16 PLAYERS WITH FINAL EXPERIENCE COMPETING FOR LIGHTNING, STARS
A total of 16 players on the Lightning (11) and Stars (5) have dressed in at least one Stanley Cup Final game, including three who have won the championship.

* Nine players who played with Tampa Bay in the 2015 Stanley Cup Final remain with the team: Braydon Coburn, Victor Hedman, Tyler Johnson, Alex Killorn, Nikita Kucherov, Ondrej Palat, Cedric Paquette, Steven Stamkos and Andrei Vasilevskiy, who went 1-1 in two appearances. Coburn also skated in the 2010 Final with the Flyers (0-1—1 in 6 GP).

* Aside from the nine players noted above, two other members of Lightning’s current roster have played in the Final: Ryan McDonagh with the Rangers in 2014 (1-3—4 in 5 GP) and Pat Maroon with the Blues in 2019 (7 GP).

* Maroon is the only Stanley Cup winner currently with Tampa Bay and the lone player in the NHL who can repeat as a champion this year. He can become the eighth different player in NHL history to win a championship in consecutive seasons with different teams.

* Of note, Mark Hartigan appeared in one postseason game with the Ducks in 2007 and skated four playoff contests with the Red Wings in 2008. Both teams won the championship, but Hartigan did not meet the requirements to have his name engraved on the Stanley Cup.

* Three current Stars skaters have played in the Stanley Cup Final: Tyler Seguin with the Bruins in 2011 and 2013 (0-5—5 in 12 GP), Joe Pavelski with the Sharks in 2016 (1-0—1 in 6 GP) and Corey Perry with the Ducks in 2007 (2-4—6 in 5 GP).

* Dallas goaltender Ben Bishop backstopped Tampa Bay to its last trip to the championship series, sharing the net in the 2015 Final with Vasilevskiy. Bishop had a 1-3 record in five appearances against Chicago (2.31 GAA, .924 SV%). Anton Khudobin dressed with Boston in each of its six contests during the 2013 Final, but did not play.

* Seguin (2011) and Perry (2007) are the only current Stars with a Stanley Cup. Perry can become the sixth player in NHL history to go 13-plus years between championships and the third among that cohort to win their second Stanley Cup while wearing a Dallas uniform.

NHL DRAFT, KEY TRADES LED TO BERTH IN FINAL FOR LIGHTNING, STARS

Much of the core for Tampa Bay was developed in the NHL Draft, while several key contributors for Dallas were acquired via trades and in free agency.

* Julien BriseBois was hired as assistant general manager of the Lightning on July 16, 2010, shortly after Steve Yzerman concluded his first NHL Draft since being named the club’s general manager. As either assistant general manager (July 16, 2010 – Sept. 11, 2018) or general manager (Sept. 11, 2018 – Present), BriseBois had a hand in acquiring nearly all players who have dressed at least one game with the Lightning this postseason (22 of 24; 91.7%), with the only exceptions being Alex Killorn (drafted June 2007) and Victor Hedman (drafted June 2009). Steven Stamkos, who was on hand to accept the Prince of Wales Trophy but has yet to play this postseason, was drafted by the Lightning in 2008.

* Of the Lightning’s 24 players this postseason, nine were selected by the team in the NHL Draft (37.5%), seven were signed as free agents (29.2%) and eight were acquired via trade (33.3%), including Blake Coleman and Barclay Goodrow ahead of the 2020 deadline.

* The AHL has also played a vital role in developing Tampa Bay’s current roster, with 14 of its 24 players this postseason having appeared in at least one game with the Norfolk Admirals from 2007-08 to 2011-12 or Syracuse Crunch from 2012-13 onward. Pat Maroon also played for both the Crunch (2010-11 – 2011-12) and Admirals (2012-13), though they were not affiliated with the Lightning at the time.

* BriseBois acted as general manager of the NHL affiliates during his time as assistant general manager of the Lightning, guiding the Admirals to a Calder Cup in 2012. Norfolk had a 28-game win streak during the 2011-12 regular season – 11 games longer than the lengthiest team win streak in NHL history – with current Tampa Bay players Killorn, Tyler Johnson and Ondrej Palat all part of that club.



* Jim Nill was hired as general manager of the Stars on April 29, 2013, after working 16 seasons with the Red Wings as director of player development (1994-95 – 1997-98) and assistant general manager (1998-99 – 2012-13). Detroit won four Stanley Cups while Nill was with the club (1997, 1998, 2002 & 2008).

* One of Nill’s first transactions as general manager of the Stars was acquiring Tyler Seguin in a trade with the Bruins on July 4, 2013. Since then, Seguin has recorded the most regular-season goals, assists and points among all Dallas players (223-291—514 in 538 GP).

* Overall, 21 of the 25 players who have played at least one game with the Stars this postseason were acquired by the club with Nill at the helm (84.0%), with the four exceptions being Jamie Benn (drafted June 2007), John Klingberg (drafted June 2010), Radek Faksa (drafted June 2012) and Esa Lindell (drafted June 2012).

* Of the Stars’ 25 players this postseason, 10 were selected by the team in the NHL Draft (40.0%), seven were acquired via trade (28.0%) and eight were signed as free agents (32.0%), including veterans Joe Pavelski and Corey Perry last summer.

STANLEY CUP FINAL QUICK HITS
As the final chapter begins on the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs – a postseason unlike any other in League history – below is a look at some single-game records and other facts for the Stanley Cup Final:

Any Game of Stanley Cup Final
Most Goals,One Team – 9 (Detroit: Game 2 in 1936 and Toronto: Game 5 in 1942)

Most Goals, Both Teams – 15 (Chicago and Montreal: Game 5 in 1973)

Most Goals, One Player – 4 (Newsy Lalonde: Game 2 in 1919, Frank Foyston: Game 2 in 1919, Babe Dye: Game 5 in 1922, Ted Lindsay: Game 2 in 1955, and Maurice Richard: Game 1 in 1957)

Most Assists, One Player – 4 (12x; last: Evgeny Kuznetsov: Game 4 in 2018)

Most Points, One Player – 5 (7x; last: Jari Kurri: Game 2 in 1990)

Most Shots, One Team – 63 (Montreal: Game 3 in 1967, Florida: Game 4 in 1996 and Chicago: Game 1 in 2013)
^Since 1959-60

Most Saves, One Goaltender – 63 (Patrick Roy: Game 4 in 1996)
^Since 1955-56

Most Hits, Both Teams – 143 (Dallas: 74 and New Jersey: 69, Game 6 in 2000)

Most Time on Ice, One Player – 54:09 (Sergei Zubov: Game 6 in 1999)

^Since 1997-98

Fastest Goal from Start of Any SCF Game – 0:10 (John Byce: Game 3 in 1990 w/ BOS)

Game 1 of Stanley Cup Final
Most Goals, One Team – 8 (Montreal in 1973)

Most Goals, Both Teams – 11 (4x; last: Chicago and Philadelphia in 2010)

Most Goals, One Player – 4 (Maurice Richard in 1957)

Most Assists, One Player – 4 (Sid Abel in 1943)

Most Points, One Player – 5 (Sid Abel in 1943)

Most Shots, One Team – 63 (Chicago in 2013)

^Since 1959-60

Most Saves, One Goaltender – 59 (Tuukka Rask in 2013)

^Since 1955-56

Most Hits, Both Teams – 120 (Chicago: 61 and Boston: 59, in 2013)

Most Time on Ice, One Player – 48:40 (Duncan Keith in 2013)

^Since 1997-98

Fastest Goal from Start of SCF Game 1 – 0:15 (Sid Smith in 1951)

Stanley Cup Final Entirely in One City
The 2020 Stanley Cup Final marks the eighth time in which the championship series will be played entirely in one city. The others:

* 1928 in Montreal: New York Rangers def. Montreal Maroons (3-2 W, best-of-5)
* 1926 in Montreal: Montreal Maroons def. Victoria Cougars (3-1 W, best-of-5)
* 1923 in Vancouver: Ottawa Senators def. Edmonton Eskimos (2-0 W, best-of-3)
* 1922 in Toronto: Toronto St. Patricks def. Vancouver Millionaires (3-2 W, best-of-5)
* 1921 in Vancouver: Ottawa Senators def. Vancouver Millionaires (3-2 W, best-of-5)
* 1919 in Seattle: Montreal Canadiens vs. Seattle Metropolitans (Canceled; influenza epidemic)
* 1918 in Toronto: Toronto Arenas def. Vancouver Millionaires (3-2 W, best-of-5)

Neutral-Site Games in the Stanley Cup Final
Prior to the 2020 Stanley Cup Final, a game in the championship series has been played at a neutral-site location nine times in NHL history with the most-recent instance being in 1950 between the Red Wings and Rangers (Game 2 & Game 3 in Toronto).

QUICK CLICKS

* Five remaining NHL Awards to be announced before Game 2 of Cup Final
* Anton Khudobin, Victor Hedman top candidates for Conn Smythe Trophy at start of Final
* Jon Cooper of Lightning, Rick Bowness of Stars to make history in Cup Final
* Longtime rivals Joe Pavelski, Corey Perry close to achieving Cup glory with Stars

* NHL announces Madison Beer, Tenille Townes as anthem singers for Game 1 of Final