 30 Martin Brodeur
* 31 Chris Terreri

### Coaching and administrative staff

* John J. McMullen (Owner/Chairman/Governor), Peter McMullen (Vice President), Lou Lamoriello (President/General Manager)
* Larry Robinson (Interim Head Coach), Viacheslav Fetisov (Asst. Coach), Bobby Carpenter Jr. (Asst. Coaches), Jacques Caron (Goaltending Coach), John Cunniff (AHL Coach)
* David Conte (Director of Scouting), Claude Carrier (Scout), Milt Fisher (Scout), Dan Labraatan (Scout), Marcel Pronovost (Scout)
* Bob Hoffmeyer (Scout), Barry Fisher (Head Team Physician), Dennis Gendron (AHL Asst. Coach), Robbie Ftorek (Coach/Scout), Vladimir Bure (Consultant)
* Taran Singelton (Video Coordinator), Marie Carnevale (Hockey Operations-Ass't to President-General Manager), Callie Smith (Scouting Staff Asst.), Bill Murray (Medical Trainer), Michael Vasalani (Strength-Conditioning Coordinator)
* Dana McGuane (Equipment Manager), Juergen Merz (Message Therapist), Harry Bricker (Asst. Equipment Manager), Lou Centanni (Asst. Equipment Manager)

### Stanley Cup engraving

Three players who did not automatically qualify for their names to be engraved on the Stanley Cup were engraved at the Devils' request:
* Steve Kelly† – Played ten playoff games, four in Eastern Conference Finals.
* Steve Brule† – Played one game in the Conference Finals.
* Ken Sutton† – Joined the team at the NHL trade deadline from the minors. He played six regular season games, but was a healthy scratch for the playoffs.
* Larry Robinson was promoted from assistant coach to head coach with only eight games left in the regular season to replace Robbie Ftorek. Ftorek stayed on as a scout for the rest of season and the NHL allowed his name to be included on the Stanley Cup. Robinson became the first interim head coach in NHL history to guide a team to a Stanley Cup championship.
* Krzysztof Oliwa became the first Polish born and trained player to win the Stanley Cup. He played 69 regular season for the Devils, but missed the whole playoffs due to injury. Oliwa qualified for playing more than half of the regular season games.
* 14 members were engraved with an initial and two full names.
Left off the Stanley Cup
* Rob McLean (Consultant) – Still awarded a Stanley Cup Ring, and on the team picture.
* #24 Willie Mitchell (D) – Played in two regular season games. He was recalled for the playoffs, but did not make any playoff appearances. He won the Stanley Cup with the Los Angeles Kings in 2012 and 2014.
* #2 Deron Quint (D) – Played 50 regular season games for Phoenix, and four games for New Jersey (joined in a March 7 trade for Lyle Odelein) was not engraved on the Stanley Cup because New Jersey suspended him for failing to report to the minors for conditioning purposes.

## Aftermath

Both the Devils and Stars would remain competitive going into the 2000–01 NHL season. The Devils finished the regular season with 111 points (a franchise record that stood until 2023) and an Atlantic Division title, and entered the playoffs with the first seed in the Eastern Conference. The Stars earned 106 regular season points, good for another Pacific Division title and the third seed in the Western Conference. However, there would be no Finals rematch. The Devils did earn a return trip after eliminating the Carolina Hurricanes, Toronto Maple Leafs, and the Pittsburgh Penguins to win a second straight Eastern Conference title. The Stars defeated the Edmonton Oilers in six games in the first round, but were swept by the St. Louis Blues in the second round. Game 2 of this series was the final game played at Reunion Arena; the Stars would move to the American Airlines Center the next season.
The Colorado Avalanche would end up representing the Western Conference in the 2001 Stanley Cup Finals. In a back-and-forth affair, the Devils took a 3-2 series lead and were one win away from repeating as champions, but lost games 6 and 7, giving Colorado the Cup. The Devils' loss marked the second straight year that the defending Stanley Cup champions lost in the Finals.
During the 2001–02 NHL season, both Larry Robinson and Ken Hitchcock were fired after poor starts to their respective teams' seasons (although Robinson would be brought back as an assistant later that season); the Stars would end up missing the playoffs entirely, while the Devils were elminiated in the first round by the Carolina Hurricanes. During that season, the Devils' and Stars' paths would cross again, but this time via a midseason trade. The Devils traded Randy McKay and 2000 Game 6 hero Jason Arnott to the Stars for Jamie Langenbrunner and Joe Nieuwendyk. The latter two would play a key role in the Devils winning another Stanley Cup in 2003, when they defeated the then-Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in the Finals. The Mighty Ducks' surprise trip to the Finals came partially at the expense of the Stars, who fell to Anaheim in six games in the second round.
Both the Devils and Stars were eliminated in the first round of the 2004 Stanley Cup playoffs. What followed was a season-long lockout. The lockout, combined with several rule changes that directly affected the Devils' physical, defensive style of play, and an aging core, brought challenges to the Devils. Although they would remain a playoff team for the remainder of the decade, they failed to replicate their late 1990s-early 2000s dominance. In 2011, they missed the playoffs for the first time since 1996. In 2012, they made it back to the Stanley Cup Finals, where they lost to the upstart Los Angeles Kings. From here they declined, missing the playoffs ten of the next twelve seasons and entering an extended rebuild. By the early-to-mid 2020s, they regained relevance, led by young stars such as Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier.
The Stars appeared in the playoffs every season after the lockout until 2008. They then missed the playoffs six of the next seven seasons.
In 2020, the Stars would appear in the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time since 2000, where they would lose in six games to the Tampa Bay Lightning.

## Broadcasting

In Canada, the series was televised on CBC. In the United States, this was the first year under the new 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. Devils team broadcasters Mike Miller and Randy Velischek called the series on local radio on WABC–AM 770 in New York City. In Dallas, Stars broadcasters Ralph Strangis and Daryl Reaugh called the series on WBAP 820 AM.

## Quotes

   Shot it right through the top of the crease. Elias centered shot…SCORE! THE NEW JERSEY DEVILS! HAVE WON THE STANLEY CUP! JASON ARNOTT! WITH THE GAME WINNING OVERTIME GOAL!
   Stevens winds up, the shot - just wide! Kept in, though. Shot to the line, Stevens kept it in, Hull, flipped it, it hit Stevens. He put it in wide of the net for Elias to dig it out, RIGHT IN FRONT, THEY SCORE! The Stanley Cup goal is scored by Arnott! The New Jersey Devils are celebrating; Ed Belfour is in shock! Just now getting up. Two to one! The Devils win game six! The Devils of New Jersey have won the Stanley Cup!
   Now Stevens for New Jersey held it in at the left point. Flipped it, right through the goal mouth area. Elias is going to chase it now, out front to Arnott, HE SCORES! Jason Arnott has scored, and the Devils have won the Cup! Jason Arnott! Jason Arnott has scored, and the Devils win it two to one, and the Stanley Cup has fallen from the Stars! The new millenium has its first Stanley Cup champion, and it's the New Jersey Devils! And for the second time in six years, the New Jersey Devils are the Stanley Cup champions!