Trade Deadline Deals By Stanley Cup Champs

Since 1980, there have been a number of trades made around the trade deadline that have helped teams go on to win the Stanley Cup that season. Following is a summary of some significant transactions involving the eventual Stanley Cup champion.

March 10, 1980 – New York Islanders obtain C BUTCH GORING from Los Angeles for RW BILLY HARRIS and D DAVE LEWIS (trade completed one day before the deadline).

Harris was the first player drafted in Islanders’ history and had been with the club since its inaugural season, 1972-73. Lewis had been a steady presence on the Islanders blueline for seven seasons. With Goring, the Islanders went undefeated in their last 12 regular-season games (8-0-4) and went on to capture their first-ever Stanley Cup championship.

March 4, 1991 – Pittsburgh Penguins obtain C RON FRANCIS, D GRANT JENNINGS and D ULF SAMUELSSON from Hartford for C JOHN CULLEN, RW JEFF PARKER and D ZARLEY ZALAPSKI (trade completed one day before the trading deadline).

The Penguins went on to capture the 1991 Stanley Cup, the first championship in franchise history. Francis was tied for the team lead with four game-winning goals and tied for fifth in scoring with 17 points (7-10 --17) during the 1991 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Francis played in Pittsburgh for eight seasons, posting 100 points in 97 post-season games and was also traded at the deadline again in 2004 by Carolina.

March 21, 1994 – New York Rangers obtain: (1) LW STEPHANE MATTEAU and RW BRIAN NOONAN from Chicago for RW TONY AMONTE and the rights to LW MATT OATES. (2) RW GLENN ANDERSON, the rights to D SCOTT MALONE and Toronto’s fourth-round pick in 1994 Entry Draft (D ALEXANDER KOROBOLIN) from Toronto for RW MIKE GARTNER. (3) C CRAIG MacTAVISH from Edmonton for C TODD MARCHANT.

The Rangers, on their way to capturing the Presidents’ Trophy as the club with the League’s best regular-season record, acquired four players at the trade deadline and went on to win their first Stanley Cup since 1940. New arrivals Matteau, Noonan, Anderson and MacTavish all had important roles in the Rangers’ Cup triumph.

March 18, 1997 – Detroit Red Wings obtain D LARRY MURPHY from Toronto for future considerations.

Murphy appeared in all 20 playoff games for Detroit, recording 11 points (two goals, nine assists) and led the League in plus-minus (+16) as the Red Wings captured their first Stanley Cup since 1955.

March 14, 2000 – New Jersey Devils obtain RW ALEXANDER MOGILNY from Vancouver for C BRENDAN MORRISON and C DENIS PEDERSON.

Mogilny added to the offensive powerhouse that led the Eastern Conference in goals with 251. Although he tallied just 3-3—6 in 12 regular-season games and 4-3--7 in the playoffs, Mogilny’s presence helped free other players en route to the team’s second Stanley Cup. Morrison, meanwhile, has developed into one of hockey’s top forwards with the Vancouver Canucks.

February 21, 2001 - Colorado obtains D ROB BLAKE and C STEVE REINPRECHT from Los Angeles for RW ADAM DEADMARSH, AARON MILLER, first-round draft pick (DAVID STECKEL) and a conditional pick (the trade was completed 20 days before the trade deadline).

In their first Stanley Cup victory since 1996, Rob Blake made an immediate impact leading all defensemen in playoff scoring with 19 points (6-13--19). Blake joined a team full of leadership to win his first Stanley Cup along with veteran defenseman Ray Bourque.

March 10, 2003 - (1) New Jersey obtains RW GRANT MARSHALL from Columbus for a conditional choice in 2004. (2) New Jersey trades for D RICHARD SMEHLIK and a conditional choice from Atlanta for a fourth-round choice in 2003 (MICHAEL VANNELLI).

The Devils were relatively quiet at the 2003 trade deadline compared to 2002 when they obtained C Joe Nieuwendyk and RW Jamie Langenbrunner from Dallas for C Jason Arnott, RW Randy McKay and New Jersey's first round choice in 2002. Grant Marshall provided timely scoring for the Devils (6-2-8) including a series-clinching goal in triple overtime against Tampa Bay.

January 27, 2004 - Tampa Bay obtains D DARRYL SYDOR and a fourth round draft choice in 2004 for C ALEXANDER SVITOV and a third round draft choice in 2004 (the trade was completed 40 days before the trade deadline).

The 31-year old veteran defenseman brought with him the experience of having appeared in three Stanley Cup Finals, including playing with a championship team in Dallas in 1999.

March 9, 2006 - Carolina obtains veteran RW MARK RECCHI from Pittsburgh for LW NIKLAS NORDGREN, C KRYS KOLANOS and Carolina's second-round choice in 2007.

The 38-year-old Recchi, who had won a Stanley Cup with Pittsburgh in 1991, had 16 points (7-9-16) during the 2006 Stanley Cup Playoffs, including six points in the Final against Edmonton. He scored the game-winning goal in Game 4 that put Carolina up 3-1 in the series. The Hurricanes had also added a key piece to the puzzle on Jan. 30 when they acquired Doug Weight from St. Louis (along with Erkki Rajamaki) for Jesse Boulerice, Michael Zigomanis, Magnus Kahnberg and a first-round draft choice.

February 27, 2007 - Anaheim obtains LW BRAD MAY from Colorado for G MICHAEL WALL.

A veteran of 15 NHL seasons and 932 regular-season and Stanley Cup playoff games, May brought plenty of experience to the Anaheim lineup for the stretch drive. The 35-year-old Toronto native appeared in 18 of the Ducks' 21 postseason games as the franchise won its first Stanley Cup championship.

February 26, 2008 – Detroit Red Wings acquired D BRAD STUART from Los Angeles for Detroit's 2nd-round pick in the 2008 Entry Draft (later traded to Colorado) and 4th-round pick in 2009. Stuart arrived in Detroit with more than 500 games of NHL experience and quickly formed an effective blueline partnership with hard-hitting Niklas Kronwall. Stuart appeared in all 21 Red Wings' playoff games in their 2008 Stanley Cup campaign, tallying seven points (one goal, six assists). He ranked third in the NHL with a +15 rating, just behind Kronwall and Conn Smythe Trophy winner Henrik Zetterberg (+16).

March 4, 2009 – Pittsburgh Penguins acquired RW BILL GUERIN from NY Islanders for a conditional pick in the 2009 Entry Draft. The Penguins brought in a high-scoring wing for center Sidney Crosby at the trade deadline for the second consecutive season, having benefited from the acquisition of Marian Hossa a year earlier. In Guerin, the Penguins added a 17-year NHL veteran with 408 goals, 811 points and a Stanley Cup ring. He made a major contribution to the Penguins' Cup drive, recording seven goals and 15 points in the postseason.