1951 Stanley Cup Finals

Bill Barilko scores the Cup winning goal in overtime.

The 1951 Stanley Cup Final NHL championship series was contested by the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Montreal Canadiens. The Maple Leafs would win the series 4–1. It was the Toronto franchise's ninth Stanley Cup win and the last in a series of six wins starting in 1942. It was the first appearance in a string of ten consecutive appearances by the Canadiens.

Paths to the final

Toronto defeated the Boston Bruins 4–1 to reach the final. Montreal defeated the defending champion Detroit Red Wings 4–2 to reach the final.

The Series

Every game went into overtime in this series. Bill Barilko scored the Cup-winning goal, his last goal in the NHL as he would die in a plane crash during the summer.

Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Montreal Canadiens

Date	Away	Score	Home	Score	Notes
April 11	Montreal	2	Toronto	3	OT
April 14	Montreal	3	Toronto	2	OT
April 17	Toronto	2	Montreal	1	OT
April 19	Toronto	3	Montreal	2	OT
April 21	Montreal	2	Toronto	3	OT

Toronto wins best-of-seven series four games to one

Toronto Maple Leafs 1951 Stanley Cup champions

Roster

  Centers

• 7 Max Bentley (A. Capt.)
• 9 Ted Ted Kennedy (Captain)
• 14 Cal Gardner
• 16 Fleming Mackell
• 20 John McCormack
• 25 Bob Hassard^A

  Wingers

• 4 Harry Watson (A. Capt.)
• 8 Joe Klukay
• 11 Howie Meeker
• 15 Tod Sloan
• 17 Sid Smith
• 21 Danny Lewicki
• 22 Ray Timgren

Coach Joe Primeau with the Cup.

  Defensemen

• 2 Jimmy Thomson
• 5 Bill Barilko
• 12 Fern Flaman
• 19 Gus Mortson
• 18 Bill Juzda
• 4-23 Hugh Bolton^B

  Goaltenders

• 1 Walter Turk Broda
• 1 Elwin Al Rollins

  Non-players

• Conn Smythe (President/Manager/Owner), William MacBrien (Chairman/Owner)
• Ed Bickle, Jack Bickell (Directors/Owners)
• George McGillach, John Murdoch (Vice Presidents)
• Clarence Hap Day (Ass't Manager), Joe Primeau (Coach)
• George Walker (Chief Scout), Ed Fitkin (Publicity Director)
• Tim Daly (Trainer)
• Archie Campbell, Tom Nayler (Ass't Trainers)
• Norman Delarue†, Robert Galloway†, Horance MacIntyre† (Team Doctors)

Stanley Cup Engraving

• † Included on the original ring in 1951. There was no room left for the 3 team doctors the way that the Toronto Maple Leafs 1951 members were engraved on the new ring during the 1957–58 season.
• ^A played only 13 games, but name is on the cup. ^B played only 12 games, but name is on the cup. Both Hugh Holton, Bob Hassard did not play in the playoff, or qualify to be on the cup.

Engraving mistakes

Several mistakes happened in the engraving of the names:

• Gus Mortson's last name was misspelled WORTSON with a "W" instead a "M".
• Danny Lewecki's last name was misspelled LEWESKI, with a "S" instead of a "C".
• Ted Kennedy's name was misspelled KENNEDYY with an extra "Y". His position as Captain was also left off the Stanley Cup.
• William A. H. MacBrien's last name was misspelled as McBrien.
• Elwin "Al" Rollins' first name was misspelled ELVIN with a "V" instead a "W".

The Rollins mistake was not corrected on the Replica Cup created in 1992–93. The other 4 mistakes were corrected on the Replica Cup.

Members of Toronto Maple Leafs that won 4 cups in 5 years 1947, 1948, 1949, 1951 dynasty

Bill Bariko, Turk Broda, Ted Kennedy†, Joe Klukay, Howie Meeker, Gus Mortson, Jimmy Thomson, Harry Watson (8 players),

Ed Bickle†, John Bickell†, Conn Smythe†, John Mordoch†, William MacBrien†, Hap Day†, Tim Daly†, George Walker, Ed Finkin, Horance McIntre (10 non-players).

† also won the Stanley Cup in 1945.

Gallery

Barilko lauded after scoring the 1951 Cup winning goal.

Toronto

Montreal

Video

Highlights of Game 5 of the Finals including goals by Richard, the game tying goal with 32 seconds left by Tod Sloan and the overtime winner by Bill Barilko.

1951 Stanley Cup (Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Montreal Canadiens) - Archive News Reel

Preceded by Detroit Red Wings 1950

Toronto Maple Leafs Stanley Cup Champions 1951

Succeeded by Detroit Red Wings 1952