2002 Stanley Cup playoffs 2002 Stanley Cup playoffs The 2002 Stanley Cup playoffs, the championships of the National Hockey League began on April 17, 2002. The Detroit Red Wings defeated the Carolina Hurricanes on June 13, 2002, four games to one, to win their tenth championship in their history. The Hurricanes were in the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in their 23-year history, which includes their tenure as the Hartford Whalers. Red Wings defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as the MVP of the playoffs. It was the ninth championship for Red Wings coach Scotty Bowman, who announced his
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