2020 Stanley Cup Final
The 2020 Stanley Cup Final was the championship series of the National Hockey League's 2019-20 season, contested between the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Dallas Stars. The Lightning won the series four games to two, securing their second Stanley Cup in franchise history. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the entire Final was played behind closed doors at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, marking the first time the Cup was awarded in September and the first Final held entirely in Canada since 1989. This unique championship concluded a postseason that was conducted in neutral hub cities, a historic adaptation for the league.
Historical Context and Pandemic Format
The 2020 Stanley Cup Final was conducted under extraordinary circumstances due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The NHL suspended its regular season indefinitely on March 12, 2020, one day after the NBA halted play and the World Health Organization declared a pandemic. On May 22, the league and the NHL Players' Association agreed on a basic framework for a 24-team playoff tournament, with the full Return to Play plan announced publicly on May 26. The format discarded the remainder of the regular season, seeding clubs based on points percentage from March 12. The playoffs began on August 1, hosted in two neutral hub cities: Toronto for Eastern Conference early rounds and Edmonton for Western Conference early rounds, conference finals, and the Stanley Cup Final. U.S. cities were considered but passed over after several states experienced a spike in COVID-19 cases in late June. This arrangement made the 2020 Final the first since 1928 to be played entirely in one location and the first since 1989 to be held entirely in Canada. The series also marked the first Final since 1950 to feature a neutral site game and the first to pit two teams from the American Sun Belt, Texas and Florida, against each other.
Team Paths to the Final
Dallas Stars: The Stars entered the pandemic pause with a 37-24-8 record and a .594 points percentage, finishing third in the Central Division and fourth in the Western Conference. Their journey followed a mid-season coaching change on December 10, 2019, when Jim Montgomery was dismissed for unprofessional conduct and replaced by associate coach Rick Bowness, who had previously served with the Lightning from 2013 to 2018. During the offseason, Dallas had signed key free agents Corey Perry, Joe Pavelski, and Andrej Sekera while also re-signing Taylor Fedun and Jason Dickinson. In the restructured playoffs, Dallas placed third in the Western Conference round-robin seeding games. They then defeated the Calgary Flames in six games in the first round, the Colorado Avalanche in a seven-game second-round series, and the Vegas Golden Knights in five games to win the Western Conference. This path set a new NHL record, as the Stars played 27 games in a single postseason.
Tampa Bay Lightning: The Lightning had a 42-21-6 record and a .657 points percentage when the season paused, finishing second in both the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference. The team underwent significant roster turnover, losing Anton Stralman to Florida and seeing the careers of Ryan Callahan and Dan Girardi end due to injury and retirement. In response, they signed Curtis McElhinney, Luke Schenn, Kevin Shattenkirk, and Patrick Maroon in free agency, and later traded for Blake Coleman and Barclay Goodrow during the season. Captain Steven Stamkos injured himself during Phase 2 of the Return to Play plan and missed the round robin and first three playoff rounds. In the playoffs, Tampa Bay placed second in the Eastern Conference round-robin. They then defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets in a first-round series that included a quintuple-overtime opener, the Presidents' Trophy-winning Boston Bruins in five games, and the New York Islanders in six games to claim the Eastern Conference championship.
Detailed Game Summaries
Game One (September 19): Dallas opened the series with a 4-1 victory. Stars defenceman Joel Hanley scored the first goal, followed by markers from Jamie Oleksiak and Joel Kiviranta to build a 3-1 lead. Yanni Gourde scored for Tampa Bay on a skate deflection. The Lightning fired 22 shots in the third period but could not beat Anton Khudobin, and Jason Dickinson added an empty-net goal.
Game Two (September 21): The Tampa Bay Lightning evened the series with a 3-2 victory. They scored three times in the first period, with Brayden Point and Ondrej Palat scoring on the power play. The Lightning's third goal came when Kevin Shattenkirk's shot from the blue line deflected off Dallas Stars defenceman Esa Lindell and past goaltender Anton Khudobin. The Stars replied with a power-play goal from Joe Pavelski in the second period and a goal from Mattias Janmark in the third, but they could not complete the comeback.
Game Three (September 23): The Lightning took a 2-1 series lead with a 5-2 victory. Nikita Kucherov opened the scoring on a breakaway. Captain Steven Stamkos, in his only shift of the playoffs, returned from injury to score a goal on his only shot, making it 2-0. Jason Dickinson scored short-handed for Dallas. In the second period, Victor Hedman, Brayden Point, and Ondrej Palat scored to extend the lead. Miro Heiskanen scored for Dallas in the third.
Game Four (September 25): Tampa Bay won 5-4 in overtime to take a commanding 3-1 series lead. Dallas led 2-0 on goals from John Klingberg and Joe Pavelski. Brayden Point scored twice for Tampa Bay, including a power-play goal where he batted a puck out of the air. Corey Perry gave Dallas a 3-2 lead, but Yanni Gourde tied it. Alex Killorn put Tampa Bay ahead 4-3 before Pavelski tied it late. In overtime, Kevin Shattenkirk scored the winner on a power play after Jamie Benn was called for tripping.
Game Five (September 26): Dallas stayed alive with a 3-2 double-overtime victory. Corey Perry opened the scoring in the first period. Ondrej Palat tied the game in the second, and Mikhail Sergachev gave Tampa Bay a 2-1 lead in the third. Joe Pavelski tied the game 2-2, setting the record for most playoff goals by a U.S.-born player. At 9:23 of the second overtime, Perry scored again on a rebound to force a sixth game.
Game Six (September 28): Tampa Bay clinched the Stanley Cup with a 2-0 shutout win. Brayden Point scored a power-play goal in the first period, and Blake Coleman added a second in the second period. Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped all 22 shots in the third period and 22 total for his first playoff shutout. The Stars were held to eight shots through the first two periods, and a potential Dallas goal was disallowed due to Corey Perry's goaltender interference penalty.
Key Performances and Records
The series featured several standout individual performances and historic milestones. Lightning defenceman Victor Hedman was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP, contributing offensively and defensively throughout the four rounds. The Dallas Stars as a team set the NHL record for most games played in a single postseason at 27. The series also included unique historical footnotes related to its unusual circumstances. The Final was the first since 1925 played entirely outside the Eastern Time Zone. It was the first since 2011 to have the Stanley Cup awarded in a Canadian arena. Patrick Maroon of the Lightning became the third player in the expansion era (since 1967-68) to win consecutive Stanley Cups with different teams, following Claude Lemieux and Cory Stillman. For the engraving on the Stanley Cup, Maroon's first name was listed as "Pat," a change from the "Patrick" used for his 2019 win with St. Louis. In 2024, Carter Verhaeghe became the first player to win a Stanley Cup with both Florida-based teams, having been on Tampa Bay's 2020 roster. The Lightning's Game One victory over Columbus in the first round was the fourth longest game in NHL history.
Rosters and Stanley Cup Engraving Details
The championship Tampa Bay Lightning roster was a blend of elite talent and veteran depth. Key players included Conn Smythe winner Victor Hedman, Vezina Trophy-winning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy, and scoring leaders Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point. The team also included experienced players like Kevin Shattenkirk, Blake Coleman, Barclay Goodrow, and Patrick Maroon. Captain Steven Stamkos, despite being limited to one shift, was the first to lift the Stanley Cup after it was presented by Commissioner Gary Bettman. The Dallas Stars were led by veteran forwards Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin, and Joe Pavelski, with standout performances from young defenceman Miro Heiskanen and goaltender Anton Khudobin. Following the victory, the names of the Lightning players and staff were engraved on the Stanley Cup. Due to the shortened season, the usual games-played requirements were adjusted. Defenseman Braydon Coburn, who played 40 regular season and 3 playoff games, and forward Mathieu Joseph, who played 37 regular season games but none in the playoffs, automatically qualified for engraving as healthy scratches for the Final. The only player on the roster during the Final not engraved was goaltender Scott Wedgewood, who did not dress for any playoff games but was included in the team picture.
Television Coverage and Cultural Impact
The 2020 Stanley Cup Final was broadcast across North America, with games airing on NBC in the United States and on Sportsnet and CBC in Canada. The broadcasts from the empty Rogers Place presented a unique visual, with enhanced audio of on-ice sounds and player communication becoming a notable feature for viewers. The successful completion of the season amid a global pandemic demonstrated the NHL's operational flexibility and provided a sense of normalcy for sports fans during a period of widespread disruption. For Canadian hockey fans, hosting the entire Final was a point of pride, even without spectators in the stands, and reinforced Edmonton's status as a key hockey city. The Lightning's victory cemented their status as an NHL powerhouse, building a core that would win consecutive championships in 2020 and 2021. The unique circumstances of the 2020 playoffs and Final, from the hub city bubbles to the September dates, will be remembered as a defining chapter in the history of the sport.
Statistical Series Overview
| Game | Date | Score | Winning Goal | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sep. 19 | Dallas 4-1 | Joel Hanley (1) | Rogers Place |
| 2 | Sep. 21 | Tampa Bay 3-2 | Brayden Point (9) | Rogers Place |
| 3 | Sep. 23 | Tampa Bay 5-2 | Nikita Kucherov (7) | Rogers Place |
| 4 | Sep. 25 | Tampa Bay 5-4 (OT) | Kevin Shattenkirk (3) | Rogers Place |
| 5 | Sep. 26 | Dallas 3-2 (2OT) | Corey Perry (5) | Rogers Place |
Questions about 2020 Stanley Cup Final
Who won the 2020 Stanley Cup?
The Tampa Bay Lightning won the 2020 Stanley Cup. They defeated the Dallas Stars four games to two in the best-of-seven series. The Lightning clinched the championship with a 2-0 victory in Game Six on September 28, 2020. This was their second Stanley Cup championship in franchise history.
Why was the 2020 Stanley Cup Final played in Edmonton?
The entire 2020 Stanley Cup Final was played at Rogers Place in Edmonton due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The NHL adopted a neutral-site hub city format to complete the playoffs safely without travel and with limited personnel. Edmonton was selected as the hub for the Western Conference rounds, conference finals, and the Stanley Cup Final, while Toronto hosted the Eastern Conference rounds. U.S. cities were considered but passed over due to rising COVID-19 cases in late June.
Did Steven Stamkos play in the 2020 Final?
Yes, Tampa Bay Lightning captain Steven Stamkos played in the 2020 Final. He returned from injury to play in Game Three. Stamkos scored a goal on his only shot of the series during the first period of that game. He did not take another shift for the remainder of the series after that period.
Who won the Conn Smythe Trophy in 2020?
Tampa Bay Lightning defenceman Victor Hedman won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player of the 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs. He received the award following the Lightning's 2-0 series-clinching victory in Game Six. Hedman was a key contributor throughout the postseason, notably setting up crucial goals in the Final, including an assist on the overtime winner in Game Four. His performance was instrumental in the Lightning securing their second championship in franchise history. The Conn Smythe Trophy is awarded annually to the playoff MVP.
How many games did the Dallas Stars play in the 2020 playoffs?
The Dallas Stars played 27 games during the 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs. This total set an NHL record for the most playoff games played by a single team in a single postseason. Their lengthy path to the Final included a six-game series win over Calgary, a seven-game victory against Colorado, and a five-game triumph over Vegas in the Western Conference finals. Ultimately, their record-setting playoff run concluded with a four games to two loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Stanley Cup Final.
What record did Joe Pavelski set during the series?
Dallas Stars forward Joe Pavelski set the record for most career playoff goals scored by a United States-born player. He achieved this milestone during Game Five of the 2020 Stanley Cup Final. This historic goal came on a rebound from a Miro Heiskanen shot. Pavelski was a key offseason signing for the Stars, joining the team in free agency before the 2019-20 season.
Sources and further reading
- 2020 Stanley Cup Final (Wikipedia)
- 2020 NHL Stanley Cup Final: DAL vs. TBL (hockey-reference.com)
Checked by the Garbutt Disposal desk. Last updated 2026-10-21.
