2008 Stanley Cup Final Detroit vs. Pittsburgh NEWS RELEASE STANLEY CUP FINAL NOTES, NUGGETS AND STORY LINES First Meeting: The 2008 Stanley Cup Final marks the first playoff series between the Red Wings and Penguins in the 41st season that both clubs have been members of the NHL. It is the first postseason meeting of pro franchises from Detroit and Pittsburgh since the 1909 World Series, when the Pittsburgh Pirates topped the Detroit Tigers four games to three in a celebrated competition between Hall of Fame shortstop Honus Wagner for the Pirates and outfielder Ty Cobb for the Tigers. The Red Wings and Penguins did not play each other in the 2007-08 regular season. Their most recent meeting occurred Oct. 7, 2006, a 2-0 Red Wings victory at Pittsburgh. Fifteen of the 20 Red Wings who dressed for that game are still with the club; 10 of the 20 Penguins remain with Pittsburgh. Roster Additions: The four playoff participants acquired by the Penguins and Red Wings during the regular season -- who are now in the Stanley Cup Final -- were obtained from clubs that did not qualify for the postseason. The Penguins added wings Marian Hossa and Pascal Dupuis from Atlanta, and D Hal Gill from Toronto at the trade deadline on Feb. 26. The Red Wings added D Brad Stuart from Los Angeles, also at the Feb. 26 trade deadline. Tale of the Tape: The Stanley Cup Finalists are an interesting contrast in size and age. Among players who have appeared in at least one playoff game in 2008, the Red Wings' average age is 32.3, nearly five years older than the Penguins' average of 27.9. The Penguins measure in at nearly 6'2" (73.7 inches) and 208 pounds; the Red Wings average just under 6'0" (71.96 inches) and 195 lbs. We're Number One: The Penguins have 13 former first-round draft picks on their roster, including five players the club has selected in the top five: D Ryan Whitney (fifth overall in 2002), G Marc-Andre Fleury (first overall in 2003), C Evgeni Malkin (second overall in 2004), C Sidney Crosby (first overall in 2005) and C Jordan Staal (second overall in 2006). The others are LW Gary Roberts (12th overall by Calgary in 1984), D Darryl Sydor (seventh overall by Los Angeles in 1990), D Sergei Gonchar (14th overall by Washington in 1992), RW Petr Sykora (18th overall by New Jersey in 1995), RW Marian Hossa (12th overall by Ottawa in 1997), C Kris Beech (seventh overall by Washington in 1999), D Brooks Orpik (18th overall by Pittsburgh in 2000) and C Jeff Taffe (30th overall by St. Louis in 2000). The Red Wings have three former first-round picks, one of which the club selected (D Niklas Kronwall , 29th overall in 2000). The others are RW Daniel Cleary (13th overall by Chicago in 1997) and D Brad Stuart (third overall by San Jose in 1998). Connections: Detroit D Brian Rafalski and Pittsburgh RW Petr Sykora were teammates on the New Jersey Devils team that won the 2000 Stanley Cup; 46-year-old Detroit D Chris Chelios and Pittsburgh LW Gary Roberts , who turns 42 on May 23, opposed each other in the 1989 Final between Montreal and Calgary. NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE 1185 Ave. of the Americas, New York, NY 10036 • Tel (212) 789-2000 • Fax (212) 789-2080 50 Bay Street, 11th Floor, Toronto, ON M5J 2X8 • Tel (416) 981-2777 • Fax (416) 981-2769 www.stanleycupplayoffs2008.com ••• NHLMedia.com ••• NHL.com Players In The Final Whose Names Are Engraved On The Stanley Cup: Detroit D Chris Chelios (Montreal 85-86, Detroit 01-02) C Pavel Datsyuk ( Detroit 01-02) C Kris Draper (Detroit 96-97, 97-98, 01-02) G Dominik Hasek (Detroit 01-02) LW Tomas Holmstrom (Detroit 96-97, 97-98, 01-02) D Nicklas Lidstrom (Detroit 96-97, 97-98, 01-02) RW Kirk Maltby (Detroit 96-97, 97-98, 01-02) RW Darren McCarty (Detroit 96-97, 97-98, 01-02) G Chris Osgood (Detroit 96-97, 97-98) D Brian Rafalski (New Jersey 99-00, 02-03) Pittsburgh LW Gary Roberts (Calgary 88-89) D Darryl Sydor (Dallas 98-99, Tampa Bay 03-04) RW Petr Sykora (New Jersey 99-00) * Red Wings C Mark Hartigan could be a member of the Stanley Cup-winning club for a second consecutive season. Acquired by Anaheim from Columbus in January, 2007 trade, Hartigan made six regular-season and one playoff appearance for the champion Ducks. Although he did not meet the games-played criteria for his name to be engraved on the Stanley Cup, he enjoyed his day with the trophy in August at his father's house in Fort McMurray, Alberta. Stanley Cup Final Experience: Red Wings head coach Mike Babcock is making his second trip to the Final: he guided the Anaheim Ducks to Game 7 of the 2003 Stanley Cup Final before falling to the New Jersey Devils. Trophy Candidates: Five members of the Red Wings are 2007-08 NHL trophy finalists. Nicklas Lidstrom joins Boston's Zdeno Chara and Calgary's Dion Phaneuf in contention for the Norris Trophy as top defenseman; LW Henrik Zetterberg and C Pavel Datsyuk join New Jersey's John Madden as finalists for the Selke Trophy as top defensive forward; Datsyuk is competing with Buffalo's Jason Pominville and Tampa Bay's Martin St. Louis for the Lady Byng Trophy (gentlemanly play); D Chris Chelios joins Toronto's Jason Blake and Edmonton's Fernando Pisani as finalists for the Masterton Trophy for sportsmanship and dedication; and Mike Babcock is vying for the Jack Adams Award as coach of the year with Washington's Bruce Boudreau and Montreal's Guy Carbonneau . Penguins C Evgeni Malkin has been voted a finalist for the Hart Trophy as League MVP, joining Calgary's Jarome Iginla and Washington's Alex Ovechkin. Trophy winners will be announced at the 2008 NHL Awards Show, Thursday, June 12 at Toronto's historic Elgin Theatre. Happy Birthday To You: Two players will celebrate their birthdays over the next two weeks: Pittsburgh LW Gary Roberts turns 42 on May 23, the day prior to Game 1; Detroit C Kris Draper turns 37 on May 24. European Milestone: Born in Vasteras, Sweden, Detroit's Nicklas Lidstrom has the opportunity to be the first European captain to hoist the Stanley Cup. Steve Yzerman served as captain on Lidstrom's three previous Stanley Cup-winning clubs with Detroit in 1997, 1998 and 2002. A Swedish-born captain has advanced to the Final for the second consecutive season, following Ottawa's Daniel Alfredsson in 2006-07. Common Thread: Scotty Bowman coached each of these Finalists to its previous Cup: Red Wings (2002), Penguins (1992). DETROIT RED WINGS NHL Playoff Appearance: 56th (17th consecutive) Stanley Cups: 10 (last SC: 2002) Last Stanley Cup Final Appearance: 2002 All-Time Playoff Series Record: 61-45 All-Time Playoff Game Record: 281-252-1 How They Got Here: Defeated the Nashville Predators, 4-2, in the Conference Quarter-Finals; defeated the Colorado Avalanche, 4-0, in the Conference Semifinals; defeated the Dallas Stars, 4-2, in the Conference Finals. KEY DATES - 2007-08 Jan. 2/08 -- The Red Wings set an NHL record for most first-half victories with a 4-1 victory over Dallas, posting a 30-8-3 mark through 41 contests. Jan. 8/08 -- Against Colorado, D Chris Chelios becomes the second-oldest player in NHL history, second only to Gordie Howe . Mar. 13/08 -- The Red Wings reach the 100-point mark for the eighth consecutive season with a 5-3 victory over Dallas, matching the Montreal Canadiens' record streak from 1974-75 through 1981-82. In addition, the victory clinches their seventh consecutive division title as well as a berth in the Stanley Cup playoffs for the 17th consecutive season, the longest active streak of qualifying for the postseason among the major pro sports. Apr. 3/08 -- The Red Wings clinch the sixth Presidents’ Trophy in franchise history with a 3-2 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets, assuring themselves home-ice advantage throughout their participation in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. KEY DATES - BUILDING BLOCKS June 17/89 -- With the 53rd choice in the 1989 Entry Draft in Minnesota, the Red Wings select 19-year old defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom from Vasteras, Sweden. In a Draft at which fellow countryman Mats Sundin makes history in becoming the first-ever European player to be chosen #1 overall in the Draft, Lidstrom is only the 38th-ranked European player. July 17/97 -- Red Wings General Manager Ken Holland is promoted from assistant General Manager to General Manager, succeeding Jim Devellano . Devellano, at the time: "We put in this plan three years ago, and Ken Holland becoming the GM is something I'm very excited and very proud about. He'll probably be around here for another 10 to 15 years." June 27/98 -- C Pavel Datsyuk is the Red Wings' eighth choice, 171st overall, in the 1998 Entry Draft in Buffalo. The Red Wings sign Datsyuk on July 12, 2001. Mar. 23/99 -- In an effort to capture their third straight Stanley Cup, the Red Wings acquire defenseman Chris Chelios at the trading deadline from Chicago for Anders Eriksson, Detroit's first-round choices in 1999 (Steve McCarthy) and 2001 (Adam Munro). The Wings add 59 years of NHL experience to their lineup with the addition of Chelios, Ulf Samuelsson from the NY Rangers and Wendel Clark and Bill Ranford from Tampa Bay at the trade deadline.