We're into the second half of the hockey season, and the push for the playoffs begin!

Game Seven Memories

Written by: Tyler Bodman on 12th June 2009

Game Seven Memories | read this item

If someone says to you, “It’s game seven.” immediately you gets chills down your spine. You can’t help it. We were designed to get excited for a one game showdown between two teams.

Tonight the defending Stanley Cup champion Detroit Red Wings take on the Pittsburgh Penguins in game seven of the finals.

How sweet is that?

The two teams that battled for six games last year are back for a winner take all game.

There are only four players on either team to have played in game seven of the finals. Three of the four are on the Penguins. The most obvious is Ruslan Fedotenko. He scored both goals in a 2-1 game over the Calgary Flames for the ‘04 Stanley Cup. The other two are Criag Adams for Carolina in ‘06 and the injured Peter Sykora with the Ducks in ‘03. The sole player on the Red Wings is defenceman Brian Rafalski, he was on the New Jersey team that beat the Ducks in ‘03.

Both coaches have been a part of a game seven in the finals before as well. Babcock was the coach in Anaheim when they made their unlikely run to the finals and Dan Bylsma played 11 games for the Ducks that post season. He was not, however, dressed for game seven.

These games as you can see are rare. They evoke a lot of memories in all of us. So, I went out and asked some players, past and present about their favourite game even memories.

Kirk Maltby:
“Theres quite a few. They’re always fun to watch. The Tampa game [in '04] near the end, I thought Tampa had it wrapped up near the third, but Calgary came back and made a great game out of it.

“I played with Jason Arnott in Edmonton and seeing him score the OT goal in Dallas [in '00] when he was playing for Jersey is another one.

“I think as a fan of the game you enjoy game seven, it’s fun to see how it’s going to develop. So, I wouldn’t say I have a favourite, but definitely if the right outcome is there tonight I know what would jump to number one.”

Matt Cooke doesn’t like to pay attention to games if he’s not playing so he gave his talked about his most memorable game seven.

“I think game 7 against Calgary in ‘04. I had the highest and lowest emotions possible. We were losing 1-0, I scored to make it 1-1. They scored with about three minutes left and thenI scored while we were short handed with 5.7 seconds left to put it into overtime. Then they scored on the power play in overtime. For sure the biggest highs and lows in one game possible, no doubt.”

Tyler Kennedy’s favourite game seven memory comes from the OHL.

“My first year of junior we went right to game seven. It wasn’t me, it was Steve Downie who kind of helped the Windsor Spitfires come back from a 3-0 deficit. I thought he put the team on his back and pulled the horse.

“That’s what I think everyone wants to do. Help the team win and put everyone on your back and just follow me. I think that’s what he did in game seven. He scored the OT winner and it was unbelievable.”

Jordan Staal, surprisingly didn’t go with brother Eric’s game seven winning game for Carolina. Instead he opted for a teammates game as his favourite.

“Fedotenko’s game seven, I thought was his game. When he scored those two goals, I remember watching on my living room floor. That’s probably my biggest one. Arnott scoring the OT winner [for New jersey in '00] was always one that sticks out in my mind too. “

Ray Ferraro played 18 seasons in the NHL and now is an analyst for TSN. He tells us his favourite game seven he watched and one he played in.

“Playing for me is pretty easy. It was ‘93 playing against Pittsburgh. They had won back-to-back Stanley Cups. I was with the Islanders and we won 4-3 in overtime. I had a two-on-one about five minutes in and I set up David Ballock and he scored. For me without question that’s the best one.” **The Islanders went on to face Montreal in the Wales Conference finals and lost the series 4-1.**

“As far as watching. One of the ones I think I remember the most clearly was Philadelphia/Edmonton 3-1 final [in '87] it was in Edmonton and the Flyers had extended the series. I played junior with Ron Hextall so I was cheering for him. Glen Anderson scored the clincher with just a couple of minutes left [2:24 to be exact]. Even though I was in the league I was cheering for my buddy. That was a pretty spectacular series.”

Craig Simpson won two Stanley Cups with the Edmonton Oilers in ‘88 and ‘90. So it shouldn’t be much of a surprise that he was cheering on some former teammates in ‘94.

“Watching my former teammates in New York in ‘94 [against the Vancouver Canucks] was pretty memorable. I think for the dramatic ending of any kind of Stanley Cup final game seven it’s huge. Having watched Mark [Messier] and Kevin [Lowe] and Craig MacTavish and Glen Anderson, guys as part of the Rangers that would be the one I had more invested in emotionally and it was pretty dramatic and exciting. And, knowing what that atmosphere is in Madison Square Garden…. It was a pretty dramatic game seven there.”

TSN’s Pierre McGuire has been around the league as both a coach and broadcaster for over two decades now. But it wasn’t hard for him to recall to very memorable game seven’s.

“I remember coaching in a game 7 Pitts/WSH back in 1992, we had to win game 5 and game 7 on the road. I remember how refined the team was before the game and the leadership of Mario Lemieux, Ron Francis, Joey Mullen, Larry Murphy. Everyone was calm. We got the first two goals, and the bench started feeling really good about our situation.

“Carolina Boston game 7 broadcasted. Unbelievable to see how that ended with Scotty Walker. I remember looking at his eyes as soon as he scored, and just you see so many great moments in the league, but that was one where you were like “man, that’s just so special to see that”.

“There’s so many different game 7’s that I’ve b een apart of that I just feel its such a privilege. I think game 7, no matter what round in the playoffs, playing in a game 7 is a privilege and you never forget being apart of it.”

As for me, the two Stanley Cup finals that went to game seven that stand out are Calgary/Tampa and Edmonton/Carolina. Other game seven’s that stick in my mind are when the Leafs choked against the Kings in ‘93. Gretzky was a one man wrecking crew.

And the last two times the Leafs put the Sens out in games seven. Those ones were even sweeter for me because I was at each.

I can guarantee that tonight will be my new number one.

Topics: Brian Rafalski, Craig MacTavish, Craig Simpson, Dan Bylsma, Detroit Red Wings, Edmonton Oilers, Game Seven, Glen Anderson, Gretzky, Jason Arnott, Jordan Staal, Kevin Lowe, Kirk Maltby, Larry Murphy, Leafs, Maple Leafs, Mario Lemieux, Mark Messier, Matt Cooke, Ottawa Senators, Peter Sykora, Pierre McGuire, Pittsburgh Penguins, Ron Francis, Ron Hextall, Ruslan Fedetenko, Scott Walker, Sens, Stanley Cup finals, Steve Downie, Tyler Kennedy, Vancouver Canucks

Latest Headlines

In The News

Sarnia’s Kujawinski ready for U-17 Hockey Challenge

Sarnia’s Kujawinski ready for first taste of international competition at the U-17 Hockey Challenge, competing with Team Ontario at the end of the month in Windsor, Ontario