| 2016 Stanley Cup Finals | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| * – Denotes overtime period(s) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Location(s) | San Jose: SAP Center (3, 4, 6) Pittsburgh: Consol Energy Center (1, 2, 5) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Coaches | San Jose: Peter DeBoer Pittsburgh: Mike Sullivan | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Captains | San Jose: Joe Pavelski Pittsburgh: Sidney Crosby | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National anthems | San Jose: Annemarie Martin (3) Metallica (4)[1] Pat Monahan (6)[2] Pittsburgh: Jeff Jimerson | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Referees | Wes McCauley (2, 4, 6) Dan O'Halloran (1, 3, 5) Dan O'Rourke (1, 3, 5) Kelly Sutherland (2, 4, 6) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Dates | May 30 – June 12, 2016 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| MVP | Sidney Crosby (Penguins) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Series-winning goal | Kris Letang (7:46, second, G6) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Networks | Canada: (English): CBC (French): TVA Sports United States: (English): NBC (1, 4–6), NBCSN (2–3) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Announcers | (CBC) Jim Hughson, Craig Simpson, and Glenn Healy (TVA) Felix Seguin and Patrick Lalime (NBC/NBCSN) Mike Emrick, Eddie Olczyk, and Pierre McGuire (NHL International) Steve Mears and Kevin Weekes (NBC Sports Radio) Kenny Albert, Joe Micheletti, and Darren Eliot | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The 2016 Stanley Cup Finals was the championship series of the National Hockey League's (NHL) 2015–16 season, and the culmination of the 2016 Stanley Cup playoffs. The Eastern Conference champion Pittsburgh Penguins defeated the Western Conference champion San Jose Sharks four games to two to win their fourth championship in franchise history. Penguins captain Sidney Crosby was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player of the playoffs.
The Penguins finished with more points than the Sharks during the regular season, giving them home ice advantage in the series. The series began on May 30 and concluded on June 12.[3] This was the first Finals since 2007 to feature a team making their Finals debut. This was the first playoff meeting between teams from Pittsburgh and the Bay Area since the Penguins swept the Oakland Seals in the 1970 Stanley Cup Quarterfinals.
The Eastern Conference had home-ice advantage in consecutive seasons for the first time since the 2004 and 2006 Finals (the 2004–05 season, and consequently the 2005 Finals, were not played due to a lockout).
For the first time since 2006, a new scheduling format was instituted for the Finals. In previous years, the Finals were played on a Wednesday–Saturday-Monday scheme (with a few games being played on Friday). However, the league changed its scheduling to ensure an extra day off for both teams. The extra off day, along with the designated travel day, took place after games 2, 4, 5, and 6 in subsequent finals. This scheduling change was necessary as a result of the National Basketball Association (NBA) instituting a new scheduling format for its championship series that went into effect beginning in 2016.[4]
- ^ "Metallica to play anthem before Game 4". NHL.com. National Hockey League. June 6, 2016. Retrieved June 6, 2016.
- ^ "Train's Pat Monahan to perform anthem for Game 6". NHL.com. National Hockey League. June 11, 2016. Retrieved June 12, 2016.
- ^ "Stanley Cup Final schedule". NHL.com. New York City: NHL Enterprises, L. P. May 26, 2016. Retrieved May 26, 2016.
- ^ "Extra off days in NBA, NHL finals". www.sportingnews.com. Sporting News Holding Limited. October 19, 2021. Retrieved April 27, 2023.