1994 Stanley Cup playoffs
| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Dates | April 16–June 14, 1994 |
| Teams | 16 |
| Final positions | |
| Champions | New York Rangers |
| Runner-up | Vancouver Canucks |
| Semifinalists | |
|
← 1993
1995 →
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The 1994 Stanley Cup playoffs, the championship of the National Hockey League (NHL), began after the conclusion of the 1993–94 NHL season. The sixteen teams that qualified, eight from each conference, played best-of-seven game series for conference quarterfinals, semifinals and championships; and then the conference champions played a best-of-seven series for the Stanley Cup.
The playoffs ended when the New York Rangers defeated the Vancouver Canucks in the seventh game of the 1994 Stanley Cup Finals. This was the beginning of Canada's longest absence from the Stanley Cup Finals.
For the first time since joining the NHL, all four former WHA teams (Edmonton, Hartford, Quebec, and Winnipeg) failed to make the playoffs. Wayne Gretzky also missed the playoffs for the first time in his career. Conversely, the San Jose Sharks became the first post-1990 expansion team to make the playoffs.
All series played between Central and Pacific Division teams had a 2–3–2 format to reduce travel.
The following teams qualified for the playoffs:
The New York Rangers entered the playoffs as the Presidents' Trophy winners, the Eastern Conference regular season and Atlantic Division champions with 112 points. The Islanders qualified as the eighth seed earning 84 points during the regular season. This was the eighth playoff series between these two teams, with the Islanders winning five of the previous seven series. They last met in the 1990 Patrick Division Semifinals which the Rangers won in five games. The Islanders won the season series earning six of ten points during this year's five game regular season series.
Game six was the final playoff game in the Montreal Forum.
This was the first playoff series between these two teams.
This was the eighth playoff series between these two teams, with Toronto winning five of the seven previous series. They last met in the 1986 Division Semifinals which Toronto won in three games. Game six was the last game ever at Chicago Stadium.
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