Montreal Maroons win Stanley Cup
The 1926 Stanley Cup Final saw the National Hockey League (NHL) champion Montreal Maroons, in their first Final series appearance, defeat the Western Hockey League (WHL) and defending Stanley Cup champion Victoria Cougars three games to one in the best-of-five game series. This was the last Stanley Cup playoffs before the WHL folded, and the last time any non-NHL team would contest for the Cup, leaving the Cup entirely to the NHL.
All of the games in the 1926 Cup Final were played at the Montreal Forum. Aided by three future Hockey Hall of Famers, the Maroons ended up dominating the series. Goaltender Clint Benedict, who previously helped Ottawa in three Cup championships, recorded three shutouts. Rookie Nels Stewart scored 6 of Montreal's 10 overall goals in the 4 games. Punch Broadbent also recorded a goal for the Maroons. The Cougars' lone win came in game three, 3–2.
The 1925–26 Montreal Maroons season saw the team win their first Stanley Cup in only their second season.
Nels Stewart was "Old Poison" to the Victoria Cougars, as he scored 6 goals in the 4 games and goaltender Clint Benedict shut out the westerners three times. All games were played at the Forum in Montreal.
Montreal Maroons win best-of-five series 3 games to 1 for the Stanley Cup
The 1926 Stanley Cup finals were the first to be played in the legendary Montreal Forum. The Montreal Maroons and netminder Clint Benedict were able to shut out the Victoria Cougars in three of the four games played. This victory for Montreal would mark the end of an incredible era in hockey. From this series on, the NHL took control of the Stanley Cup, which, since 1893, had become the most sought after prize in all of sports. From this year on, only National Hockey League teams could compete for the Stanley Cup.
With new maroon sweaters with a simplistic white M, the Maroons were vastly improved in their second season as Nels Stewart playing mostly center and defense won the Hart Trophy given to the NHL's Most Valuable Player, by leading the scoring with 34 goals and 42 points. The Maroons who were now forced to share the Forum with the rival Canadiens would go on to finish in 2nd place with a solid 20-11-5 record. In the playoffs the Maroons would dump the fast skating Pittsburgh Pirates 6-4 in a 2-game total goals series, to advance to the NHL Championship. In the Championship the Maroons would stun the heavily favored Ottawa Senators 2-1. In the Stanley Cup Finals the Maroons would face the Victoria Cougars from the WCHL who had beaten the Montreal Canadiens a year earlier for the Cup. The Maroons would easily knock off the Cougars winning in 4 games as Nels Stewart scored all 10 Maroons goals and Clint Benedict recorded 3 shutouts, winning the Stanley Cup back for the NHL. It would mark the last time the NHL Champion faced another league for the rights to the Stanley Cup as the WCHL folded following the season.
