Whether it’s baseball, basketball, football, or in this case, the NHL – there are no two better words than “Game 7” simply put, everything is on the line.
We can all remember the game winning baskets at the end of a close game with time ticking off the clock, or the final home run at the bottom of the ninth to seal a title. We can also remember the solo performances of a player who absolutely dominated. But how about hockey? The dramatics on the ice is just as palatable if not more so. The history books are littered with last minute scores and players who flat out took over the game in the final minutes. While all Game 7s are filled with high leverage, nothing compares to a Game 7 in the finals.
With so many memorable moments to choose from, we’ve decided to put together a list of 30 best performances in that deciding Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals. All-Star games and Hall of Fame inductions are thrown out of the window. As you’ll see, many of the game’s most impactful performers came from players whose careers were insignificant in the grand scheme of things. This list only focuses on who stood out in a game of stars on the world’s highest stakes stage.
Although taking home the series MVP award is an impressive feather in anyone’s cap, it essentially holds no weight here. With the series tied at three games apiece, someone either from the winning or losing squad stepped up, showed out and left an indelible mark on the game.
So who does history remember most in those moments? Let’s find out.